Swim Lessons

I finally did it.  After three summers of saying I was going to put Rex in swim lessons and then waiting too long that summer was nearly over, so what was the point?  Or we're about to go on vacation so after this and then summer's bascially over, what's the point?  I did it.  June 2nd I signed both him and Alice up .  And it was a fun, but tiring two weeks.  Here's how it went Monday through Thursday for two weeks:

wake up

8:30 rush out of the house because no matter how early, I get up it's still a rush at the end

8:50 (hopefully): arrive at swimming lesson.  Drop Rex and Henry off at child watch

9: Mommy and me lessons with Alice

9:30 change, fed Henry, drop Alice and Henry off at child watch, pick Rex up from the older child watch, Rex changes into swimsuit

10: drop Rex off at swim lessons, hurry up to fitness floor for a quick workout

10:30 pick Rex up, pick Henry and Alice up, eat a snack, change back into now wet swim suits, swim for fun

12 take a very tired and often screaming Henry home for a nap

It was exhausting.  But productive.  Ms. Alicia was great--played lots of games to entertain the children so they didn't know they were practicing swimming.  I loved having half an hour each day devoted just to Alice, time she doesn't normally get.  Alice learned not to jump into pools but to cautiously climb in and then how to monkey arm along the side of the pool to the ladder to get out.  Exactly what I wanted her to learn.

 Rex, on the other hand, learned to jump in the pool and how to paddle back to the side.  In our free time swimming after lessons, he jumped in, swam back, jumped in, swam back, jumped in, swam back, jumped in, swam back...you get the point.  He also learned how to float on his back and how to hold his breath under water.  And he enjoys it.  I think he liked tee ball because we wanted him to like it.  I think he liked swimming because he likes it.  It suits his personality better--more movement, more silliness, more games--less standing around.  He practiced specific things he wants to get better at, such at diving under water to get toys and floating on his back.  Not to go lie, I like that he likes swimming.  It's just a good sport--individual so he can swim past high school when he'll no longer have publicly sponsored teams; low impact so he'll preserve all his precious cartilage; full body so he'll stay fit.  Love it--it's like running, but wetter and better.  It's unfortunate that I can't swim and you have to get wet to swim and there's no such thing as a swimming BOB or I'd be a swimmer too.

I was so pleased with all the children learned that I nearly signed them up for a second session, but then decided that I wanted some summer time to swim for fun, so I didn't.