Swimming - October 2010

The girls LOVE going to swmiming.  Up until this month, Jordan was in the Parent Assist class.  It was limited to 6 kids with a parent and was held in the kiddie pool (smaller pool) at our swimming facility.  Brandon usually went with her (although I had to do it one week when he had class).  Jordan is FEARLESS.  She gives me a heart attack probably every class.

But now, she is a BIG GIRL (over 2.5).  So she gets to go into the big pool with the big kids.  She's actually in Allison's class (since Allison is still in the Goldfish level).  They LOVE going together. They hold hands and walk around the pool to their spot.  Once during class this week, Jordan scooted around one of the boys in their class while the teacher was out in the pool with the other boy.  She just wanted to stand by Allison and then they put their heads together like they were telling secrets and started giggling and giving each other kissess.  So cute!  Then when class is over, Allison hops right out and waits for Jordan to get out.  Then they hold hands and walk back to the door.  I hope we can keep them this close forever!

Here are a couple of videos.  It's hard to get videos/pictures because we watch the kids through a one way window.  Plus, it's dark.  And the girls are on the far side of the pool. 

The first video is of the class floating with the barbells.  One of the great things about this center is that all the classes are structured the same.  One of the first things they do in every class is float/kick with the barbells.  The first week the girls were together, the instructor (who is new) had Allison in the middle, Jordan on one side and the little boy who is Jordan's age (and who cries a lot) on the other side.  I looked up and he had his hands on Allison's and the boy's barbell but Jordan started kicking and took off.  She was probably 3 feet ahead of the rest of her class.  Another instructor stopped her and held her until Allison and the class caught up.  When they turned around to come back across, she did it again!!  I was having a panic attack watching her!

After the barbells, they practice floating on their backs.  The center's philosophy is to train the kids to float unassisted so if they fall in, they float until they get to a wall or until someone sees them.  They do a series of float tests (with different weights of clothing) where they throw the kid in and they have to float for 5 minutes or until they get to a wall.  (Neither girls has done one yet).  Allison has just recently started getting exponentially better!  We're SOOO proud of her.  It's kind of hard to see, but this is Jordan (in the bright pink) floating.

One of the things Jordan was most excited about moving up to the big kid class was the FROG SLIDE!  The baby pool just has a small slide.  This video was their 2nd week in class and their first time this month to do the slide.  It's hilarious.  It's hard for me to sit out there and watch with the parents of the other kid in our class.  He's the same age as Jordan and moved up at the same time.  But he cries the ENTIRE class.  Jordan is fearless and does everything almost as well (some things probably better than) as Allison.  The other little boy is (so far) an only child.  I think having a big sister to follow, plus the fact that she does Mother's Day Out and Dance Class by herself make her a little more independent than Allison was at this age.

Here's the slide video.  Allison slides first, followed by Jordan.  The little boy didn't want to slide, so he's already on the blue mat.



So that's swimming (for now!).  I'll keep you updated on their progress!!  (And hopefully get some better pictures!)