SWIM LESSONS: WEEK 1

The kiddos are doing really well this week, and we're especially proud of James for overcoming some of his fears and trying new things. And we're especially terrified of Cora, for her LACK of fear! Crazy child just lunges forward off steps, barrels off the ledge, and sticks her entire face under water while blowing bubbles.

We think the kids will actually learn a lot more with these swim lessons than they did in previous years at the city pool. In just two lessons, James has already learned to float like a star while we hold him under his arms and rest his head on our shoulders (which we're hoping will transition to learning to float solo) and to scoop water (which we're hoping will transition to learning to dog paddle, something he spontaneously tried on his own as I was swimming him through the water at the end of lessons yesterday - he saw Manu doing it and had to give it a shot himself - Manu is a very good swimmer already). Cora does not like floating. In fact, she doesn't like it when we position her on her back at all. She does like to sit like the big kids do on the bench though, even though the water comes right up to her chin. They both LOVE jumping off the side into our arms (from a sitting position only so far in class, though Cora will happily leap from standing... quite scary when you're not expecting her to do so!) and all the songs (with swimming motions included, of course) that we sing. In fact, James has been singing the songs constantly since lessons started (Humpty Dumpty, 6 Little Duckies, Twinkle Twinkle, and The Goodbye Song).
The only bummer so far is that both kids are pretty shy of the instructors (two college-aged boys). And the pool water, while not cool to us, gives James the shakes and chatters, and turns Cora's lips and hands blue, within the first 20-30 minutes of class. But since neither is willing to get out of the pool to warm up, all we can do is encourage them to swim, swim, swim and warm up by burning calories. Needless to say, they've been sleeping good on swim lesson nights!