This week is the last week of the pool being open, and we are running ourselves ragged trying to get there and squeeze the last few ounces of fun out of our investment. It really has been a lifesaver, especially over the past few weeks-month when the temps have been dreadfully hot and the kids don't want to step foot outside much past 8 in the morning.... BUT they still have so. much. energy. The pool is the perfect place to get some exercise while beating the heat. I hope we can repeat this for next year. We'll see though; right now I'm just thankful for how it has blessed us at this point in time.
Isaiah is a social butterfly at the pool. It's amazing to see how this kid of mine has transformed from a shy guy that would hardly talk to anyone and would be too scared to participate in any activity or church function that involved bigger kids, into one that is now making a new friend every time we go - and most of them are older than he is. One established friend leaves, in a few minutes he's talking and playing with someone else. Amazing, really. If you would have told me even two years ago that he would be acting this way I would have laughed in your face... that sounds rude, sorry.... let's just say I wouldn't have believed you.
Huston has no trouble at all putting his face in the water anymore. That was his major set-back when he took swimming lessons a few years ago. The instructor basically brought him to me on our second to last scheduled lesson and said that she had taken him as far as she could if he continued to refuse to put his face in the water - so yeah, he quit the lessons rather then risk the chance of drowning in 3 ft. of water while wearing a flotation device and having a trained life guard standing right next to him. But now? Now he never plays in the "baby" pool; you'll pretty much always find him in the shallow 3-4 ft. end of the pool swimming like a fish completely underwater... or jumping from the side of the pool inseperable from his buddy Grant.
Avery stole a swimming lesson and since then has been practicing his swimming technique over and over. I really should sign him up for lessons now, cuz I have a feeling the kid would take off like no other. See the pool has swimming lessons that they give in the morning while the pool is open to other members. One morning Steven came with us to the pool and we were all playing and occupied and I soon look over to see that Avery is in a lesson. I hadn't signed him up for a lesson. I discovered that the instructor basically just calls out, "Beginner class, 11:00" and waits for his/her students to show up on the steps. Avery just happened to be playing near the steps that day so when the instructor called out for his lesson to begin, Avery thought "why not" and ran over to participate. It was only him and another little gal and I have never seen Avery so focused and attentive. And it shows. The kid is so close to swimming alongside his brothers, although you'll usually find him happily entertaining himself or playing with whoever is around him and wishes to play.
Lillie has just had fun. They have a zero entry area for the little guys and she has pretty much stayed in that area. She submerges herself frequently and has no fear of the water, but is alert enough to know when she is getting too deep to be safe. She also has a friend at the pool, Grant's brother, Harrison, whom she asks me about often though they rarely really play together... but what 2 year olds play together? I remember my early childhood training - we're still in the parallel play stage - they'll happily be near each other usually and occasionally will occupy themselves with the same toys, but rarely are they really interacting. But they are getting close...
Here they are on one of those rare occasions when they seemed to be aware of each other :)
Aren't they sweet. It's so nice to have friends to play with at the pool. I really couldn't imagine our summer being as fun without it. Could we have survived? Well, sure. But how very many blessings and what tremendous areas of growth we have experienced because of it! It has been very fun indeed.
No comments:
Post a Comment