Well...they survived!
There is always a lot of anxiety about swimming lessons at our house. Ashton starts saying he doesn't want to take them, um... usually in about February or March and will bring it up randomly for months! So Gunnar has taken on that same anxiety now and they were both really nervous to start. Which is always so interesting to me since in any other water situation they LOVE to swim and can't get enough of the pool or whatever water we are in!
Anyway the first day was rough...I had to hand Gunnar off to his teacher screaming and crying and clinging to me :( And he cried during about half of the first lesson. It makes me so sad! I hate watching that. Ashton got in and did fine after being almost in tears the whole way there. Gunnar is in level 2 and Ashton is in level 5/6. He was most nervous about these lessons being in the deep end since it is the first time he's had to do that.
But they both did it and were actually excited to call and tell Lars all about it that first day, and as promised we went to McDonald's for lunch afterwards.
Day 2 was a little easier, but they still were so nervous the whole time driving there. In fact Ashton was the whole 2 weeks. He would ask me over and over again...But why if I like it when I get there, does my stomach feel so funny and I feel so nervous before I get there? I love how he always expresses EXACTLY how he feels about things. :) I hope he continues to do that always. Sometimes it's so hard to explain things like that to him though because he wants a real scientific explanation!
In the end they both did so great. Gunnar was SO excited to tell me on the 2nd to last day that he had passed off everything in level 2 and he was being passed on to level 3!
And by the last few days Ashton had mastered the backstroke and was easily jumping off the diving board in the 13 foot pool and swimming to the edge!
That was what he'd been most nervous about. I was so proud of both of them and loved the smiles on their faces that last day.
On Friday of both weeks (since lessons just went Monday thru Thursday) I told them we'd go to the Aquatics center if they did their lessons well, so that's what we did. They could go there and swim every single day and never get sick of it I think. They absolutely love it and have no fear.
They were beyond excited to find out Aunt Kelli was going to come with us on the 2nd Friday...
Their other little reward on the last day was snorkle masks and they thought they were so cool. One day they spent about an hour and a half using them in the tub!
Ashton got so brave jumping off the diving board at the pool!
Anyway it was a good way to break up our days for two weeks and I was excited to see the progress they made. Good job boys!
On a side note, it was also fun because I made friends with two other Moms as we sat there together for those two weeks, so I invited them and their kids to join us at McDonald's on the last day. Lars always laughs at me for making new friends wherever I go, but I think it's a good way to live!
On a side note, it was also fun because I made friends with two other Moms as we sat there together for those two weeks, so I invited them and their kids to join us at McDonald's on the last day. Lars always laughs at me for making new friends wherever I go, but I think it's a good way to live!
