Hold your breathe & go

This afternoon, the kids have their first swim lesson of the year.

Yes. It's already THAT time of the year. Hard to believe, eh? We're actually at the start of the warming trend in prep of spring/summer. The last couple mornings it's been around 50 degrees, which is much warmer than the 32 - 35 degree range that it was just a couple weeks ago. The highs for the day aren't that much warmer than they've been (only in the 60's to low 70's) though. But the temperature range for the day isn't so big. Only a 15 degree (instead of a 40 degree) variance from morning to afternoon is quite a difference. Thankfully the pool is heated. Hopefully, the Princess won't be a shivering mess when she exits the water (like she normally is). But I'll have sweatshirts handy for when the kids change. I just hope they don't fall asleep on the drive home from the swim school! That'll totally mess up bedtime!

Based upon the fact that March will launch the change into spring for us here in AZ, the local swim school schedules the start of the swim season by mid-March. The lessons the kids are starting this afternoon are actually the PRELIMINARY classes. These are a set of much discounted classes where the school refreshes the techniques with the old instructors and breaks in the new instructors. So each class will have more than it's regular set of instructors. YEAH! This means more individual attention to each child, which is a blessing. But normally for my kids age group there will only be from 3 to 4 kids in the class. And both my kidlings will be in the same class. So....it'll be them and one or two more kids.

When the Princess took a couple classes at the YMCA, we didn't have much luck. Each class had one instructor. Each class had about 10 kids in it. There were about 4 classes going at the same time. The pool area was always pretty chaotic. And since the Princess was already apprehensive, she didn't push her way forward to do each skill. She'd just hang out holding the side of the pool. For the Princess, the YMCA lessons didn't do a darn thing. I'm hoping that the smaller classes at the swim school will provide her with the attention she needs so she will perform each task be a stepping stone to be able to become comfortable to learn to swim.

Anyway, I've got my fingers and toes crossed that the Princess won't FREAK out. She is really bad about water getting into her eyes and nose. But I've been casually mentioning to her about the fact that she HAS to listen to the instructors. That they wouldn't do anything that would hurt her. That they are there to help her get comfortable, but that SHE must do what they tell her. That she needs to TRUST them in what they're telling her to do.

Of course, the Bear is excited. He's never had a lesson. But he's been in a pool with a vest. While he's in a vest, he's very comfortable swimming towards someone who is standing at the center of the pool. He's no squeamish about water in his ears or face, so I think he'll be okay with the lessons. Hopefully, his ease will filter off to his sister. I hope if HE progresses that'll she'll feel competitive and try to do as much as her brother. That's what I'm hoping.

But as I mentioned, I've got my fingers and toes crossed that both will happy about the lesson.