Let's go Swimming

Today was the last day of swimming lessons for the two big kids.  They went for two weeks, everyday for 30 minutes.  This was the first experience with swimming lessons, so they were in the beginner class.  They took lessons at Dowling (where mommy and daddy went to high school and where uncle Charlie now attends and swims)!  I will also have to admit that I took swimming lessons at Dowling when I was younger too:)  Yikes, that makes me feel a little old!  Their swim instructor was someone I ran with in High School.  We were on a lot of relays together in track.  It was so great to see her on the first day and find out that she was going to be the kids' teacher!  She was fabulous - the kids loved her:)

Waiting for lessons to start, sitting on the bench

(Notice Mario behind Max!  Max wanted Mario to watch him swim!!)

Once lessons started, Mommy and Miley had to go up to the balcony and watch!

Before lessons began, Max was a little apprehensive about going.  He is NOT a fan of water in his eyes, so he was a little bit scared about what he was going to have to do.  After the first day he LOVED it!!!  He is still a bit 'tense' in the water and won't submerge himself on his own.  He barely gets his face in when he is working on the front float!  Getting his forehead wet was a big accomplishment for Max, but jumping off the starting blocks in the deep end was more of an accomplishment for him!  He was always so proud when he was able to do things without the teacher's help!  Max is slowly but surely losing his fear of the water.

Molli, on the other hand, is a little fish!  She was scared to put her face in at first, but now it seems as though she talks sentences under the water!  She did so great with all of her front and back floats.  The only things Molls need to work on are pushing off the side and getting her legs up to the surface to kick when she's swimming!  Molli's biggest accomplishment was jumping off of the diving board!!  She will probably tell you that was her favorite thing about lessons.  She's upset with me that I didn't get a video of her doing it:)

Little Magoo there on the board, just about ready to jump in:):)

It was so awesome to see the progress the kids made.  It was amazing to watch how much Max and Molli improved over two weeks time!  I also loved seeing my kids try new things.  Jumping off the side, putting their face in, jumping in the deep end, swimming/jumping without someone holding on to them - those are all things (and there's more that I'm sure I missed!) that my kids have never done.  Their excitement after every lesson and how proud they were makes me wish we could go everyday:)  There's still so much for them to learn and try.  I can't wait for lessons again next summer!