Grace and Lauren attended their first week of swim camp at the YMCA from June 15th through June 18th. They were excited to see the counselors from last year, and quickly made some friends in their camp. On the first day, the camp ran a relay race, and their PE coach would have been pleased to see them easily outrun the older kids in the camp. (Also, I don't think I ever posted this last year, but they won the camp-wide contest for best "plankers" last year. Woot! The pressure is on for this year.)
William George is signed up for swimming lessons at 11:00am, Monday through Thursday, and they all three converge on the indoor pool at the same time. Logistically, we drop the girls off at camp at 9:00am, George has his lesson at 11:00am, and the girls are picked up at 4:00pm. Therefore, we have been spending the entire day at the Y, instead of commuting back and forth multiple times. While it is impossible to complain about a week at the pool, it is fair to say that the trio were worn out after spending approximately 20 hours in the pool last week.
William George also had a follow up appointment with his allergist on the 16th. He continues to do very well with environmental issues and avoidance of certain foods. Next year, he will undergo full testing and blood work, in the hopes that he will have outgrown a few of the allergies, such as egg, strawberry and soy. Since only 20% of the affected population outgrow peanut/tree nut allergies, it is unlikely that he will have progress with that, but his allergist relayed some optimistic data about recent trials and protocols that have been changed. They are working on a cure for the stubborn peanut allergy so continued prayers for that.
Back at camp, the duo were working hard. Gracie quickly advanced to "green band" swim lessons, having passed the swim test the first day. Lauren, however, still had a lot of anxiety about swimming in the indoor pool, which is 9 feet deep. Although she is a very strong swimmer, she has previously panicked during the water treading portion of the test. Last year she was so determined to pass that she took the test three times in one day, becoming increasingly frustrated with each failed attempt.
One counselor offered to swim alongside her in the indoor pool to help with her anxiety, but she was still too nervous. Finally, during the Tuesday afternoon outdoor session, she took the test and easily passed. Here she is flashing the yellow band because they were temporarily out of green bands.
She allowed herself to be proud for about 30 minutes before obsessing about advancing to green band lessons and learning the backstroke. Instead of anxiety about the depth of the pool, now we are addressing what-if-I-never-learn-the-backstroke during the morning drive. Although we are convinced she will conquer the backstroke, reassuring her that her life will be perfectly fine, whether or not she learns it, only seems to add to her anxiety.
As for William George, he is making many friends at the pool, has perfected the "cannonball" and is learning to swim.
As for me, I have been making friends, too, which always helps pass the time. Unfortunately, I contracted a stomach bug and am, therefore, approaching camp a little more cautiously this week.
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