kneeboarding

Kevin has been looking forward to this day for quite some time now!  The kneeboard pictured is the one he used as a kid, and he's been telling Brooke ALL about it.  She expressed a desire to try, but then would make comments like, "Well, I guess I'm a little nervous about it."  I totally understood her nerves because I was really nervous about stuff like this, and I was 12 (I think) when I first tried it!  My childhood best friend had a boat, and I went on several trips with their family.  We went to beautiful lakes in California, but part of the fun was taken out for me because I was always so nervous!  I wasn't as good as her and her siblings, and her brothers were pretty critical and cynical.  I guess that sort of left a bad taste in my mouth about boating in general, but then I met Kevin.  The first time we went boating together was when he taught me to wakeboard.  He was SUPER patient and encouraging, and really made it seem like no big deal at all.  I started to really enjoy the learning curve, which I was skeptical about.

But, back to Brooke.  I didn't want to pressure her in any way because she is only FOUR, but I understand that it takes baby steps to introduce something new.  So, we played with the board on the ground, practiced the general concept at home on her big boogie board, then floated on the board in the water.  Kevin never pressured her to do it, but tried to encourage with little baby steps.  She also tried to get fancy and do surface spins and behind-the-back handle grabs...

The week before this outing, Brooke told me that she was "going to surprise Daddy and do kneeboarding."  She knows how excited Kevin is about it :)  Once she was on the board, Kevin asked me to get in the driver's seat and get ready, which I did.  I was giving Colby a snack to entertain him, and was waiting for Kevin to give me the signal.  He never did, and then all of a sudden he said she was done and they were coming in.  Kevin was a little frustrated (with me I think) because he felt like we missed the window, but I think it would have been too soon to idle out.  I really don't want to freak her out and scare her from trying at all.  I'm thinking that next Summer will be her first run!

Kevin will probably hate these pictures because of his hairline, but I wanted to document the little lessons he was giving her.  He really is the most patient teacher you could ask for.  He even gets in with the youth from church that can't get up after multiple attempts.  He just likes to see people succeed at something he truly loves!