Fishies in the Water

I don't know that I've posted much about it, but for the past year and a half or so, the kids had been taking weekly swimming lessons at a swim school in a neighboring city. It seemed like every time I put them in lessons in the summer, it took them a week to warm back up to the water and I just wanted them to have exposure to it every week.

But it turns out that weekly swim classes, while convenient, make for painfully slow progress. And this swim school was particularly adamant about the kids being able to kick well, including dolphin kicking, before teaching them to do anything with their arms. So after a year and a half, I felt like they still didn't know how to swim and decided it was time for something new.I'd gotten recommendations from several friends for a woman who teaches swimming in her backyard pool. It was closer to the house than the swim school and we were able to schedule convenient lessons...four days a week for two weeks...with one of her four 20-something sons.The very first day, I knew this was going to be something I enjoyed a lot more than the swim school. First of all, I got to sit outside in the sun, in a chair. The swim school was indoors with a big window separating me from the pool and really uncomfortable benches to sit on. Besides that, the first item on the agenda was to show the kids how to use their arms to swim freestyle!The second day or so, they were taught side breathing...and I realized what a disservice had been done by letting the swim school teach them to breathe using "pop-ups". It's so hard for them to breathe while keeping their heads in the water now! I think that part was pretty confusing for them for a while.But after the first two-week session, I signed them up for three more weeks. They had one week with a former Olympic swim coach from Moldova and one of their first teacher's brothers. Then another two weeks with their original teacher...with the very last day with the owner herself.They loved it and although they hardly look pretty swimming in a pool, they can now swim a few laps and even do a little backstroke. Smunch still lacks a lot of confidence in his abilities and stops at the side a lot. Mam, on the other hand believes she can do just about anything and outperformed him in stamina, even if her technique was a little more roughshod.Yesterday was our last class of the summer. I'm ready for it. And I don't think the kids will have any problem getting back in the water next year...hopefully in this very pool.

Bring on soccer season!