Swim training: week 2

It's really supposed to be week 4, but the pool heater broke for two weeks so it's like I, and the kids, started all over this week. Yuck.

Monday and Tuesday Nadyne cut me loose with most of the kids. Inside, I was freaking out, but I just needed to do it ... with Nadyne standing there watching me, asking me why I was doing this, why was I doing that? Well, heck, I'm not sure - I think I saw you do it at some point and I'm flying by the seat of my pants here, hoping I don't mess the kid up and wig out the parent in the meantime!

Wednesday The Daisy and The Boo went with me to the pool under threat of being super good or I was going to flip. Nadyne took over all the kids and I first thought she was doing it because my kids were there and she might be thinking I wouldn't be able to focus. But watching her made me feel a bit more confident and she told me,"You've got to stop namby-pambying these kids." So I attempted with some of the afternoon ones and bombed out. There went my confidence.

Daisy and Boo swam the ENTIRE seven hours we were there and never made a peep. They swam with hotel kids, they swam with older siblings of students. They had a blast and Nadyne said she had never seen such well-behaved kids. She told them they were welcome at her pool anytime. I heard her brag on them to a couple of the moms. *Huge Grin* I thanked them over and over for being so good.

Thursday I got to rolling again and I think I did okay. I was feeling if I pushed the kids that I was going to break down that sliver of trust they had in me not to let them drown because I've seen some of them crawl up on Nadyne like cats in water. I haven't had that yet, but it's coming. Nadyne told me before I left that I was close to my 100 hours of training - I'm at 66 hours presently so I best get cracking on making kids swim proficiently.

There are some really challenging ones, which is good for me. Ethan, who won't float. Marley, who's in that in-between crawling and walking stage so after a week of unsuccessfully getting her to kick for a swim, I've decided she needs to float. Erica, the open-mouth, back-arching, non-kicking child - she's going to be awesome. Mulan, who will not hold onto the bar after her swim and just sinks. Harper, who has a beautiful swim and float and then starts crying that she can't do it about five minutes in. All things I have to figure out how to fix to make them successful in the water.