A Splashin' Good Time

While Allen was in Las Vegas, I took the boys to the Wyndham Orlando Resort on International Drive. I found a great rate online and saw that they had several pools, so we made a reservation. I didn't realize until we got there that I had stayed there as a teenager for a Spanish competition. The hotel had a different name back then and looked a bit different.

Caleb loved the kiddie pool there and had a blast playing in it. We went to the pool early in the morning and had it all to ourselves. Eli was hesitant at first, but then he enjoyed riding in his car float. He enjoyed Caleb pulling him around the pool.

The resort was nice, and we wish we could have stayed longer. We are considering going back there to stay with Daddy some time soon. I-Drive is just far enough away from home to make it seem like a vacation without having to drive for a long time or pay an arm and a leg for gas.

Water Fun

This morning we spent some time in the kiddie pool in the backyard. These are some pictures of the boys in the pool. I especially like the first one.

Swim Fun

I bought a small pool at Toys 'R Us for the boys to play in this summer. Today was the first day the boys tried it out. Caleb jumped right in and played. Eli was a bit hesitant at first but then had fun. I am sure the boys will be spending many days in the pool this summer.

Swimming Update

Today ended Caleb's first month of swim lessons, and so much has changed. Caleb went from crying, screaming, and dreading swim lessons to loving them. It took a little while, but by the third week of class, Caleb was looking forward to going to the Y to swim. In fact, he kept asking when he could go again.

Caleb has had a great attitude about going to class each time and has been learning a lot. He has a new pair of goggles that he loves wearing. He likes going underwater to retrieve a weighted ring off the stairs. His confidence has grown a ton. We are really proud of the progress Caleb has made. He will be doing lessons for the next few months, and we are looking forward to him continuing to improve.

Thanks to Aunt Bev who took these cute pictures of Caleb at swim class this week.

"I am going to be a guppy!" (quote from Caleb)

Caleb started swim lessons today. Daddy and I had been talking about him learning how to swim for a long time (Daddy was a fish as a kid!), but it never seemed to work out. Caleb and I did take a parent/child swim class when he was about a year and a half old. It was a disaster. The teacher had me put him under water for a second to see how he responded. Well, he hated that! He then screamed every time we got near the pool and would scream through the whole class while we were in the pool. I think that experience scarred me a little, so I had not gone out of my way to start lessons.

When we went for his 4 year old checkup, the doctor asked if he knew how to swim, and I knew it was time to start lessons. Luckily, there is a YMCA near us that has an indoor, heated pool. Yes, I know this is Florida, but outdoor pools are much too cold this time of year. The class is two days a week, which works well with our busy schedule. I was afraid that the classes would be 4 or 5 times a week, which would have been really difficult.

Caleb was excited about the prospect of swimming, especially since he had seen an episode of Little Bill where the main character was learning to swim. The TV show talked about being a guppy, so that is what Caleb is convinced he will be once he knows how to swim. If you say that he will be a fish, he corrects you and says that he will be a guppy. He was also a bit apprehensive about going underwater.

There are two other children in his class. One of them is an old friend of his, so I was hoping that would help put him at ease. The teacher marched them out to the pool where they rinsed off in the shower before sitting down on the side of the pool. They kicked their feet until it was time for each to have a turn practing with the teacher. Caleb happily enjoyed splashing the water with his feet until it was his turn. He then proceeded to scream and cry for the rest of the half hour class.

After class, he said that he was not very brave and that he wasn't sure he wanted to continue swim lessons. I told him that I thought he was very brave because he stayed in the pool and listened to the teacher. He could have easily gotten out of the pool and run to me, but he didn't. We plan to continue the lessons for several months. Even though the first class was tough, I am confident that Caleb will be swimming like a guppy before we know it.