Splash

I know I've talked a lot about swimming lessons, but honestly that's pretty much where my life was focused over the past few weeks. I am VERY glad that they're done - having more than 15 minutes to prepare/feed my family dinner at night is much more relaxing (if dinner can at all be considered relaxing anyway).

At the end of this session of swimming lessons, my girls had progressed significantly, or so I thought until they got their little achievement sheets on the last night. Last summer, Abby had actually graduated from Sunfish I to Sunfish II and even (briefly) to Turtle I - she didn't want to do the things they wanted her to do in Turtles (like actually swim), so went back down to Sunfish II. Fine. She has a hard time straying out of her comfort zone - we know this. This year, she was actually doing more things than last year, but she was upset and crying about a lot of them (pretty much not wanting to put her face in the water). So I wasn't too horribly surprised to find her ending up in - Sunfish II yet again. Not a huge deal.

Hannah made a huge leap this year. Last summer she didn't make it through a single lesson without tears. This year she was excited for every lesson, no tears whatsoever, did every thing they wanted her to do. I thought she'd move up from Sunfish I to Sunfish II for sure and maybe even up into Turtles. Nope - on the last night, she is a 'High' Sunfish I. What the heck is a 'High' Sunfish I? Her teacher said she didn't move her up because she wasn't swimming on her own enough yet. So when I look at the achievement sheet to see what Sunfish I is supposed to consist of, it says things like 'swim to side of pool with help'. Nowhere does it say they have to swim alone in Sunfish I. She's progressed so much since last summer that it's just incomprehensible to me that the teachers (same ones as last year) haven't recognized that. But ok, fine.

Ron and the girls stayed for open swim after the last night of lessons. Guess what Hannah did? Yep, swam completely across the short end of the pool by herself. And Abby swam with no tears. So why can't they do these things when it matters?! When we've shelled out the $$ for swimming lessons, that is. I guess I just want someone to recognize what they've achieved and have it 'official' that they have done so well now.

So, we'll keep going to open swim - Ron took the girls again on Tuesday and Thursday last week and we'll all go tomorrow night probably. After all - the most important thing is that they get comfortable in the water and can keep themselves afloat. And that they have fun!