Category: Family & Friends

We are going to my grandmother’s beach house for vacation in August, and we decided to enroll Ryan in swim lessons.  He enjoys himself when we go swimming as a family, and I really want him to be comfortable in the water, and learn how to swim, since we will probably be taking our vacation at my grandmother’s every year.

So on Monday, Ryan started his first ever swim lessons.  After a rough start the first day, he proclaimed the above statement to me today, as he finished his class.

The pool where the lessons are held, is an indoor one- I figured that would be better for the first time, than having Ryan get cold if the weather was cool at an outdoor one.  We started on Monday, and he was really tired, from having spent Sunday night with his cousins. 

The pool has bleachers upstairs, enclosed in glass for the parents to sit, and then the instructors come in, gather their students, and walk them down to the pool.  On Monday, Ryan would have none of that.  He INSISTED that I hold his hand, and walk him down to the pool.  This really was his first time doing an activity where I was not to be right there, so of course I did this.

Once we got down to the pool, he started to cry and did not want to go near the water.  His instructor,a girl about 17, was really nice and sweet, and tried to get him to go in the water, but he already had his mind made up.  I managed to get him to at least sit on the side of the pool with his legs in the water, watching his class, but if I backed away to the wall, he started to cry again, and stand up. I’d be lying if I said, he did not throw a fit.  He did. 

So, I thought this was going to be a fun two-weeks.    I figured he was tired, but was wondering if he was scared to go in.  After the class was over on Monday,  I took him home, and told him he had to go in the water on Tuesday, and he needed to listen to his teacher.  I told him we would go get a smoothie (his favorite treat) if he did.  Hey, bribing always works with this kid.  Joe also talked to him before bed, and reassured him, his swimming lessons would be fun.

So on Tuesday, he still wanted me to walk down with him, and wait by wall, poolside.  He went in the water, but still looked a little nervous, but he started participating in the activities, and when he was done that day, he was so proud of himself and said, “I didn’t cry!”  We couldn’t get to the smoothie shop fast enough.

On Wednesday, I told him he could walk down with his teacher, Emily, and I would walk behind them.  So he held Emily’s hand all the way down.  I followed him, and of course, he looked back every two seconds to make sure I was there. I stopped following him, once he reached the pool, and sat on some steps, farther away from the pool.  Ryan would look up every now and then from the pool and wave at me, but he clearly was becoming more comfortable.

On Thursday, I stayed in the bleachers, and he held Emily’s hand as he walked to the pool.  He looked up at me once, while he was in class and waved. 

Today, he just grabbed on to Emily’s hand, and had no problem what-so-ever.  When it was time for them to go in the pool, Ryan led the ‘pack’ of kids, down the ramp into the water.  

All week he has been learning to jump around in the water, put his chin, and the side of his face in the water, jumping in, and Emily will hold each child on their back, and let them feel what floating is like.  He has done all of that since Tuesday, and I think he really has fun.

Today, as he walked back into the room after class, he saw me sitting and ran up to me and said, “Mommy, I’m a swimmer,” his little face bursting with pride.

I was so happy for him to- it is really neat to see him be proud of something he is learning, and realizing he can do things away from me and have fun.

I also am so grateful to Joe’s parents…they watched Cole every day this week, even with him not feeling well.  It helped so much, that I could be there for Ryan, and not have to spit my attention between him and Cole.  They may come one day next week, and watch Ryan swim.  Cole also bonded very well with Grandma- when we pulled up to their house everyday, he just started smiling, and flapping his hands. 

We may go swimming on Sunday, so he can show Joe everything he has learned.  We have four classes next week, and then we take a break for two weeks, and then he will start another nine classes at the next level in July, ending right before our trip. 

He has been so excited to go to Great Grandma Mimi’s house, and I know he will have more fun in the water, being “a swimmer”.  

Last week, we went to my sister-in-law’s town, about 50 miles away for a visit.  She has three children (ages 10, 8, & 6), who obviously are Ryan and Cole’s cousins.

Ryan adores his older cousins.  He was so excited to go see “the cousins,” as he calls them.  We had plans to go make tie-die shirts, at a small craft shop, a few miles away from my SIL’s house.

It was really fun- I actually learned how to make three different patterns.  I helped Ryan with his shirt, and made one for Cole too.  He sat in his stroller the entire time, looking out the door, eating crackers, and watching the cars go by.  It only took about half an hour for us to make 5 shirts,(with no mess to clean up-benefit of doing a project like this at a craft studio), and they turned out great, if I do say so myself.

On Saturday, “the cousins,” came up to Joe’s parents house for the weekend, and Ryan played his little heart out.  He had so much fun, he is completely and utterly exhausted, but I think he had the best few days ever. 

His 8-year-old-cousin (a boy), had an air powered rocket blaster, that you could pump up with air, and then a rocket would shoot up in the air.  Ryan played with that constantly.  He begged us to go to the grocery store and get one for him.  He calls it the “rocket ship.”  If only our yard was bigger, I would have something that would occupy him for probably 6 hours at a time. But the rocket shoots so high up, it would be on the roof, or about 3 yards over, with the first launch.  We are considering getting him one though, to keep at his grandparents house, that he can play with when he is over there.  Talk about a 3-year old boy heaven!

Cole was even interested in the rocket, and would try to pump the pump.  As soon as Ryan saw him doing that, he said, “No Cole, this is the big boy toy.”  He was so proud of himself that he could operate this rocket, like his older cousin!

Sunday, they went swimming with Joe, and their uncle, and Ryan’s aunt (the cousins mom) bought Ryan his first squirt gun, so he could join in the water gun fights.  I think Dad had more fun playing with it though- 🙂  Ryan got to spend the night last night with everyone at Grandma’s.

Finally tonight, before “the cousins” left, we got some pictures of everyone in their tie-dye shirts.  It didn’t occur to me to get one of Cole and Ryan together, and Cole would barely stay still longer than a second, so I feel fortunate to have gotten two shots, with everyone in them.  Here are some pictures- (you can double click on them to see them bigger)

 Ryan getting ready to dye his shirt

 Cole goofing around w/ a funny pair of glasses at his cousins’ house

 As we got ready to go, it started pouring rain.  Ryan’s cousin had just given him this raincoat, boots, and umbrella.  Perfect timing- they had to go out and play in the rain

 Cole in his tie-dye shirt

 A group shot of Ryan with his cousins (I wasn’t sure how their mother would feel about having their pictures on the blog, so I blacked out their faces, but at least you can see the colorful shirts.)

The cousins return back up to Grandma’s in mid-July for another weekend. I am sure Ryan will be counting down the weeks.