Swimming Lessons

When we decided to get a pool, we also decided it was really important for the kids to be able to swim! Good idea, huh? Well, Jacob and Hannah could swim pretty well and were completely comfortable in the water, including the deep end. Ryan, however, had never had lessons. He would only go in the shallow end, with water wings on and wouldn't go under or get his face wet.


Mrs. Schickler (a wonderful lady from our church) has been coming over three mornings a week for about three weeks and working with the kids. After day ONE, Ryan was diving for rings and would no longer wear his water wings! We were amazed at how quickly he became a fish! He now swims across the width of the pool and even treads water in the deep end. (never mind that Jacob and Hannah have both had to "save his life" twice in the deep end...) I am currently shopping for a life-saving flotation ring that can be thrown out to anyone in trouble.

Despite that, Ryan is doing extremely well - better than we had hoped after a few weeks of lessons, and most importantly, he is LOVING it!

Hannah and Jacob, as I said, could swim but needed some polishing on their freestyle skills as well as learning to dive. It has been so fun to see them doing their lessons together. Mrs. Schickler always starts them out with a "friendly" competition - down and back twice. By the end, they are usually both laughing! And I won't mention here who wins most of them! It is fun to see the good-natured competition that comes about when an adult is around. A different adult I mean. If it were Danny or I, the competition, I hate to say, would not be so friendly I fear...

"Hannah Banana" living up to her name with a bright yellow cap - which she hates! But it really does help keep her hair out of her face. It is a joy to watch her petite little figure swish through the water like nothing - she makes swimming look effortless!

Jacob is a natural, graceful and smooth swimmer as well. I just love to watch him move through the water with hardlyl a splash...

What Jacob has been most excited about is learning to dive - he is adventurous enough to try whatever Mrs. Schickler asks him to do! (Hannah usually ends up giggling and bailing!!) Yep, she has a little of her mama's blood in her when it comes to diving...

What a fun thing to learn this summer - how to swim! I know I feel a lot better about just letting the kids swim without feeling like I am a watchful, worried mother each and every moment (like when they were little). Happy swimming my little minnows and dolphins (and sometimes sharks!!)