Back in the Pool

The kids took a break from swimming through last summer and fall.  Both kids swam almost daily last summer at the Country Club, and when fall came I wanted to see how Luke adjusted to his new full-day, 5 days a week Kindergarten schedule before I started adding afternoon activities.  Plus, I was anxious for Mia to turn 3 so that she could be in the water without a parent.  So, this month we went back to swimming lessons for the first time since last spring.

Luke is starting back at his previous level as a Sea Turtle, and Mia is at the first level without a parent, which is Guppy.

Winter swimming

Both Luke and Mia continue to swim at AVAC through the winter.  They are doing so well and both seem to really enjoy their lessons.  This particular week I had an appointment to get to right after swimming, so Day volunteered to swim with Mia so that I could dash off right after the lessons.  So, for once, I had an opportunity to get some pictures of our swimmers.

Mia is in a 2-3 year old parent/child class.  She is easily one of the most comfortable toddlers in the water, and is most certainly the most social. 

Mia's teacher this time is Miss Devin, who has worked a miracle with Mia's backfloat.  She can just about do it without any support!

Luke's class starts 15 minutes after Mia's, so he sits poolside and waits for his turn (with his friend from school, Vidyut, who has class at the same time as Luke and also has a little brother in Mia's class).

Luke is a "Sea Turtle" right now and is working on coordinating arm strokes with nice strong kicks.

Luke's teacher is Mr. Carl, who is great.  There are only two kids in Luke's class ... both boys have July birthdays and are named Luke.  Luke and Luke think that this is super awesome!

Mia swims!

This fall we enrolled Mia in swimming lessons at AVAC.  Luke has been taking lessons there for a while, and consistently for the past year.  He has grown immensely as a swimmer, and Mia has been a great sport about tagging along and watching big brother's lessons.

However, she has made it very clear that she is DONE watching, and that she was ready to get in and do it herself (by the way, this behavior also occurs now when we drop Luke off at school and Mia does not get to stay).  So, for this session Luke has his lessons at 11:15, and Mia's class starts just 15 minutes later.

We are about 4 weeks in and she loves it!  I was so grateful when one of the other moms who is often there taking pictures offered to take a few of Mia and send them to me.  They really show how much Mia loves the water.  She is already very comfortable in the water and is happy to do all of the activities.

Jumping in!

"Big breath"

The boys (Luke with his good friend Vidyut) hanging out while they wait for the other lesson to end

Backfloating with Mr. Anthony

Our little fish

I think I have mentioned in previous posts here what great improvement Luke has shown during swimming lessons. We've kept him enrolled throughout last fall and this winter because he really seems to love it and be improving all the time. He is only one skill away from moving up yet another level. So proud of him!

Getting ready to push off

Practicing glides with Mr. Anthony

High-fives for Mr. Derrick

Mia observes closely and cheers her brother on each week

Luke's swimming skills

I just wanted to share Luke's incredible progress in swimming lessons today. I am so bummed that I didn't have my camera with me because it would have been great to get a few picture - definitely next time!

Luke started the fall/winter session at AVAC last week. I requested that he have Miss Carli as his teacher again for this session if she was available mainly because I thought it would be nice for Luke to have some continuity. However, she is not working during the lesson time that we signed up for, so Luke has a new teacher: Mr. Anthony. In the two weeks since the session started, Luke has made so much progress. He is putting his face and head underwater, arms in front, kicking behind, and looking more like a "swimmer." Mr. Anthony lets Luke wear his goggles for the first half of the lesson, and then takes them off for the second half so that Luke gets used to swimming both ways (important for the safety aspect apparently - you don't want a kid who falls into a pool to start scrambling around for his goggles!).

I am amazed and I think that Luke is really responding to having a male teacher. Luke claims that he doesn't like Mr. Anthony, but the second he arrives at the pool, it sure looks like he likes him! He smiles and happily gets in.

I'll post some swimming lesson pictures soon!

Swim lessons - Summer 2010

Luke is taking swim lessons at AVAC again this summer. We waited until he turned 3 because at that point the kids get into the water without the parent (sort of a necessity when you also have an infant). He is currently taking two classes per week for a four week session. His teacher is Miss Carli, who is adorable and Luke completely loves. His class has four three year old boys in it - what fun! :) I'm just glad that I get to stand behind the glass and watch!!

They are working on just being comfortable in the water, kicking, back floating, holding their breath, and putting their faces in the water.



Luke has been spending a lot of time at the SJCC pool also this summer and seems to be making big strides in terms of his confidence in the water. He is jumping off the side now, holding his breath pretty consistently, and just loves to float around in his ring. Because swimming is such an important skill, and because he seems to enjoy his lessons, he will be continuing swim lessons at AVAC through the fall.

Swimming lessons

Grandma was able to come to swimming lessons with us this week, which was great, not only to have her there, but also so that we could get a few pictures of Luke in the water.

Swimming this summer has been a WONDERFUL experience - much different than last summer. Luke loves the water and has become really good at holding his breath and going under. He's starting to kick pretty regularly also.

Here he is playing the ball game that each lesson begins with. The kids grab a ball and then "swim" with it to the edge and put it in the basket.


This week we worked a lot on the kids coming into the pool from the edge, going under, and then practicing turning around, reaching for the wall and hanging on. They are emphasizing safety techniques, which I think is great. Learning to find and get to the wall, and then to hold on is probably one of the most important skills a 2-3 year old can have in the water.

Swim lessons

Luke started another swim session today. We tried this last summer, but after several sessions, he really just didn't like it. I was hesitant to continue just because the point was to get him comfortable in the water, not afraid of it. So, we took a year long break and we're now back at a new swim school for a second attempt. I had heard wonderful things from other local Mommies about this place, so felt optimistic going in.

Today went GREAT! He LOVED the class. Laughed, squealed, and splashed the entire time. He was great at kicking and moving his arms in the water, and although he didn't love going under, he did it several times. I thought that the curriculum was much more child-friendly. So, here's to a great summer filled with swimming! Hopefully we'll get some pictures of our little fish at some point so that I can post them!