Swimming Like A Fish

We signed Renee up for swim lessons this summer and for two weeks in the middle of June, we had a lesson (more like guided water play) from 5:30 to 6pm Monday through Thursday night.  When I first signed her up for the class I was like, "no problem, it's only a half hour, and the pool is only 3 blocks away from our house, we can handle that!"  But, in reality, it was getting Renee home from daycare, letting the dogs out to go pee and stretch their legs, feeding a very hungry and cranky (normal for 5pm) Renee, getting her changed into a swim diaper and bathing suit, getting myself changed into a bathing suit, putting sun block on both of us, gathering towels and hats, locking the dogs back up, and finally getting into the car to drive the 3 blocks because it was way too hot and we were running late anyway.  Then came the half hour of swimming, which was fun for the most part, but it was sooooo hot out and the sun was just beating down on our heads.  

The worst part of it all though, and this is entirely my fault for not planning ahead, was that when all was said and done, and we got home a little after 6pm, Jeff and I were starving.  But, our normal make dinner time had been spent swimming, so we had no dinner!!  You would think, being that Jeff and I are relatively intelligent people, that after a day or two of this problem we would plan ahead.   But no, no such luck.  We were both exhausted from working all day and going through the above described scenario, and so we just ended up having simple dinners like sandwiches, salads, or going out and getting a burrito.  One night, out of desperation, I made "pizzas" with some naan that we had in the freezer, left over spaghetti sauce and jack cheese.  That might sound decent to some, but it wasn't, it was gross (it was the naan that ruined it) and not very healthy or filling at all.  Oh well, we lived.      

Okay, enough of my complaining and on to Renee and swimming...

Before these lessons, Renee had only been in my parents' pool, and only once last summer and once more this summer.  Both times she was not at all happy about the situation, and so we didn't expect her to be much different at the lessons.  We were right.  The first couple of days she only wanted to cling to me.  Jeff and I would pass her back and forth between each other, but that just made her upset and scared.  

The teachers instructed everyone hold our babies by supporting their chest while letting their feet dangle, and Renee wanted nothing to do with it.  So, I just let her cling to me and tried to make the experience as fun and exciting as possible.  Jeff tried to be a little more adventurous with her and he actually dunked her under the water a few times.  She was even okay with it for a while, but as soon as she saw me she cried for me to hold her.  I guess I still baby her a little too much, but how can I deny her the safety of her Mommy's arms?

  

That's Jeff and Renee (pink hat) by the edge of the pool.

By the end of the first week she was at least smiling a little bit, as long as we didn't do anything too scary like hold her out away from us for too long.  The funny part was, that at the end of each lesson as we were walking back to the car, she would excitedly point back to the pool and exclaim, "wah wah!" as if she wanted to go back in.  I think she really wanted to have fun, but was just a little overwhelmed at how much water there really was.

After this picture was taken all Renee hell broke loose, as I was no longer in the pool and she was!
"MAMA! MAMA! MAMA!"

By the end of the second week she was much more comfortable with the whole thing.  We were able to zoom her around in the water while she smiled and laughed, it was really cute.  And she would happily allow us to pass her back and forth between us, no problem.  She still wasn't nearly as comfortable as all the other kids in the class, they were jumping off the side of the pool and into their parents arms by this point, but they were all a little older than her.

Anyway, Renee looked way cuter in her bathing suit than any of the other kids!  No competition :D

Since then we've taken her swimming a few times in the pool at my parents' house and also at a family picnic last weekend.  And although she isn't (as the title of this post suggests) swimming like a fish, she does have a good time in the water now.