Diving, Mia-Style

For weeks, Mia has been telling us she wanted to jump off the diving board like the big kids. We told her she had to learn how to swim (strokes, breathing) first. (What I really wanted to say was, "In your dreams!" There was no way I was going to let her jump into 12-ft deep water.) The rule at our pool is quite reasonable - children of any age can jump off the low diving board as long as they can then swim to the side unassisted. Mia isn't quite up to that yet. Then last Thursday I told the babysitter she could take Mia to the pool. When they came home, K. asked, "Do you let Mia jump off the diving board?"
Apparently, Mia had expressed a desire to jump off the diving board, and since there was literally no one else there, the lifeguard allowed K. to tread water in the deep end so she could retrieve Mia after she jumped. According to K., Mia was fearless, jumping again and again until K. was so tired they had to stop.
I could hardly believe this story, but on Friday night Jeff and I took Mia to the pool. With some apprehension (and lifeguard approval again), Jeff waited in the deep end while Mia jumped off the diving board and I manned the camcorder. Another club member, Becky, took an interest and helped Mia get out of the pool each time. Unfortunately, this was the best still shot I got. Mia jumped off the diving board 8 or 9 times on Friday, then the same on Saturday. On Sunday and Monday, she started to show some trepidation, so she only jumped a couple of times. Besides that, the pool is only open for 2 more weekends (and the water is getting pretty cold), so Mia's diving season may well be over. We don't mind that at all. She's got plenty of years ahead of her.
Becky, whose 10-year-old daughter is on the diving team, told us Mia should join the diving team next year, in the "Under 5" division. We'll see.
P.S. The 3 meter board is strictly off limits to children under 8. Thank goodness.