We spent our evening at a new pool trying new swimming lessons. Thankfully the kids were super excited about it! We got there really early and explored the whole place and the kids did great… until the very last minute. This is kind of like a camp wherein the lessons run daily for a week, five nights, in a row. There are tons of kids there and each kid gets their own swim instructor. Private lessons. Cool! The instructors are college students. Lex’s instructor’s name was up on the big board as a champion back stroke swimmer. Or whatever they are called! When it was time the kids all lined up and went down on the pool deck together to meet their instructors. Lex did great until the moment arrived to leave my side and go down to the deck. Once again, sobbing face pressed to my leg and statements of, “I just can’t do this today.” Brave Eve walked down with the crowd. I ended up walking with Lex all the way until I handed him off to a very nice instructor. Then he had a great time! Eve was mistakenly signed up for a parent/child class so it took a bit of arranging to get her an instructor, but she was brave and sweet and did a great job. I’m super proud of them! After the lesson Lex’s instructor said that he can already do everything at the level he’s signed up for, so tomorrow they are going to bump him up to the next level… which just means his instructor will be teach off a different sheet. She already started today. Anyway, good times. The kids were happy and tired and it took me until 8pm to have them in bed. I wonder if we can sustain this for four more days?

Doesn't he look chilly? The water was so cold! They both had blue lips at the end.

I couldn't get a good close up of Eve, but she is in the back right, under the bridge.

After lessons Lex excitedly demonstrated the freestyle strokes he learned.

Eve was very tired after lessons. I'm glad I insisted on a nap this afternoon!

Today was a beautiful, sunny winter day. Tons of snow, high temps (mid 20’s anyway!) and perfect. Guess what we did?! Went swimming, of course! The kids were bouncing off the walls and we have a new pool membership, so away we went! It was great. I am constantly amazed at the progress Lex and Eve are making in the pool. It seems like they somehow had a burst between last time and this time as well. When we first got there they were both jumping off the edge at the same time (despite my protest) and swimming everywhere! I thought for sure someone would be drowning today, but they were awesome little swimmers. Suddenly Eve has noticeable form and Lex is getting braver by the day. In the current pool, where he used to cling to me for dear life, he is now asking me to let go of him for short bursts. It’s great! I had a glimpse of what the future might hold… them swimming along and not even needing me! Sigh. Then at the end Eve swallowed a ton of water and threw up and Lex announced he was too tired and needed to go home. They still need me, for now :) Seriously though, they are amazing in the water. I wish I could take pictures or videos, but my camera is far from water proof!

Today was a happy day in the pool and I was so bummed that I didn’t have the camera! We got to lessons and everything was as we expected, Lex and Eve together in the appropriate level. Even better, the regular teacher wasn’t there and the lesson coordinator (whom has taught Eve before and is SUPER friendly) was there instead. That made me happy because Eve was a tiny bit nervous about the new class and the big pool, so I think it was helpful to have someone she knew teaching, and someone who knows how she swims and what she’s capable of doing in the water.

They were both great. I was worried they would distract each other, but they didn’t. They both paid attention and once Lex even tried to help Eve. “Like this Eve, watch me,” he said when the teacher told them to assume a position she wasn’t familiar with. She watched him (and the teacher helped her too) and everyone was happy. Eve still needs to work on holding on to the wall at all times instead of swimming away whenever she wants to, but the teacher told me after the lesson that Eve did great and it was a pleasure having them both in the class. Yay!! I really enjoyed watching them. I felt like for the first time in awhile Eve was really being challenged in the water, and they both did so well and I felt all warm and fuzzy watching them. I think I had a huge smile on my face for the entire half hour. At one point the instructor asked Lex to back float to her, but Eve kicked off the wall at the same time, so they both floated over to the teacher together. I was wishing I had my camera then!! Oh well, there’s always next week.

Lex is getting much braver in the water too. He is wearing goggles now and today he even left them on the entire time without fidgeting with them. After lessons we went swimming together in the current pool (twists and winds like a river, with current), and Lex even put on a floaty. The pool has a bunch of awesome floaties that the kids wear and they can bob along in the current without going under. Eve loves wearing one, but this is the first time Lex would try it. He loved it too, of course. After Eve had swallowed about half the pool she wanted to go over to the splash park instead. Lex did not. He came with us for a few minutes, but then I offered to let him put the floaty back on and go in the current pool by himself. I expected a big NO to that offer, but instead he said OK! What?! He was thrilled to try it alone… until he actually got in the water. I watched him from afar and he hung out on the steps a bit, monkey crawled around the wall a bit, and about 5 minutes later came back and said he didn’t want to swim alone. I can’t really blame him and I was super proud that he was willing to put the floaty on and try it! They are growing up so fast!!

I’ll try to get pictures next week, but for now just envision happy smiling kids in the pool and a mommy, grinning from ear to ear!