Swim Lessons Part 1

I have totally been meaning to write about swim lessons! We have been doing swim lessons all summer long now. It's been a lot of fun, and also a huge commitment. It's two days a week and in the evenings. Eliana started in the Mommy and Me class where she excelled beyond comparison to any other student in the class. I'm not saying this to brag, this really is literally how it was. She got a lot of attention from her teacher because she is super friendly. She would go straight to her teacher when it was her turn, smiling wide with her double dimple smile. The teachers just adored her. Other parents would use her as an example when trying to get their kids to do a task. Eliana would jump into the pool constantly in between her "tasks" that she needed to do and all the parents would watch her as she made a big smiley deal of the whole process, counting to three and just being wild and fun. She seriously was the star of the show! Granted she was the oldest in her class.

The next level up was John's class. They learned "Bobs" and getting comfortable in the water. John loved that class! He also excelled so much. He was a little fish! Doing everything they asked of him and more. Tons of kids cried and cried going into that class, it really is more of an introduction to water kind of thing with kicks and bobs to learn. He did awesome, putting it mildly.

One day I noticed the director going around with a clipboard. I quickly realized she was evaluating the students. John's class was first, then Kyle would take him to the park next to the building while I swam with Eliana in her class. John got evaluated, unbeknownst to him and myself. At the end of class the director told me that John was moving up to the next class across the pool. I was super excited for John! John on the other hand is like his Daddy in the fact that he doesn't prefer change.

Once I realized how quickly things moved around the place I asked for Eliana to be moved up as well. At the end of her class I asked for the director to come evaluate her. They don't do it for children that young because they don't have any kids in the class up as young as Eliana. The teacher said that she was more than ready skill wise but that she was concerned how well she would listen to her teacher. We agreed to at least give it a shot for the next class. That was awesome! That meant John and Eliana's classes would be at the same time and no adults would need to get in the water! As much as I did have SO much fun with Eliana in her class and I adored that she was such a super star, I was excited for her to move up and for swim not to take up so much of our time in the evenings.

So it was settled! Both kids were moving up the next class. John was now going to be in the deep end and Ellie was going to be in her own class. This was exciting. John was not excited and has remained that way. Eliana on the other hand loves her teachers and has quickly become the star of the show in her class.

I literally have parents coming up to me and saying what a little "fish" Eliana is in the water. She is fearless. If you have been reading my blog, you know that at Ocean Shores, our vacation success, was our first experience with Eliana in the water and she scared us half to death! She is absolutely in love with the water and doesn't need help from anyone, so she believes. One parent said to me, "You can tell that you don't want to mess with that little girl", letting me know how feisty she was to her son, splashing him with water in the same way the teacher does. And then commenting on how she cannot believe she is only 2. I then commented back how "Yeah she's a little rough, she has a 3 year old brother right there", and that is when her mouth dropped. I said, "Yeah he's pretty big for a 3 year old". She said enthusiastically, "Well I'd say!".

John was reluctant to participate and Daddy was giving him a heart to heart. I noticed it was taking awhile and swim lessons are only a half hour. I had to be "big bad Mommy" and march myself across the pool to where he was at. Apparently Kyle told John, "Op, here comes Mommy. She's going to make you get in the pool John." Dad is a lot softer than Mom in a lot of ways, we balance each other out nicely. I got over there and told him to get in the pool, now. It wasn't without a scene, but he got in the pool. He is very comfortable in the water when it comes to playing. He doesn't like any sort of feeling that makes him feel like he is out of control of his element. Being in deep water pulls some control away from him and fear sets in. John is a very cautious little boy. I am hoping that stays with him because I know how out of control teenage boys can be. I do have to push him sometimes, only in ways I know he is capable. I know his limits. 9 times out of 10 he is so incredibly proud of himself after the fact. And this was one of those cases.

Meanwhile Eliana is just loving her class...

Spotting Mommy and so happy to see me!

So this week Eliana apparently got evaluated. I noticed she was not listening to her teacher. She has already been in the class for awhile now. I saw her even getting out of the pool trying to do her own thing by the playset. I was there by myself and John really needs me there with him. But finally I just told John that Mommy needs to go check on Eliana and I will be back. He really likes his new teacher right now and was having a great time. I went to check on her right as the director and teacher were talking about her. I sat back and listened in, the director didn't know I was right behind her. She said to the teacher, "Where is her Mom", and I said, "I'm right here" as the teacher told her the same. She was a little startled, I know I can come across as intimidating at times, I was already a little annoyed with Eliana not following directions. I knew for sure at that moment they were going to tell me that she needs to go back to the Mommy and Me class, that she is just too young. In fact when I called to sign them up for the next session the lady over the phone told me that she needed to get her directors approval because, "In the entire history of me working here, I have never had someone that young in that class." I kindly explained that she was evaluated by the director and that honestly she is just more advanced. They let me into the class after explaining to me that sometimes they make exceptions because, "She's almost 3 right?", no actually she just turned 2 a couple months ago...

So I knew for sure it just wasn't going to work out, she's too much to handle. She a wild girl with a dominant personality. I was bummed because I wasn't going to go back to a Mommy and Me class. What we learned in that class were things I can do on our own time. In fact I was watching her goof off in this class thinking that she is just bored. They aren't working on enough skills, she is beyond what they are already learning and that's why she's trying to entertain herself.

I prepared for the worst. Then the director told me that she thinks she's ready to move on to the next class. WHAT?! I was seriously so shocked! I just couldn't even believe it! I went from thinking she was done to so incredibly proud! Again her main concern was Eliana following directions, but that, "Her skill level is totally there, she is ready to move up." She said since it is the deep end that she is afraid of her letting go. I assured her that I have no doubt that she will let go. I told her how Eliana thinks she can swim on her own and does not want help. Her next response was my kind of response and I seriously love when people can be like this, she said, "Well I guess she'll learn quick then!". Yes! Yes she will! She told me she would have a guard on hand watching her specifically. I was so amazed and excited!

Tonight is the night Eliana gets to go into John's class! I'm super excited for them! They get to be together and I get to see both of them in one place! We will see how it goes. I do think that Eliana is more advanced in skill like, back floats and front floats. Yet John is more skillful at going underwater for longer duration's at a time. He absolutes despises back floats and pretty much freaks out the entire time in class because that's basically what they work on in the whole class. So I'm pretty confident in the fact that Eliana is going to pass him up in class. We'll see. She's just too young to understand the actual danger of water and is therefore, fearless. John on the other hand has a healthy dose of fear for the water and is therefore more cautious. 

I started talking to John after class Monday about fear, and how God does not want us to have fear. That we should not be ruled by fear. That we need to trust Him. And trust that Mommy and Daddy are not going to place him in dangerous situations. I really just want him to focus on having fun. I think he will really like having his sister in class with him! Tonight should be fun!