Sink or Swim?

Neither of the kids can swim. I mean, they can't even tread water or float. It's bad, I know. I'm a bad mom. To be completely honest, we haven't really had many opportunities to go to the pool through the years. I have either been miserably pregnant, we've been in the midst of a move, or the cost of going to a pool as a family was just too outrageous. So, it really hasn't been that big of an issue before.

That all changed within the last 18 months. We went to visit my sister up in Colorado and were able to stay at a really great hotel for an even better rate. It had an indoor pool. Rob was incredibly exhausted, but I wanted to go to the pool. Of course, I couldn't go alone; both the older kids wanted to go with me (I wasn't pregnant with Ellie yet). But, neither of them could swim. I didn't get to swim because I was carting around two kids through the shallow end--one on each arm. That was Dec 09/Jan 10. I decided I wanted to put them in swimming lessons during the summer of 2010. Well, I was pregnant and put on all sorts of restrictions, so Rob said "No!" I tried to convince him that I could manage it, but he wasn't willing to take any chances. I can't get too mad at him for that.

Shortly after Ellie was born, Aurora was invited to an indoor pool party (in January!). She was so embarrassed because she was the only girl there who didn't know how to swim. She didn't want to wear her arm floaties, but she needed to in order to keep from drowning. That was when I started my campaign to get the kids into swimming lessons--for real. Rob was still against it. I think he really thought we would be able to teach the kids, ourselves. Of course, we would have to go to the pool in order to teach them and I knew that wasn't going to happen!

I brought it up every month. Finally, in May, Rob relented and told me to go sign the kids up for my sacred swimming lessons! I about jumped for joy!

I say all that to lead you up to this week. Today was our third day of swimming lessons--ever. Here's how it goes:

Day 1

Ryan doesn't want to get in the pool. He is sure that his feet won't touch the ground. I have to go into the pool area to encourage him to get in the water (parents are required to stay behind a fence so as not to distract from the instructor).

Aurora comes out of the lessons convinced she already knows how to swim because she can now swim for a few feet under water. I explain to her that what she described is not actually swimming; it is sinking. She scoffs and crosses her arms.

Day 2

Ryan still doesn't want to get in the pool. I have to walk him from the shallow end to his instructor once again. He gets out later on because he has to go to the bathroom (so proud of him for not peeing in the pool!) and I insist he climbs down into the pool at the ladder. He does--Yay!

Aurora is still convinced that she is a proficient underwater swimmer. I explain to her that I want her to learn how to swim on the top part of the water.

Day 3

Ryan gets in the water where the instructor teaches them to--at the ladder! Yay! I see him swimming out in the water with the floaty noodles. He still hasn't learned to kick his legs behind him, but he's at least doing what they ask him to do. I am pleased with that.

Aurora comes and tells me she can now float. Because she can float on her back, she thinks we need to go to the pool so that she can prove to me what a great under water swimmer she is. I told her before lessons that we would go on Friday so she could show me what she learned through the week. Of course, it being Wednesday, she wants to know why she can't show me already. She swears she knows all she needs to already and doesn't need to learn more tomorrow. I sigh and wrap a towel around her, telling her we are still going to wait until Friday. She continues to argue with me, insisting we go to the pool today. I tell her tonight is church and we won't have time after she cleans her room this afternoon to go to the pool. That satisfies her, for today.

I can't wait to see what they get to learn tomorrow. So far, the kids are using kick boards and floaters to help them learn the skill necessary to stay above the water. I'm hoping by the end of next week they can float on the water and tread water. My absolute hope is to be able to take the kids to the pool this summer and not have to worry about carrying 3 kids through the water.

I also hope that Aurora learns how not to sink. I've read throughout much of my life that the more fat a person has on their body, the more buoyant they are. Seeing as how both the older 2 kids have absolutely no fat on their bony little butts, I'm not surprised at their lack of floatation. We must start planning more fattening meals for them!