Saturday, May 23, 2009

Summertime means swimming time

Some of you may remember R's swim lessons last summer. It's sort of a deja-vu situation in that we are in the midst of very similarly intensive lessons all over again, albeit with a different "swim Nazi." Not my nickname for either lady, BTW, but I have heard it used for both Ms. Gwen (last summer's trauma) and Ms. Cathi (this summer's trauma...oh, I kid, I kid....sort of).
The difference--and it's a big one and in R's case a preferable one this time around--is that Ms. Cathi conducts class in a group format. So, each kiddo goes out one at a time with her and she does all the intense stuff for a few minutes per turn, then drops them back with their parent so they can catch their breath and regroup. It also takes twice as long--we're in between weeks of lessons. But, I think Gwen really laid the ground work for R last summer and Cathi's course has been great as a confidence boosting refresher. But don't be fooled--it hasn't been all fun and games.
The first day, she was blissfully unaware of where she was headed. As soon as she got it, lots of tears and "I don't want to do it again!" in between turns.
The second day, she couldn't quite bring herself to look at me while I snapped away. I feel fairly certain that if she had, the look would have been filled with contempt. But her surfer girl suit sure looks fab!



Each day gets a little better.
The third day, she was oh-so-aware of what we were about to do and would have none of it. Hiding in your bed is a good plan, unless your pillow doesn't entirely cover you. In an unrelated note, yes, she does have swimsuits that match her bed linens. Poor pumpkin--trying so hard to alter the course of action!

I couldn't take her Thursday, so David filled in. Lo and behold, he told me there was no crying, she voluntarily stood up and jumped in when it was her turn and happily dove down to the bottom to pick up rocks and bring them back to the top.
I didn't believe it until I saw it with my own eyes yesterday--she really has turned the corner. And today at my parents' pool, she was very willing to show off her swim skills to her adoring fans. I predict a lot of practice and continued improvement over the summer...and in the next couple of summers, Rollingwood Waves swim team, watch out! Here she comes, coordinated swim gear and all!

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