Swimming Lessons

Well, I got Kaylen signed up for swimming lessons this summer. Last year I tried, but the evening Level 1 lessons were full by the time I got onto the online registration site - 1/2 hour after registration was opened! This year, I got in, but not my favorite choice. The only Level 1 class not full by the time I got all her information in, was the 8:30 - 9:15 pm class - and that was only 10 minutes after registration opened. Can you believe that?! I say our town needs another public pool. I think plans are in the works, but this is just nuts!

At any rate, we're giving this a try despite Kaylen's normal bedtime being between 7:30 and 8 pm. At this moment she is sleeping (celebrating this small success!). We decided that we'd feed her a quick supper immediately upon returning home from work/daycare. Then she'll take a nap before swimming lessons. She doesn't really need naps anymore in the daytime, except for maybe one on the weekend. However, with staying up until 9:30 or after, I'm dreading getting her up in the mornings and hearing the reports from daycare if she's tired and cranky by day 2 or 3. So, we're trying it. Will let you know how things turn out. Maybe it will be short-lived, maybe it'll work fine the whole two weeks. Who knows...

I'm going to try to have Jock take a few pictures to share. It should be fun for her. We could probably teach her ourselves, but she'll have more fun and it'll be more structured. We don't get to the pool very often as a family.

Here's what they learn in Red Cross Level 1 swimming lessons:
*Enter and exit water safely using ladder, steps or side
*Submerge mouth, nose & eyes
*Exhale underwater (blow bubbles) through mouth
*Open eyes underwater, pick up a submerged object held at arms length
*Show comfort maintaining a front float position & recover from a front float to a standing postition
*Show comfort maintaining a back float & recover to a standing position
*Roll over from front to back and back to front with assistance
*Swim on front at least 5 feet
*Swim on back at least 5 feet
*How to use and wear a life jacket
*Recognize a swimmer in distress and how to get help

Seems like a lot, but she can do the first few things already - or at least she could the last time we went to the pool - which was last summer.