I tried to take swimming lessons the summer before I started high school. After my placement test they put me in the toddler class. No joke, Jeff and Valerie can vouch for me on this one.
I could doggy paddle a little bit but I was too afraid to show them that during the placement so I spent half the summer with the tots. We held on to the side of the pool and kicked our feet. Then we ventured out on kickboards. Big stuff!
If you know how much I HATE being put in the spotlight then you can imagine that embarrassed, mortified, and disgraced are child's play compared to how I felt. It was torture!
As the summer went on the instructor realized that I at least had the ability to keep from drowning so they moved me up to Valerie's class. I was still twice the age of most of the kids in that group. That was an advantage though, because we were usually "swimming" in water that was shallow enough for me to reach the bottom. So, I spent my lessons walking across the bottom of the pool and trying to move my arms to make it look like I was swimming.
End result: I still can't swim!
So naturally I am deeply afraid of water. When I walk on the pier with my kids, my knees tremble. I am always so sure one of them is going to plunge into the deep dark water where I can't see them, let alone save them. Even at the waterpark where the slides dump you out into a trough of water 6 inches deep I make my kids wear life jackets.
Recently I have noticed though, that Alyssa is the oldest kid around rocking a life jacket. So, today it was off to swimming lessons...
Both kids were placed in Level 1, obviously since they have zero ability to swim. So Alyssa is with the 4 year olds. Maybe slightly embarrassing, but at least she isn't 13.
The first day went pretty well. Alex would not put his face in the water. Alyssa was happy to do whatever they asked of her. I was a little nervous because I had to sit upstairs in the bleachers and not by the pool. The instructor would take one kid across the pool at a time and leave the others waiting on the other side. Alyssa could reach the bottom, barely but I was afraid Alex would let go of the wall and sink. Luckily he held on tight.
Here is Alyssa's report after day one...
"If we fell in the lake right now we would still drown but soon...NO!"
And there you have it! Maybe once they can swim they can teach their mommy.
Here are my 2 future swimmers getting ready for their lesson.
Me and Chloe watched from the bleachers and ate M&M's. I have a feeling Chloe is going to LOVE swimming lessons.
9 comments:
I have quite an unhealthy load of irrational fears of swimming, too! Uh, I guess I just have this thing about being able to breathe--go figure! I'm sure a few more swimming lessons would have helped me be more comfortable in the water, so good for you for getting the kids into it--I need to put mine in sometime. By the way, those pix are adorable! Thanks for the "effachey." That was very nice.
Yea for swimming lessons! Alyssa is a natural, it will probably only take her a few more lessons before she's swimming laps! And Alex is still 4. All 4 year olds sink. it's good to start learning though!
the kids look adorable!
You should have told me. Branch taught swimming lessons for years, he could have given you a couple of swimming lessons while you were here. He taught our friend a couple of years back to swim.
Have fun learning to swim kiddos!!
While snorkling last year in Maui I was the only adult wearing a "floatie" around my waist. I didn't care, it made me feel secure and I got to see all the fish. I can't swim either and as a 17 year old ended up in a class with 8 year olds too. Must run in the family.
I need to get Abi in those too.. maybe next summer. The other day we were at the pool and I was a nervous wreck the whole time since there was no shallow end and knowing she has no water experience.
I hate when Luke is around dark water too, so scary!
Those swimming lessons always make me think of Nonnie. Remember our teacher was named Paco and Non always got us greasy Jack in the Box tacos after class!
I can't believe we were in Utah at the same time and didn't get to see you. We even passed by your old place one day and reminiced Seth and Julie memories. How sad!
It's good that you're doing this for your kids. I do believe it's so important to get them exposed to water regularly. Living in FL when I was a kid really made me take for granted how much I spent in the water and just assumed everyone could swim from birth. Now I realize that's not the case and have been putting my girls in swimming each summer. They really have improved and gotten over their fears (almost).
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