The HENDRICKSON Family: Summer Swimming Lessons

Week Two of swimming lessons went well. It got better for Silas, who if you remember, spent a lot of week one crying during his lesson time. If you missed my post about WEEK ONE Summer Swimming Lessons you can read about it by clicking HERE.

Day Five

Silas ~ We talked a lot about NOT CRYING over the weekend and the morning of day five. I even told Silas if he did NOT CRY the whole time I would give him a new matchbox car when we got home.... He was a little anxious as we walked into the pool area, but was able to keep himself together and did NOT CRY the entire time!!! He participated and had a fun time!!! Look at him below putting his face in, blowing bubbles, going down the little slide, wearing a life jacket (he especially liked wearing this particular life jacket because it had a turtle on it), and coming down the "big blue tangly" slide all by himself!!!

Phoebe ~ Phoebe really likes swimming lessons this year. She enjoys the girls in her class, especially a girl named Chloe. She is trying hard to learn to swim. She practiced a lot on day five holding her breath and putting her face in while she tried to use her big arms.

Sarah ~ Day five brought more freestyle and backstroke practice for Sarah along with diving practice. Then some fun sliding at the end of practice.

Day Six

Silas ~ Again we prepped for NO CRYING before arriving at the pool on day six. He told me he was going to get a car again, but I told him it would be a sticker this time for NO CRYING. (He loves his cars!) Good thing he was okay with a sticker... Another GREAT DAY for Silas!!! He even went off the diving board (wearing a life jacket) with a little help from a teacher. The teacher helped him walk to the end of the board and held his hands. He tightly closed his eyes and stood there instead of jumping so she took his little hands and lowered/dropped him into the water to another teacher. Then he swam to the edge of the pool and climbed the ladder to get out.

He also got to go down the yellow tube slide for the first time on day six. He shot of it very quickly. I don't think he liked it too much. But he DID NOT CRY!!!!

Phoebe ~ Day six brought more fun practice for Phoebe. She liked using a floaty to practice kicking her way around the pool.

More jumping in and sliding down the big blue slide today too....

Sarah ~ Flippers on and backstroking through the water! Go Sarah Go!

Day Seven

Silas ~ Silas did NO CRYING again on day seven!!! He went right into the little pool area with his class, sat with his friends and teachers and participated. He did everything that they asked him to do.

Below he was actually pushing his own head under the water. First they pushed a teacher under the water. Then they pushed their own heads under.

Silas came down the little slide then tried swimming to another teacher about three feet away.

Then they put life jackets on and went to a deeper area of the pool and practiced jumping in and swimming around with their life jackets on.

Last, they each came down the big blue slide.

Phoebe ~ I am enjoying watching Phoebe in lessons this year. She truly looks like she is having a really fun time. When I look at her she is smiling, talking with others in her class, and even trying to splash people.

She does a good job jumping off the diving board and then trying to swim to the edge of the pool herself. She is not scared to try this. She walks right up there and without any hesitation jumps right in!

Sarah ~ Sarah likes the other girls that are in her class this year. They talk to each other and encourage and help each other. Today they did more freestyle, backstroke, and kicking with the flippers practice.

End of day seven... One more day left. Good job kids!

Day Eight

Silas ~ Silas started out good again today. I could hardly believe that he cried every day the first week and no tears so far the second week....

Below he is pushing his teacher under the water, floating on his belly, and putting his face in the water.

Next he went down the little yellow slide then tried to swim 2-3 feet to another teacher again.

After the little yellow slide, his class was told that they would get their life jackets on and go into the big pool for a little bit. Silas then looked at his teacher and told her, "No. I don't want to go in the big pool." Then he just sat there looking sad, as his class all got up and left him to get their life jackets on. I saw him and said, "Come on Silas. Let's go. Get in line. Be an airplane." As soon as I spoke to him, tears overflowed his eyes and an ugly cry escaped him... Darn it. I really don't know why he didn't want to go into the bigger pool with his life jacket on... He had done it several days in a row now, and had no problems. He kept crying while they put the life jacket on him. He kept crying while he was on the edge of the pool. He kept crying while a teacher helped him jump in.

He cried in the water. He cried while he waited in line to jump off the low diving board. He cried as a teacher carried him out onto the board.

He finally stopped crying when he jumped/was lowered off the low dive to his teacher and swam to the side of the pool. Then he got to go down the "big blue tangly" slide one last time.

At the end of the lesson his class lined up and airplane walked over to take their life jackets off. Then they each got a popsicle. He DID NOT CRY then!

Phoebe ~ Phoebe's class did a little bit of swimming practice then played some water games, and came down slides for the last part of lessons on the last day.

She was smiling a lot during lessons on day eight. She must have been saying funny things because her teachers kept laughing and smiling at her too.

Sarah ~ Sarah had a good last day too. Her class also did some swimming practice for the first half of lesson time, then played water games and came down the slides.