Swimming lessons: Spencer

Swimming lessons how do I love thee, let me count the ways.  I have a thing for pools as I have mentioned many times before.  I especially love the memories I have as a junior high girl going to the Northern university pool early in the morning with all of my track friends for our swim practices. We did this once a week, doing laps, and playing water polo.  It was a different kind of hard and wore me out each week.  But, I also loved it. I loved the echo in the aquatics area, the splashing, the sound of voices over the water, the smell of chlorine, the way my chest burned from the exercise and most importantly being with my friends. I am a big fan of organized sports. I love to exercise and I love to share that with my kids. I hope they enjoy it as much as I did as a kid.

We first started going to this particular pool around the time we moved into the Altessa apartments. It was shortly after the divorce was finalized and we were all just emotionally spent. I wanted to find a way to have fun with my boys. I wanted them to be active and have good memories to help soften the bad.  Having a little more control over what we did and our schedule was very liberating for me. It was nice to feel peace and enjoy happy evenings with my boys.  We so needed some peace.  I am grateful for this pool for helping us at such a hard time in our lives.  Over the last few years we have come back from time to time and love it still.  I miss being here with Spencer as my baby though. I miss that one on one time we enjoyed for so long. I need to find ways to connect with my children individually. 

With my boys heading to Utah for a week each year to spend time with their grandparents I have felt a need to be sure my boys can swim well.  I realize Grandpa is a fabulous swimmer and swim instructor and the boys have learned so much from him. I also realize they are more than safe in the care of their grandparents. I am also just a mom, who wants to be sure that independent of anyone else my boys have the skills they need to be safe and to know all the strokes of swimming. They have both taken swimming lessons before and can swim. I just wanted them to have a chance to learn more in depth things. I liked what this program had to offer and the rest is history.  Spencer has learned about different methods of floating, jumping into the pool, safety and the basics of the American crawl in level 2.

More than anything though he has loved splashing around with the other kids. He really likes his teacher too. He told me today that he was so glad that he was in a group class instead of a private one. I agree, the group class is a lot of fun. 

Today when they lined up and practiced jumping in the pool over and over I could tell Spencer was working really hard on his technique. He is an excellent student--very attentive and eager to do what he's told--just as precisely as he can. 

I love this little boy so much. He keeps me up at night. I worry about him. I worry about sending him off without me each and every week. It never gets easier, it only gets harder. I hope I am able to be the mother he needs right now. I hope I am teaching him how to be safe and make good choices.

Swimming lessons: Grant

Grant has made friends quickly in his level 3 swimming class.  He talks excitedly with his new friend while paying close attention to what is asked of him. It is a total joy to watch him in class. He is absorbed in joy and shares it uninhibited.  This particular lesson was fun to watch with Spencer and Josh in tow.  Spencer sat back in awe as they prepared to dive into the 12 ft area.  

The lighting on Josh really irritates me so I will have to just ignore it because the picture illustrates well what I am trying to say. 

Josh is about as laid back as they come when it comes to waiting patiently in his stroller during the lessons.  He looks around with a happy smile on his face. Content as can be.  

Spencer gets as close as possible soaking in all the information he can analyzing quietly what is being said and done.  

My boys are both so talented in different ways. Grant has the ability to hear so much more than you think he is hearing. Especially when he is laughing and enjoying himself so much.  He was very happy with the positive feedback that he got from his teacher on his diving. 

Grant is looking forward to being in the dive club next year. He has been told that it is a fun class where you just goof around splash each other and learn to dive of the diving boards. AND you don't have to wear a speedo.  Grant mentions this club at every lesson. He wants me to be sure to sign up for it next year just as soon as they announce it. Because If I do it any later it will be too late. It's a really popular class and he doesn't want to miss out. :)

Spencer made some cool faces for me as we tried to cool down outside for a bit. The partially coverred portion gets a little steamy.

Nothing makes me happier than to watch my boys develop their talents.

And what can I say, Spencer has this scary face thing down. :)

Looking forward to the next few weeks of lessons. I wish I could sign up for the last segment. Maybe we still can. The boys will be gone for a week though and I am not sure if it's worth it to miss two lessons. 

Swimming

The boys are both taking swimming lessons this summer. Grant was not thrilled at this idea and claimed that he was already a good swimmer. He is in fact a pretty good swimmer, but, I just wanted to make sure they had a chance to learn all the strokes properly and understood water safety for sure. It's a little scary sending these kids off with out me every other week. Something I never thought I would be doing.

When we showed up for the first lesson Grant looked around with a little bit of horror as one six year old after another marched around the gathering spot for the lesson. He turned to me and said something like, "If this is full of kindergarten girls I am not going...I won't come back mom."  Turns out he had two other boys about his age in the class and his instructor is his dad's bishop's son. He seemed to really enjoy himself and told me that he loved it and that I was right about signing him up and even thanked me. WOW.  How is that for a pay day!

Spencer looked forward to his class and did quite well and enjoyed learning different types of floats. Matt took him and I was not able to go, I was getting a little sick.

Yesterday we decided to go to open swim prior to Grant's class starting at 4.  The water was ICY.  The lesson's are held indoors with walls that open up in the summer time. Josh and I were a little startled as we got in but the boys didn't bat an eye. Spencer used the kick board to get around the deep parts while Josh and I followed and Grant found a big mat to lounge on in a small patch of sunlight. After some time floating Grant came over to me and said, "I've been thinking about it and I'm gonna do it...Jump off the diving board."  :) So he did, and followed it up with a glance in my direction and a fist pump in the air as he made his way back to the board to go again. He is growing up and is still very much a boy and wants me to watch at the same time. I love it.

Spencer and I had fun too. I was impressed with Spencer's ability to remember in such great detail what he learned at his lesson and show it to me. His floats are spectacular.

Josh as usual loved splashing around and being around all the other people in the pool. He loves a crowd of noisy kids that's for sure.