Thursday, June 19, 2008

Swimming into Summer!

We don't have a pool, we are one of only a handful of people in our neighborhood who do not have a swimming pool. My little guy is appeased with occasional swims at the YMCA, the pool at my brother's apartment complex or at hotel pools. So, needless to say, he's not learned how to swim yet.
I took him to swimming lessons at the Y last year but not so sure that after the experience last year we'll be doing that again this year. Last year, there were about 8 little kids in the class, all around 3 or 4. My guy was just 3 and it was his first swimming class. There was only one teacher and she would have the kids sit on the first step in the pool while she worked with one student at a time. All the kids sat wiggling on the step of the pool, anxiously awaiting their turn with the teacher. My little guy wiggled a bit too much because he wiggled right off the step and his head went under the water. The teacher was across the pool with another student, she didn't even notice. I jumped up out of my chair and ran to the side of the pool. He was under the water, staring up at me, unable to touch the bottom and not knowing how to get up to the surface. The panic on his face was unbearable. I heard another parent shout and just as I was about to jump into the pool fully clothed, a lifeguard ran over and jumped in. The lifeguard lifted my guy up and out of the water and my scared little guy gave me a big hug. After a few minutes, he was relaxed and went back to the class. It was terrifying, seeing his face and not being able to reach him.
So, we'll have to see how I feel about going back to the Y for swim lessons again this year. I know that he needs them and that he's older this year, so he'd probably learn quicker this time around. But I'm not sure I've recovered from last year yet!

Here is my guy, sliding down the twisty tube at Disneyland's Paradise Pier hotel pool earlier this month.
Photobucket

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