Swimming Time

I decided I wanted Ryder to get into swimming lessons this summer. My friend called me and said they had an open spot in the class with her son if I wanted to get in. I decided I better so I did it. I then went to tell Ryder and he was not so thrilled. He asked me if he could take his arm floats with him and I told him he couldn't and boy did he get mad!
**Just a side note so you know......Ryder is NOT a water boy!! He hates getting his head/face wet and will NOT put it under water. If you shower him, he hurries and brushes water out of his face and turns if he can so it's not in his face. We have taken him swimming a few times and it takes us FOREVER to get him to just get in the water where he can touch. (like on the step) Once we get him in he does a death grip around your neck to make sure you won't let go. This is even if he has floats on!**
Anyhow, I finally decided to drop it and not talk about it for a bit. I then had my older sister talk to him because she's building a pool at her house and Ryder said he wanted to go stay with her. SO, she told him he had to learn how to swim before he could come down and then they talked about how fun it was for her when she took swimming lessons. That night Ryder asked Nils and I a few questions about swim lessons and then then told me, "Mom, I guess I will do it. I want you to stay there and watch me though and not leave okay?." Of course I would if it got him to do it. :)
So low and behold Ryder ventured out for swim lessons. He started them on June 6th. He would go Monday-Thursday for two weeks. Not bad I thought. He did the 8AM class though and that ended up being a struggle to get three kids together and ready that early. I talked to my mom and had her keep Brook and Gavin most mornings so I could get him there and stay to watch him. He did pretty good. The first few days he did get in and kneeled in the water, but still did NOT let water get over his head at all. FINALLY, the teacher was able to get him to relax and get more comfy in the water and he would dive down for little animals that she'd throw in there. As time went on, he'd get a little more braver and little more "in" the water messing around.
Well.....by the time he finished I was VERY PLEASED! Ryder was putting his whole body down in the water doing his "turtle" paddles and moving in the water. He floats on his back and on his tummy! He does an "alligator" paddle, he does super man glides, and some thing they were working with that was 'monkey, airplane, rocket' to help him get swimming a little. It was so fun to see him just lay on the water and float!! His head to his ears were in the water and he'd just lounge and he loved it. I was VERY suprised to see him get his face into the water to sit and float on his stomach.
I decided by the time we were done with them that I wanted Brooklyn in there too. So I went out and signed her up too. :) She will start her lessons the middle of July and she is very excited. Nothing scares that girl!
Hope the little slideshow thing works. It's amazing and fun to see Ryder came so far and got so comfy with just 8 lessons!! Can't wait until next year for him to do them again and hopefully advance a little more on things.

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