Anxiety and inspiration

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Tessa

Lex is a funny boy. We are doing swim lessons again, at Dartmouth. The lessons are taught by the swim team, one-on-one. The scene is chaotic, but each child has their own teacher and when we did this last year the kids learned so much! I was amazed! The lessons run every day for one week. This is the week.

Last year Lex was apprehensive but made it into the water and had fun. Yesterday was a different story. He agreed to get in his bathing suit, but would not get in the water, despite my best efforts, those of his instructor and those of the coordinator. He just wouldn’t. The instructor finally gave up and brought Lex back to me before the end of class. We agreed to try again the next day.

On the way home we discussed what was worrying him. He came up with “my scrape hurts” and “the pool is four foot deep and I’m used to swimming in three feet six inches.” Sometimes he’s too smart for his own good. Especially with that second one. If he didn’t know so much he would never notice the markings on the edge of the pools and worry about those extra inches. But I digress. We talked off and on last night and came up with a plan. He agreed to try a water-proof bandaid over the rather large scrape on his knee (from the playground last week, which is healing and didn’t bother him at all in the aquatic center pool over the weekend!). He also agreed to ask his instructor if there was a shallower part of the pool they could start in. With those two ideas in his mind he went to sleep peacefully last night.

After school today he was anxious again. Together we reviewed the plan. I also added that I think he can probably touch the bottom in the 4′ pool. Maybe just on a tip-toe, but I think he can do it. He tentatively agreed to try and then got silent for awhile. After a few minutes of driving in silence (to get Eve from pre-k) he said, “Maybe I could just show Matt (his instructor) some of the skills I already have?” Hmmm…. this makes me wonder if there were other concerns in his head that he wasn’t sharing or hadn’t yet articulated to himself. I told him that that would be a great way to get started and that Matt probably would love to see his skills. Matt needs to know what kind of swimmer Lex is anyway so he can properly teach him. Lex asked me if maybe Matt would want to see his backwards somersaults. Heck yeah! Who doesn’t?!

By the time we got to Eve’s school Lex was excited for his upcoming lesson. Excited! I don’t know if he solved a problem he didn’t know he had, or was just excited to come up with an idea on his own, or really wanted to swim and just need a good reason, or what. The boy confounds me sometimes, but that’s ok! We got to the pool, he happily put on his bathing suit, seemed indifferent to the bandaid covering his scraped knee, and eagerly hopped in the pool! And guess what? He had fun! And Matt taught him how to flip in the water. I forget what he called it, but when you get to the end of a lap and flip under the water to start back the other way. Yep, I have no idea how to do that and Lex learned today! All because he found the courage and inspiration to get in the water! I’m proud and confused and totally in love with that little boy!

Lex and his instructor (in the background). The blur in the foreground is a girl jumping off the diving board. All the kids will get a chance to try it on Friday, if they want to. Eve says she is going to do it. Lex says not no, but hell no! Well, his cleaner version of that statment anyway ;)

Eve, walking over to her instructor (the woman in the water watching her) about to jump into the pool. Eve loves jumping into the pool. :)

Here they are together, swimming under water towards the wall.

I have lots more to say about life and whatnot… and I was surprised to find 48 photos on my camera this evening. I guess a lot has been going on… just not a lot of time to blog about it! Sorry! For now I’m exhausted and eager to watch the second half of Harry Potter #7. A big thanks to Rosy for our newest addiction (and yes I realize I’m about five years behind the times… )

In the big pool

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Tessa

Swimming Milestone

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Tessa

This afternoon presented me with another “Why don’t I have my camera?!?” moment. At the very end of swimming lessons the teachers (they have two this session) took the kids (there are three in the class!) over to the BIG pool! The 9′ deep competition pool! The first boy (Lex’s classmate and a good friend of both of theirs) shouted with joy and jumped right in! I’m not certain he hasn’t been in that pool before. My two kids were very nervous. Eve made me (twist my arm!) come with them to the big pool. The two teachers, one in the pool and one out, were able to get Lex and Eve to sit on the edge of the pool and Eve worked up the courage to slip in. Once in she LOVED it! Lex, however, said quite clearly, “I don’t want to get into a very cold, nine foot deep swimming pool!” Hmm… when you put it that way I think he has a very valid point! I was pleased that his teachers respected that and gave him space. I think in the next few sessions he’ll work up the courage to join the other two. Eve, on the other hand, is already eager to start swimming laps!

I’m repeatedly impressed with how naturally swimming comes to Eve. Lex has been practicing his freestyle (back in my day we called it the Crawl Stroke) a lot lately. I have yet to see Eve even try it. At lessons today the instructor asked them to do it across the pool. Lex worked at it like he always does. He does a good job, but he is clearly thinking and trying. Eve just did it. Not perfectly, but smoothly and easily. She’s so little in the water, yet so smooth. Like a fish. I can’t wait to see her doing laps in the big pool. On second thought, yes, I can. She’s too little for the big pool!!!

Little fishes, moving up!

Posted on December 18, 2011 by Tessa

The kids did swimming lessons twice a week this session, our first try at this. I think it was a huge success!! They both learned so much and progressed so quickly! So quickly, in fact, that they only had to do one session at their current level. The both moved up from level 3 to level 4 this time! I’m so proud of them! We are going to do twice a week lessons again in January/February and hopefully everyone keeps having fun! :)

Pre-swim showers

Swimming update

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Tessa

The kids are rocking in the swimming pool. Rocking! Suddenly they are practically independent! Lex can get around the current pool all on his own. Eve can too, but she makes me a bit more nervous so I still stay close to her. It seems like just yesterday they were clinging to me in the water, now they are fairly indifferent if I’m even there. Sob. Kidding, kind of. They like having me there to play with them. It’s just so amazing to watch them grow!

While they had lessons today (and most days) I swam laps in the competition pool. When I came back to the lesson pool I found Eve getting a private lesson from Molly, who runs whole the lesson program. On the way to lessons Eve told me she hoped Molly would be her teacher again today and I was confused because Molly isn’t her teacher. I guess two weeks ago (when Alan had them at lessons) and today Molly took Eve aside to help her practice her kicking. As I was watching I couldn’t really tell what was going on. Lex’s lesson got done at the usual time, but Molly and Eve kept working. I asked the regular teacher if Eve was doing ok in lessons and she said yes. I wasn’t sure if Eve was getting special attention because she wasn’t keeping up (the rest of the class is 6yr olds), but her teacher said she was doing just fine. So then I began to wonder if she was getting extra attention because she’s an advanced swimmer! I was super curious! About five minutes past when the lesson was supposed to have ended Molly and Eve swam over to me and Molly explained what they were doing. Apparently Eve does her straight leg kick with a very straight leg. Toes pointed and knees locked. Molly has been trying to get her to loosen her legs just a bit. To me it seemed like an odd thing to be focusing on, but they were working hard at it. Eve is either floppy legged or straight legged, that subtle in-between seems to escape her. After a few more minutes of Molly explaining to me and working with Eve I asked if this behavior was unusual at this age. Molly seemed perplexed and intrigued while working with Eve. She said yes, it is fairly unusual for young kids to have such straight legs while swimming. I have no idea what to make of that. Good, bad, indifferent? Maybe it’s all just a ploy on Eve’s part. She does love swimming lessons with Molly, and getting the teacher’s attention all to herself! Eve is a crafty one ;)

One fish, two fish

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Tessa

Today I am thankful for my little fishes. Twice a week swimming lessons are going well. I was worried (I tend to do that) because I thought they might be overwhelmed going two times a week, but so far so good! They LOVE swimming and are progressing very quickly. Lex gets braver every day and can now get himself easily around the current pool. It helps that he can touch the bottom a bit too, when he needs too. Eve works very hard in her class, trying to keep up with the bigger kids. It’s a little nerve wracking for me to watch sometimes because her teacher will see her part way across the pool and then turn to the next kid, leaving Eve to finish on her own. Sometimes I swear she’s going to give up and drown, but she always keeps going and makes it to the other side. She comes home tired those days!

Normally I swim with them but today I had a meeting so Alan and I did kid swap during lessons. Today, of course, I forgot my camera at home, but I made a few little videos with my phone. Nothing thrilling, just cute kids swimming. They make my heart happy.

Back in the water

Posted on November 1, 2011 by Tessa

Alan and I signed up for a family membership at the aquatic center. Alan has been going to the gym every morning before work, I make it there sometimes, and the kids just started swim lessons again! They were super excited! They are in the same group again, this time with one of Lex’s classmates that they both like. Good times. I’m going to try and swim laps twice a week while they’re in lessons, though today I managed to chat with several parents and barely even look at the chilly lap pool. Oh well, maybe Thursday! :)

The Community Pool

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Tessa

With temps in the mid 90°s today we decided to try out a new swimming hole… the community pool. We’ve been to the local lakes (no shortage around here!) and the aquatic centers, but today I thought it would be fun to do the old fashioned thing and hit up the local pool. I was a bit nervous because we had already been to a playground in the morning, I wasn’t sure what to expect at the pool, and well, I’m just tired these days, but we had a great time! We got there about an hour and a half before closing time so we swam for awhile, sat out for the 10 minute lifeguard break, then swam for the final hour. Lex even met some of his classmates there. The pool is divided into several sections, each marked off with a rope, and each a different depth. I didn’t make it out to the rope so I don’t know if there was a steep decline, or just a sharp drop, but it was nice to know that the whole area we were in was 3′ deep. Deep enough for Lex to be comfortable and Eve to just barely be able to touch. She did a lot of hopping on her toes to keep her head above water. They will sleep well tonight!

This is from yesterday actually, but he's so cool I had to share. He is covered in bruises from that bike. He went down in tears the other day and when I ran over to make sure he was ok he said, "I'm fine Mom, just dirt, no blood." Then he got right back up and right back on the bike!

At the playground this morning.

I think if I had left her there long enough she would have gone right to sleep! The swing even makes a gentle, rthymic noise as it swings. It could lull me right to sleep!

I couldn’t take many pictures at the pool this afternoon because, well, because I was in the water with them the entire time! We all had fun :)

Before...

... and after. Eve had a rare moment of contemplative silence while we waited for Lex after swimming.

Back to the beach

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Tessa

We went back to the beach a few days ago for another fun-filled day in the water. This time we took Mema along and some other friends.

A beautiful day at the beach. Do you see Mema out on the platform? Sadly I missed the dive off, but my friend said it was perfect! :)

After a busy morning of swimming we took a break for lunch.

Our afternoon ended when Lex decided he had swallowed too much pond water and his belly hurt. He sat in the little chair and moaned and groaned until I wrapped him up and took him home.

Beachin’ it!

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Tessa

We took our first trip to the beach today! Well, the lake anyway. Welcome summer! I have lots to say and lots of photos, but it’s late (again) and I’m tired (always) so this will be brief.

Eve and I picked Lex up after school and we went straight to the beach. First things first, snack!

Happy children!

Eve named this the "Laka pino Johnson"

Tired children, heading home for dinner and baths.

I was playing with camera settings and “continuous” photo shoots. I have lots to say about that. Also I’ve been thinking a lot about the seasons of parenting. Thoughts on that. Right now I’m tired though. I can’t wait for summer vacation. I’m really, truly excited for it. Possibly more so than the kids :)

I just linked this post to a blog hop (my first!) from another local blogger, Rub Some Dirt On It. I don’t know her, but I know lots of the local areas she talks about. She’s super crafty and into photography… I’d love to take some of the e-courses she has taken.

Calm and Chaos: Life with kids

Tag Archives: Swimming