Little Fishies

It's been cold here!  We haven't been able to get out and play outside as much as we would like recently.  However, Ben and Evan still need to get their energy out.  So, I signed them up for swim lessons this winter.  Now, it couldn't be easy.  All of the swim lessons at Durham's indoor pools said that they did not have any lessons for kiddos Benny's age.  They had parent/baby lessons for kids under 2 and preschool lessons for those 3 and up.  Ben was out of luck.  However, we found a pool about 30 minutes away that did offer lessons for both Ben and Evan.  The lessons were actually 50 minutes apart, but we decided to go for it anyway.

So, for a month, twice a week, we've been driving half an hour away, sitting through two lessons and a 20 minute break in between them.  Then, changing and driving home.  For me, it's exhausting.  After the first lesson, I was about to give up, but I saw how much the boys were getting out of the lessons, so I tried to make them as easy as I could by bringing good snack and toys to play with and we persevered. 

I noticed how great the lessons were for Evan on the first day.  I was worried because I registered him for "preschool 2" lessons.  This meant that he had to already be able to swim a little.  He was nervous already because he had always refused to put his face under water without his goggles that cover his nose, and he knew that he had to just use regular "eye goggles' for these lessons.  We went out and bought some cool new ones and hoped for the best. 

His teacher is a man that Evan says looks like Santa Claus, and the kids call him "Mr. Bear".  He's a fairly surly Santa Claus look-a-like, but it turns out that he's the perfect temperament for Evan.  He's calm and patient and he doesn't put up with Evan's drama when he gets nervous.  Mr. Bear is also a great teacher.  After the first lesson he was already able to put his face all the way underwater and get a ring off the bottom of the pool.  Now, he's even using arm strokes and swimming a little.  He loves it and his confidence is sky rocketing. 

After the first lesson, I wasn't as sure about Benny's lessons.  He is in parent/child lessons again, so I get in as well.  He just didn't seem very enthusiastic about them.  However, now, he's jumping in and going completely underwater, practicing his bubble blowing, and laying on his back in the water.  His favorite parts are grabbing all of the toys that the teacher keeps on the edge and pretending to have them "jump" in the water too, and singing all of the songs that we sing as a class together.  He looks forward to his lessons, and they've definitely made him more comfortable in the water. 

So, even with all of the inconvenience, I'm enjoying watching the boys have so much fun in the water.  I was even going to sign up for another session, but they changed the times on us.  These boys will definitely be ready when summer arrives!!

 (Mr. Bear teaches the little group.)

(Mr. Bear teaches Evan how to swim.)

**I wish I could have some pictures of Ben from the lessons, but I'm in the water with him, and I don't trust Evan taking pictures near a pool, HA!