Iowa City's summer swim classes are only offered on weekday mornings, daily in two week sessions. I wanted Ed to take lessons last summer, but didn't see how, given our schedule. I must be loosening up (or preparing for the upheaval fall will bring) because this year it was so clear to me: just switch to afternoons at school/work and have playtime/swim lessons in the mornings. So that's what we're doing.
I must say it is quite lovely to "sleep in" until 7 a.m. Even the boys are down with this (helps that it's been dark and rainy.) Lessons are at 9:45, so we have no rush through breakfast, no "hurry up and get dressed." We play, we swim, we come home to hang the wet things and play a bit more, then off to school in time for lunch at 11:30.
Daniel asked why we couldn't just go to swimming lessons in the afternoon, and I explained that the teachers are only there in the mornings. "Well," he said emphatically, "I wish there would be swimming teachers in the afternoon so I wouldn't have to do so many things!" By which he meant, "so many changes" because he listed off "not eat breakfast at school, take nap at school, eat snack at school, not play at home after nap." None of this is in any way onerous, just different for him and he's not entirely pleased. He does love to swim though so I think he'll make the sacrifice.
The parent viewing area at the pool is well to the left of the pool and has a terrible glare in the morning light, so it's hard for me to watch. Today I stepped into the pool area a few minutes before the lessons ended and was so excited to see Edward "swimming" face down in the water, kicking his feet, propelling himself about two body lengths before sputtering up and starting over. It was just so amazing to think that less than a year ago, he considered it a MAJOR accomplishment just to dip his whole face in the water. He always resists our attempts to support a front or back float and yet here he was showing the first signs of independent swimming. It totally fits with his personality though--he won't be told how or what to do, but must approach with caution, observing, attempting and finally mastering and then endlessly repeating.
Maybe we'll see something of the same with t-ball. John and other parents have found that it's best if they switch kids when playing catch before or during the practice sessions because the kids get tired of hearing instructions from their own parents.
When John posted this pic on Facebook last week, a friend commented on the juice-stained shirt. Just for the record, this was from an afternoon snack of fresh cherries, and he hasn't quite mastered the fine art of pit removal. He was digging them out with his fingers and then of course (a la Uncle Joe) wiping his juicy fingers straight across his shirt, ignoring the napkin right in front of him.
Daniel and another player's three-year-old brother have made fast friends on the sidelines. Ed, in the line of t-ball kids is practicing his "ready stance." The coach (in blue shirt) is amazingly patient with this group of ten 4- and 5-year-olds!
Thus a very Ed-centric post ends with a Daniel pic.
