1,2,3 (&4)... Swim!

We started another two-week round of swimming lessons today (we had to skip a session because of Cub Scout Day Camp). I decided to try putting Hayley in lessons this time since she doesn't show much fear around the water. We've been taking lessons for several summers from Miss Kammie -- a lady we know (in the other ward) who teaches in her backyard pool. She is great with the kids.

Lessons started at 8:00am and the poor kids were just shivering. All the rain recently has kept the temperature of the pool quite cool. We were commenting this morning how we couldn't believe the pool was this cool in July! Here is a picture of all 5 kids in the class (plus McKay helping Hayley) as they get ready to jump in the deep end. (The little boy in their class was especially shivering the whole time.) This is the part that Hannah is still very unsure about! She is getting much more confidence in other areas of swimming.

Miss Kammie turned on the hot tub so the kids got in at the end of the lesson to do some floating and warm up a little.

Courtney is getting ready to go down and get a ring off the bottom.

Hayley did pretty good for a first lesson -- at least no flashbacks of Hannah kicking and screaming and crying the entire time. But she hasn't learned the most important skill yet of closing your mouth when you go underwater! She got dunked several times and cried a little because she swallowed water but exhibited no great fear of the water. Hopefully she will quickly figure out that it works much better when you close your mouth!

McKay is just doing a "semi-private" lesson with one other boy this time (not as long of a lesson time since there are only two of them). That works out well for him, so he doesn't have to be stuck in a class with all the little kids and he can get more practice doing things like diving and back stroke.