Swim lessons for Will

Since Will is now three, he started swim lessons this summer.  William has always liked the water, but has been pretty nervous to get in water over his head.  He loves to splash around in the shallow pool, but if you try to take him in the deeper water, he clings to you like a barnacle.  He has watched Eliana take swim lessons for two years now, so I though he would be excited to finally get to do some too.  He was excited, right up until he had to get into the water past the steps leading into the pool!  The first day of lessons, he had lots of fun splashing with the Miss Nick, his teacher, on the steps, blowing bubbles, pretending to be a crocodile, and "deep sea diving" for fish.  But then he had to go off the steps into the water up to his chest and he cried like someone was trying to kill him.  It was terrible!  I don't think I have ever heard him scream like that.  It made me tear up a little, but I knew he was totally safe and needed to get in the water with the teacher and rest of the class.  Miss Nick was the most amazing teacher.  She really catered to his needs and let him cling to her to feel comfortable while slowing getting him to do more and more in the water without realizing it.  She would have him sing his ABC's and start moving his arms, and the next thing you knew, he would be floating in the water on his own without even realizing it.  By the end of the class, Will was swimming the length of the pool in his puddle jumper and even jumping into the deep end of the pool all by himself!  I couldn't hardly believe it.  In fact, on the last day of lessons, Will was jumping into the 3 foot deep water without his puddle jumper (right to the instructor) and doggie paddling to the steps.  I was so proud of him!  Now he will swim all over the pool as long as he has his puddle jumper on. 

All ready for swim lessons

Best picture ever!

This is huge! Do you see him kicking his legs and swimming in water over his head?  He has a death grip on Miss Nick, but he's out there swimming!

And even more amazing, he jumped into the deep end wearing his puddle jumper and swam all the way back to the other side of the pool.  I might have cried a little bit this time too.  But those were happy tears because I was so proud of him!

You see him swimming on his own?!

What huge progress Will made this summer!  I know how hard this was for him, and I am so impressed with all that he did.

Eliana took swim lessons too, and she is now able to swim across the pool without a floatie.  It's not pretty - her forward crawl quickly turns into doggie paddling, but she can do it!  She also worked on back stroke and diving under water for rings.  She loves wearing her goggles and searching the pool under water.