Now that we've got the pool filled with water the kids have slowly been getting used to paddling around in it wearing their swim vests.  It's funny how the girls are much braver than the boys - they're trying to dog paddle and kick their legs, and love to act like they're "swimming".  The two little boys will get in the water, then back out, then back in.  They splash around and love the water, but they're very cautious of it, which isn't a bad thing I guess.  But Jacob - our oldest, he hasn't stepped foot in the pool again since we got it filled up.  That first day when we were filling it up we all played around in a few inches of water, but he just cannot be cajoled back into the pool.  We have a large plastic tub with rope handles that we keep beside the pool to store the floaties and pool toys and the last couple times we've been out in the pool Jacob will systematically take out all the toys and using a plastic cup will fill it up several inches with water from the pool.  He then proceeds to play in "his pool" and has a grand old time doing it, the first day he even wore his life jacket in his tub/pool. 

A few months ago we got brave and took all the kids down to the beach for an afternoon of fun and sun.  The kids all really enjoyed themselves and only wanted to go into the water with an adult of course, and only a foot or so out into the surf.  Things were going really well until Jacob fell face first into the water while throwing/chasing a stick along the shoreline.  We pulled him out right away but he refused to go back into the water that day.  We can only assume that the episode at the beach is the reason he's acting so scared of the water, but we really have no idea what to do to help him get over his fear.  We're being very gentle with him about it, don't want to push him and make it worse.  I'm sure that once he finally gets in and sees what a good time he's been missing out on that we'll then have problems getting him out of the pool, but I wish I knew how to help him get past it.