We have spent a good portion of the month of June pool side with the fun folks over at Jan Thomas Swim School. Both boys just finished up their lessons for the summer, and dare I say, they're looking more and more like little fish. Drew loved his time there and Collin seemed to enjoy his too. The first lesson for Coll was a little rough, but after that initial lesson, he was all smiles and silly games with his sweet teacher Nicki. However, heaven forbid he actually admit that it was fun to Mommy...he'd burst into tears like it was the absolute most awful experience he'd ever had the moment his lesson was over and it was time to be handed back to me. I'm onto your games kid. I saw those ear-to-ear grins while you played in the water.
Drew ended up by chance with Scott, the same instructor (that he loved) from last year. Drew remembered how much fun he had with Scott last year and was super excited when he found out that he'd get to be with him again this year. I was impressed that our first day back, Scott was able to recognize and say hi to Drew in a kiddie pool full of other kids....how many kids do those instructors see each summer? Not to mention the fact that it's been an entire year and Drew is bigger. I'm telling you, Jan Thomas's swim school never ceases to amaze me. I love the instructors they hire on!
Anyway, enough talk...how 'bout some pictures of the little guppies??
Before the lesson begins the kids get to play in a kiddie pool that's connected to the big pool. Between the toys they can play with, and the company of the other kids playing in the pool, it seemed to faithfully serve its purpose of warming the boys up to the idea of their upcoming lesson. The kiddie pool also served as a great entertainer for the days when the boys had lessons at separate times. While one munchkin was in the big pool for a lesson, the other would be in the kiddie pool and then they'd swap. Easy entertainment and happy kids, win-win!
Such a fascinating little shark!
Collin started lessons swimming in stink bug fashion...with that little hiney of his in the air! It made both me and his instructor laugh because he would consistently stick his head way under the water, kick those little legs, and about two seconds later, there his little bum would be, like an island. It seemed to me that it would be harder to swim like this, but without fail, this is how he would swim.
By the last few lessons he had finally evened out to swim somewhat normally.
Ready...
...Set...
....Go!
Jumping off the wall has become Collin's favorite post-swim lessons activity. In fact, his confidence in the water is almost scary as he is so much less cautious near water than Drew was at that age (I think it's because he has an older brother to follow). We have had to keep major tabs on him whenever we're near a pool because he will gladly hop straight into the water with or without anyone nearby. (Let's just remember that this little munchkin is by no means a swimmer yet. Learning, yes...but definitely not there yet). He jumps in and sinks straight to the bottom. Nathan and I have had quite a few jump-in-after-Collin moments at this point. Thank goodness the pools we visit are all fenced. Because of this, when Collin has jumped in, one of us has been right behind him and thankfully, already in a swim suit since that's what we were there to do in the first place!
Just like last year, at the final lesson the instructor has a parent hop into the water to learn what's been taught throughout the sessions (the hope is that parents will continue the learning throughout the summer on their own). Last year I managed to sucker Nathan into this part, but this year...in all my pregnant glory...I was on my own. Collin's last lesson was scheduled during a time that made it nearly impossible for Nathan to jump out of the office to meet us. Thankfully, it wasn't nearly as traumatic as I expected it to be to waddle my ever expanding self into the pool in front of a bazillion strangers, and Coll and I both had fun.
At the end of the last lesson of the summer, the kids are awarded a gold medal and a blue ribbon for their achievements. They put the kids up on a podium and make a big deal of announcing how great a learner and swimmer the kids have been. As you can see, as much as Collin loved Nicki and his time in the water, he was not thrilled to be up on the podium. It really did make me laugh. Such drama from this kid!
As for Drew? We officially have a swimmer this year! And although they did work on other things, the main emphasis was on swimming across the pool...
...rolling over to take a breath...
...and then flipping back to finish the swim to the other side of the pool.
It wasn't all work and no play though. Scott and Drew had plenty of time for fun as well...
Collin, checking out Drew's lesson from the kiddie pool
Like Collin, Drew was also awarded a medal and a blue ribbon for his achievements at the end of his lessons. Drew had been talking about this medal since the very first day of swim lessons this year. He remembered getting one last year and would ask me about when he would be getting it this year after almost every lesson or anytime we saw another kid finishing up their swim lessons and receiving theirs. On the last day then, he knew what was coming and kept asking Scott if the lesson could be over so he could have his medal. Unfortunately for Scott, on the last day he was stung by a bee during the last five minutes or so in the pool, so we ended the lesson and headed to the podium just a wee bit sooner than we would have had he not been stung. Thankfully, Scott was fine, but he did make sure to tease that Drew had sent that bee to sting him just so he could get that medal a smidge bit earlier. :)
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