Swim Lessons

I'm so thrilled my children are up to date on their gross motor skills. They both can ride two wheeled bikes and both can swim.  (Ok, so they could ride bikes last year, but still an accomplishment.)
This boy can swim!!!!!! There is no enough exclamation marks in the world to show my excitement.

 Quick story, he has been in swim lessons since he was four. Some years only a month out of the year, but every summer he has been in swim lessons. Still at the beginning of the year he was like a rock in the water. I asked him what we could do differently so he enjoyed swim lessons. He said, I just don't like them, I don't want to take them. I said, well, I think its important you learn to swim, so you are going to be in swim lessons until you learn, and then still be in swim lessons. So if you cooperate and are happy they will be more enjoyable. It was a night and day difference. He is swimming! Still doesn't really enjoy them, but he works hard and can swim!!

Ok, my daughter can't swim more than a yard or two independently, but she is only five.  Still I'm pretty proud. From what I can see she is star pupil in class.

Its a good thing I love this boy. He gets to swim everyday. He never goes to childwatch at the pool, because he refuses to. I don't want to create problems at church Nursery so I don't push it at the Y.

 He does the cutest things though. He learned to blow bubbles in the water, and kick. He watches the three year old class and then copies them.  Free swim lessons! He thinks he is three and half not almost two.

And poor Ikey! He has never been in the pool. He has never been in any pool! I didn't let him go in my mom's pool this summer when we were visiting. There is no way I can watch a not quite two year old and hold an infant at the pool, so Ike is never allowed in because I don't want him to know what he is missing. He could go to childcare, but he also doesn't like it. He was almost always  crying when I picked him up, he has stranger woman anxiety. Not stranger man, just stranger woman, he is one of my momma's boys and does not want other women holding him. So instead he just sits in the stroller and watchs the kids in the pool. Its faster anyway, it doesn't take 5 minutes to check him in and 5+ minutes to check him out. This picture doesn't show it but he honestly seems happier at the pool than in childcare. He sometimes naps, and usually only cries about 5 minutes out of our hour and half adventure.

Poor kid! I often feel a tad guilty he doesn't get to swim. He is starting to really love splashing in his bath, so honestly I can't take a chance of him knowing the fun of the pool. 

The other day a little 6 year old asked me his name. I told her his first name, and she said woah that's a big name for such a little baby. Five letters is not a long name, so I guess she meant a grown up name, and I guess I agree which is why I always call him Ikey.