The new world order
Jul. 22nd, 2011 03:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mamajoanOver the past couple of weeks our evening routine has drastically changed. Instead of "leave work, pick up kids, go home," it has become "leave work, pick up kids, go to the pool." The pool!!
This all started two weekends ago when we had nothing to do on a Sunday and it was hot, so I thought we should check out one of the two free outdoor swimming pools in our town. A few days ago we had been at a pool party (at the home of one of Isaac's Little League teammates -- and the local business that sponsored our team bought pizza for everyone at the party!) and one of the other moms mentioned that she had been taking her kids to one of the pools, and that it was great and they loved it. So I thought we should go.
I had been very hopeful that this summer would be the summer when my kids would finally learn to swim and become comfortable in the water. In previous years, although they both enjoy the water, they've been somewhat timid and anxious about swimming -- particularly Isaac, who has always been very nervous about water going anywhere on/near his face. We've done swimming lessons at the local Y, which was a dismal failure a few springs ago -- both kids refused to even get in the water approximately half the time, and although they learned a little bit, they basically came out of it no less fearful than before.
We spend a lot of time at our family's summer cottage on a lake during the summer, so I really wanted the kids to get past the nervousness and gain a comfort level as well as some basic swimming skills. I was hopeful that summer camp would help with this; their camp includes swimming lessons, although last year Isaac told me half the time that he "chose" not to go to swimming lessons, but this year I told both kids that I don't want them to skip lessons. But, I also thought that I would need to reinforce the lessons separately. So that's where the pools came in.
We'd never been to a public pool before like that, because never before had I felt comfortable being in control of both of them in the water. But they're old enough now that I felt I could handle it.
So, that first Sunday, we went, and it was pretty good. Unfortunately, the water at the shallow end was still a bit too deep for Ruthie to stand up. She was perfectly happy to cling to me the whole time, which I wasn't thrilled about, but at least she was in the water and having fun. Isaac could stand, and enjoyed splashing around a bit.
Then suddenly Isaac had his first breakthrough. I had talked to him about the idea of "doggie-paddling" and the concept that you take a deep breath, and the air you take into your belly helps you float. Somehow, all of a sudden on that day, it clicked for him. He was taking deep breaths and paddling around. He was swimming!!!!!! I was so excited, and I let it show. Ruthie saw it and of course she decided to try it too. We had a good time.
The next day, they practiced more at camp, and when I picked them up they were all excited to show me the new things they had learned. We went home for a quick snack and then went to the other city pool that we hadn't tried yet -- the one near Ruthie's (now former) preschool. She had been to the little kiddie pool there, but never the big one. It was the same as the other in terms of depth, so again she had to cling to me, but she practiced paddling a little bit. And the next day, we went to yet another pool -- this one indoors, and you have to pay, but it's only $1 per kid and $2 per adult. That one wasn't great because they had "free swim" happening in the main pool -- which is really meant for lap swimming -- because a swimming class was in the smaller pool. For the last half hour of "free swim" we could move to the smaller pool, which was great because it was shallow enough for Ruthie to stand, and she practiced swimming and was very happy.
The next day grandma returned from having been away, and the kids insisted on dragging her to the pool so they could show off their new moves. Isaac was starting to work on putting his whole head underwater and even doing a "dead man's float" on his belly -- HUGE steps forward for my kid who was so anxious about getting water in his eyes!!
That weekend, we went out to the cottage and the kids did a ton of swimming. And this week it has been REALLY hot (it's currently 102F according to the weather ticker on my computer desktop!) so we've again been going to pools every evening. I've started putting our bathing suits and towels in the car in the morning, so we don't even have to stop at home.
Last night we met a friend at a new-to-us pool, and it was great! This one was outdoors but shallower at the shallow end, so Ruthie could stand, and it didn't seem to be anti-food like the other pools -- lots of people had brought food, plus there was an ice cream truck that also sold pizza. Right next door to the pool there was a park, a playground, and a Little League baseball field, where a game was going on. So Isaac enjoyed watching that for a while after we were done swimming, while Ruthie and her new friend played in the playground and I chatted with the mom. We were having so much fun we ended up staying until almost 9pm! wow.
Anyway, I'm soooooooooooooooooooo pleased that the kids are getting better and better at swimming and really enjoying it. Every day they pick up new stuff at camp that they're excited to show me. Now they are both readily plunging their heads underwater, trying to figure out how to swim underwater, floating on bellies and backs, the whole thing. It's so great. I love swimming myself so I'm really happy that they're coming to love it too. Even if my hair may never recover from the chlorine overload. ;)
This all started two weekends ago when we had nothing to do on a Sunday and it was hot, so I thought we should check out one of the two free outdoor swimming pools in our town. A few days ago we had been at a pool party (at the home of one of Isaac's Little League teammates -- and the local business that sponsored our team bought pizza for everyone at the party!) and one of the other moms mentioned that she had been taking her kids to one of the pools, and that it was great and they loved it. So I thought we should go.
I had been very hopeful that this summer would be the summer when my kids would finally learn to swim and become comfortable in the water. In previous years, although they both enjoy the water, they've been somewhat timid and anxious about swimming -- particularly Isaac, who has always been very nervous about water going anywhere on/near his face. We've done swimming lessons at the local Y, which was a dismal failure a few springs ago -- both kids refused to even get in the water approximately half the time, and although they learned a little bit, they basically came out of it no less fearful than before.
We spend a lot of time at our family's summer cottage on a lake during the summer, so I really wanted the kids to get past the nervousness and gain a comfort level as well as some basic swimming skills. I was hopeful that summer camp would help with this; their camp includes swimming lessons, although last year Isaac told me half the time that he "chose" not to go to swimming lessons, but this year I told both kids that I don't want them to skip lessons. But, I also thought that I would need to reinforce the lessons separately. So that's where the pools came in.
We'd never been to a public pool before like that, because never before had I felt comfortable being in control of both of them in the water. But they're old enough now that I felt I could handle it.
So, that first Sunday, we went, and it was pretty good. Unfortunately, the water at the shallow end was still a bit too deep for Ruthie to stand up. She was perfectly happy to cling to me the whole time, which I wasn't thrilled about, but at least she was in the water and having fun. Isaac could stand, and enjoyed splashing around a bit.
Then suddenly Isaac had his first breakthrough. I had talked to him about the idea of "doggie-paddling" and the concept that you take a deep breath, and the air you take into your belly helps you float. Somehow, all of a sudden on that day, it clicked for him. He was taking deep breaths and paddling around. He was swimming!!!!!! I was so excited, and I let it show. Ruthie saw it and of course she decided to try it too. We had a good time.
The next day, they practiced more at camp, and when I picked them up they were all excited to show me the new things they had learned. We went home for a quick snack and then went to the other city pool that we hadn't tried yet -- the one near Ruthie's (now former) preschool. She had been to the little kiddie pool there, but never the big one. It was the same as the other in terms of depth, so again she had to cling to me, but she practiced paddling a little bit. And the next day, we went to yet another pool -- this one indoors, and you have to pay, but it's only $1 per kid and $2 per adult. That one wasn't great because they had "free swim" happening in the main pool -- which is really meant for lap swimming -- because a swimming class was in the smaller pool. For the last half hour of "free swim" we could move to the smaller pool, which was great because it was shallow enough for Ruthie to stand, and she practiced swimming and was very happy.
The next day grandma returned from having been away, and the kids insisted on dragging her to the pool so they could show off their new moves. Isaac was starting to work on putting his whole head underwater and even doing a "dead man's float" on his belly -- HUGE steps forward for my kid who was so anxious about getting water in his eyes!!
That weekend, we went out to the cottage and the kids did a ton of swimming. And this week it has been REALLY hot (it's currently 102F according to the weather ticker on my computer desktop!) so we've again been going to pools every evening. I've started putting our bathing suits and towels in the car in the morning, so we don't even have to stop at home.
Last night we met a friend at a new-to-us pool, and it was great! This one was outdoors but shallower at the shallow end, so Ruthie could stand, and it didn't seem to be anti-food like the other pools -- lots of people had brought food, plus there was an ice cream truck that also sold pizza. Right next door to the pool there was a park, a playground, and a Little League baseball field, where a game was going on. So Isaac enjoyed watching that for a while after we were done swimming, while Ruthie and her new friend played in the playground and I chatted with the mom. We were having so much fun we ended up staying until almost 9pm! wow.
Anyway, I'm soooooooooooooooooooo pleased that the kids are getting better and better at swimming and really enjoying it. Every day they pick up new stuff at camp that they're excited to show me. Now they are both readily plunging their heads underwater, trying to figure out how to swim underwater, floating on bellies and backs, the whole thing. It's so great. I love swimming myself so I'm really happy that they're coming to love it too. Even if my hair may never recover from the chlorine overload. ;)
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no subject
Date: 2011-07-22 07:37 pm (UTC)Which one was the last pool? It sounds good.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-22 07:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-23 03:05 am (UTC)My eyes still hurt though. =P
no subject
Date: 2011-07-23 03:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-22 07:47 pm (UTC)