heythereheather: June 21st--Anders swimming!

This week Erik had his first week of summer camp (a musical theater camp for 4-8 year olds, doing The Lion King), and Anders started swimming lessons. Due to my inability to read, I thought we had signed Anders up for a parent-child class for 3-5 year olds. I made the assumption that things wouldn't change... and two years ago when Erik took swim lessons at that pool, up until age 5 all kids were in a parent-child class.

Well, time marches on. This year there was a Super Tots class, for 3-5 year olds without a parent. Like I said, if I'd read the information they sent us, I would have realized that. But hey... I've been busy!

Without that knowledge, Carl took Anders to the first day of lessons on Monday all ready to swim. They got in the water with the parent-child group, which was all babies and toddlers, and Anders. Halfway through the class, they told Carl he was in the wrong class.

So, on Tuesday, I took Anders (and the babies), and he tried the Super Tots class. It was really hard for him. He didn't want to even be near the water, and he said he just wanted his dad. I couldn't get in with him, because of the babies, so I just stayed close to him, and talked him through. With 1o minutes left, he sat on the stairs. Big accomplishment.

On Wednesday, I took him without the babies, but still expecting him to do the Super Tots class--I didn't even bring my suit. He sat on the steps in the water right away, but was reluctant to do anything else--and the mention of anything else made him cry. However, right at the end, he let one of the teachers take him out to the platform, to "get a ring for mom", and then he brought it back. And then he went out again, and stayed out there, for 5 minutes. I had to leave to "go to the bathroom", and once I was gone, he was fine. (if he had cried, I would have come right back, of course)

On Thursday, we talked about how he was so brave the day before, and how the platform wasn't very scary, and how he didn't have to play all the games, he could just stand on the platform. He was all set to do just that, and was even excited about it. We went to the park beforehand, and he was still happy.

Once swimming lessons started, he was a little reluctant. But one of the teachers said she'd stay next to him on the stairs until he was ready to go in. I backed off and sat down, and within 30 seconds she was taking him out to the platform. He loved it! He did all of the games, and had a great time.

Just got to the platform