Swimming Lessons

William George had his first swimming lesson Saturday morning.  He immediately dismissed me, preferring to have Skip participate in the parent+child class instead.  While I swam with the duo in the deeper part of the pool, Skip and George learned to kick, close his mouth/blow bubbles with his nose and slide off the side of the pool.

As mentioned previously, William George has a love/hate relationship with the pool.  With some minimal coaxing, he was fine on vacation, but he really needs some time to embrace the idea of getting into the cold water.  When I initially glanced over at the class, William George was the only baby/toddler protesting the entire time.  Every other swimmer conformed right away, but George needed to argue and physically resist the process, which is why I was pleasantly surprised when he joined in the class activities and was even singled out by the instructor for being ahead of the group.

Go George!*

Also, since I previously documented George's tantrum at the pool, I need to lend the trio a voice and relay a story portraying them in a more favorable light.  (The Wal-Mart destruction and other stories describing mischief are funnier, but we know how sweet our children are. Really.) While preparing to swim Saturday, everyone made the requisite stop at the restroom.  After changing George into a swim diaper, I came back out in the main area.  Lauren and Gracie were engaging in their usual excited talk consisting of:

"Mommy, your swimsuit is soooo pretty."
"Do you like your swimsuit, mommy?"
"I'm so glad we came to the pool today."
"You look really pretty today, mommy."
"Mommy, I'm soooo glad we get to swim to you."

I made the appropriate responses, thanking them for their compliments, complimenting them and assuring that I, too, was glad to swim with them.  We left the area and went to the pool where I began applying sunscreen in triplicate.

While doing so, a lady approached us and said, "I have to tell you I was just in the dressing room with you and your children. I cried when they were talking... I've never heard such polite children! When they told you your swimsuit was pretty? And how glad they were to swim with you? And that they are glad you were at the pool with them? I just started crying, and I have to know how your children came to be so polite and say such sweet things."

I resisted the urge to tell her that the sun, moon and stars had clearly aligned, and I mean that about my own participation more than the trio's because, with all the hurry-hurry-hurry, sometimes we're too busy to have such a nice exchange while changing for the pool.  Instead, I told her about our philosophy of using words to "build up," based on 1 Thessalonians 5:11 which states, "Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up."

And then I told her she caught us on a good day. :)

*By way of confession, we sometimes cheer/chant.  Imagine a chant of "Go Gracie! Go Gracie! Go Gracie" when we're encouraging her to learn something new or tackle some challenge.  We do the same for Lauren, and we have even been known to chant "Good choices! Good choices! Good choices!" when the time is needed.  George has embraced this wholeheartedly and frequently chants, "Go Gahhge! Go Gahhge! Go Gahhge!"  Because, really, who says you can't cheer for yourself?