Swimming Lessons

This summer, we decided it was high time the kids learned how to swim!  So we splurged and got a Family Pass at the YMCA and we are so glad we did!

 To make the most of our Family Pass, we enrolled the two older children in the 4 day per week Swimming Lessons.  (Wiggles' level only meets once a week).  We also went to Open Swim every Fri or Sat!  So most weeks this summer we were at the pool 5 days a week!  But our efforts weren't in vain....all 3 children made great gains in their swimming abilities!

Angel started out as a fairly confident swimmer, but gained confidence swimming in deep water independently.  She also learned to dive, do the crawl stroke, and swim underwater.  She also had a lot of fun socializing!

Even though her class met only once a week, Wiggles was the child who showed the most improvement over the summer!  At the beginning of the summer, she insisted on being held by Mom or Dad with both arms firmly hugging her, and she refused to get her head wet at all.  She progressed to doing complete "bobs" (ducking her whole head underwater) independently (and loving them!), and wearing a buoyancy belt (nicknamed a "bubble").  First she would wear her 'bubble' and hold onto a floatation barbell - but by the end of the summer she had given up the barbell and would just buckle her bubble on, jump into the pool (completely on her own), and "swim" around the entire pool - all on her own!  Since the bubble belt kept her upright, when she kicked her legs and paddled her arms, it looked just like she was running through the water.  I wish I had taken the video - it was just about the cutest thing I've ever seen!!!

Grins did fantastic as well!  He went from being somewhat fearful, and unable to swim without floatation help, to swimming confidently on his own.  And he perfected the dive!  Literally.  Neither the Mr. nor I can dive as beautifully as he can.  It's incredible.  He started out doing somewhat of a belly flop - so I told him to imagine he was starting a somersault.  The next few times he attempted a dive, he flipped completely over in the water, landing on his back (the somersault.)  I finally explained that he should do only the beginning of a somersault - and once he understood the mechanics, he had it down.  It was neat to see him work at it over and over, and really give it his all, and meet with great success!

Of course, his favorite thing to do in the water was play with the torpedos!

It is so fun to watch my children learn and grow.  As much as I dislike them growing up (I want them to stay my babies forever!!!!), I do enjoy seeing them learn new things, gain confidence, and progress.  I just want to enjoy every minute of it!!!