The Pool

Last week Dax started his first swimming lessons ever. You may think it’s a bit early to start swimming; it is only May. But, as the weather gets warmer and warmer, the pool is more and more refreshing. In fact, last Monday, on his first day of lessons, it was a whopping 108 outside!! I’m kinda a whimp when it comes to cold water, but even I wanted to get in the pool!

Dax was SUPER excited. The lessons are right around the corner from us, and there are 4 little boys in his class, one being his cousin Kruz. Miss Katie, their cute swim teacher, lead the boys straight to the water and Dax excitedly jumped onto the top step and played with the rings to wait for his turn. She taught them how to kick, pushed them under water and find the wall and how to monkey walk. Dax only swallowed a little water before he caught on to closing his mouth. The first day was a huge success! He was happy, energetic, loved splashing around and even said that swimming was so fun.

Then day two rolled around……

Tantrums flared, screaming started, he was jumping up and down and not in an excited way and yelling for me to come and get him. “I want out pwease mommy!” The pool is fenced in so all us moms sat on the bench and tried to ignore the screaming. Once one started panicking it was a chain reaction. They all looked like they were behind prison bars wondering why we were just sitting there and not moving to rescue them. At each turn Dax would go straight to Miss Katie and have his turn and do awesome, but as soon as he made it back to the step, the water works would start all over again.

Day three was a little better. Then day four and five were cancelled because of a crazy storm that rolled in. Yesterday was the first day back and I think he would have been fine, except the water felt like the ocean but without the waves from all the rain. Even Miss Katie was in a full wetsuit!! Dax was shivering from head to toe and had purple lips.

But, even with all those distractions and between all that screaming, he’s getting it. He’s flapping his arms and kicking his legs and you better believe he is closing his mouth. Every lesson he gets taken a little further back from the wall and some how he makes it there and finds it. He isn’t afraid to put his head in the water anymore and he isn’t afraid to jump to Miss Katie. At the end of each lesson, he gets a sucker. I think that makes it all worth it. And, as long as he is happy at the end, it makes me feel like it was all worth it putting him through that torture! I love to hear what he has to say as we drive home and his eyes are red from the chlorine and his nose is running and he is still taking big gasps from crying so hard.

When I showed Dax these pictures, here is what he said.....

“I a swim in the big big pool like a Dooooory! (Finding Nemo”) “I a do a monkey walk!”

“That water is so cold!” (and he shivers as he's sitting on my lap)

"I a close my mouff and reach for the whall"

"Dax crying." Why? "'Cause I swimmin' in the big big pool"

Yup, that about sums it up!