Longing For Summer

Malia has started putting on her swim suit and “swimming” on the floor in the family room. As much as she loves the snow, I think she is ready for some warm weather.

Wet and Wild

After last summer’s water play improvisations, I decided I’d better pick up a kiddie pool for the kiddies. I chose a small one that would fit on our patio since our grass is struggling enough as it is and doesn’t need a pool sitting on it killing it even more. Malia was super excited to fill it up, requested cups and bath toys and jumped right in. Matthew was also pleased with the addition to the yard. When he got home from school and saw Malia basking in the water, he didn’t even bother to come in the house, change his clothes or take off his shoes before he took the plunge. He did take his shoes off eventually, but they were already completely soaked. He and Malia are both happy.

I Think I Need to Buy a Kiddie Pool…

…although I do feel like the lucky mom because my kids can make their own fun.

Not Exactly Fish-Like...

For the past three weeks the boys have been taking swimming lessons.  It has been somewhere in the neighborhood of three years since their last round of swimming lessons (I wasn’t going to drive 25 minutes each way for 30 minute swimming lessons, but with the new rec center open it is a five minute drive!) so it was almost like starting over.

Matthew was terribly excited about the whole thing until we walked into the pool the first day and he saw how big it was.  Then he got pretty darn nervous and made some comment about the “enormous bathtub.”  But it didn’t take long for him to get over his nerves.  After five minutes in the water, he relaxed and started splashing around like crazy.  After that, the only problem he had was that he absolutely hated the feeling of his swim trunks without his underwear.  He didn’t seem to like the loosy goosy feeling and would walk around with one hand holding his trunks up as tightly as he could get them.  (I’m betting that he won’t grow to prefer boxers as he gets older.)  It was like the end of the world getting him into the trunks each day, but once he got wet he was just fine.

Matthew kicking his legs like crazy and grinning about it.

 Trying out the kiddie slide

Daniel and Nathan had a better idea of what to expect and really enjoyed themselves.  While neither one of them is really an independent swimmer yet, they made really good progress and are anxious to take swimming lessons again so they can improve even more.  They have definitely gained some confidence (Nathan was even brave enough to jump off the diving board on his last day of class) so I consider it time well spent.

Having fun.

 Daniel holding his breath ready to take a swim.

Nathan jumping off the diving board.