I had swimming lessons when I was 4. Then I grew up in South Florida so beach going and pools were a constant. Most of my teen years leisure activities were at the beach, and most of my H.S. friends were on the swim team and/or water polo team.

So I spent a lot of time in the water. Pools, ocean, freshwater canals.

Emmett likes splashing in pools but he isn't really a swimmer quite yet. Well, he can swim underwater, it's the staying on top part he hasn't mastered.

Like, can you ride a bike? Do a cartwheel? Catch, throw, hit a ball? Jump rope? Skate? Any other skill I didn't mention?

I've done all of those as a kid (though I sucked at actually hitting the ball), but I have never ever ice skated, unless you count slipping around in regular shoes on the rare patch of ice.

See, I can ride a bike (and I still do), I can do a cartwheel (and I still do), I can jump rope and was in fact quite good a double dutch at one point (though I can jump rope, it's harder than it used to be), I can rollerblade, but don't know if I can still ice/roller skate. I can't throw or catch worth a damn and never could. But it wasn't the skill set I wanted.

I've never tried to teach an adult to pat her head while rubbing her belly, either.

Head patting and belly rubbing is easier to teach, in my experience. Teaching adults to cartwheel (or even teens) has been hard too.

Like, can you ride a bike? Do a cartwheel? Catch, throw, hit a ball? Jump rope? Skate? Any other skill I didn't mention?

I can't rollerskate though I can ice skate a bit.

Rode my bike all through my childhood, logging many many miles. It was a childhood on wheels. Played baseball all during my childhood too.

oh, and as for skating, I do best on old quad roller skates as my ankles hate blades and ice skates. My muscles are not strong enough to keep my ankle upright.

Like, can you ride a bike? Do a cartwheel? Catch, throw, hit a ball? Jump rope?

Yes, poorly.

Yes, but not as well as when I was 40lbs lighter.

Only if I'm lucky.

Yes, poorly.

Only if I'm lucky.

Yes, with occasional tangles.

Signed, uncoordinated as heck.

Oh, and I can skate both types, poorly.

>Like, can you ride a bike?

I learned late (eighth grade) and do not like to ride in traffic

Do a cartwheel?

Never could learn. I did one, once, when a very patient, athletic friend decided I should try and pass the gymnatic unit in gym

Catch, throw, hit a ball?

Yes. Not well

Jump rope?

Yes

>Skate?

Roller, not ice>

I can skate, but can't stop. When we lived near the Ottawa river, I was much better. Moving to Jamaica cured me of that.

I can catch better now than I ever have been able to in my life. I was a grownup before I really figured out how to not close my eyes when something was thrown at me.

Robin, that was a great article. I especially liked this:

As part of Poe's award, Staff Care will provide a temporary paid physician to take over her practice for two weeks to give her a break.

But I wonder how many people will actually go in during those two weeks!