Swim Like a Fish

"I wanna swim like a fish!" Annabelle was excited about swimming lessons.  "Or Ariel," she said.  Jacob's enthusiasm was down quite a few notches from his sister's.  In fact, he wasn't interested...at all.

I kind of dropped the ball with swim lessons.  Jacob took lessons a couple years ago, but then we quit.  Remember this?  Yeah...Jacob wasn't thrilled about swimming then either.  With summer getting closer and closer and the warm temperatures we've had already this year, I figured it was about time I got my kids back in the water.

In my mind, I knew how this would go.  I had a very clear vision of me dragging Jacob to the pool, kicking and screaming, while simultaneously running after Annabelle to stop her from jumping into the water while she yelled, "I'm going to swim like Ariel Princess!!"  Oh boy.  Won't this be fun.

But...sometime between the point when I registered them for lessons and their first lesson, the tables turned. 

With Annabelle's sudden disinterest and Jacob's apparent change of attitude, I wasn't sure what to expect.  My earlier vision, which had been so clear, was now a bit muddled.  We got to the pool and Annabelle kept saying over and over again, with a big smile on her face like she was joking, "I'm scay-erd..I'm scay-erd."  "What?  Scared?  Noooooo, you're not scared.  Why are you scared?" I asked.  She never really responded with words -- just a big grin and a laugh.  So, I thought she was joking. 

I hung around for the first five or ten minutes of their private lesson before I realized me being there was not helping the situation.  Jacob was scared to death, but he was determined to conquer his fear.  He did everything the instructor asked of him.  He was crying and had a hard time catching his breath, but he blew bubbles in the water, dunked his head under, and stepped down further into the pool than his comort level usually allowed.  His sister, on the other hand, would not get into the pool.  She wouldn't even put her toe in the water.  Jacob tried to help her.  He was being so brave.  Through sobs and tears, he said to her, "Annabelle, you can do it.  Just step down here like me.  You have to be brave.  You can do it."  It was the sweetest thing.  Jacob grew up before my eyes, fighting his fear and trying his best to be a brave big brother.  Right before I left, the instructor managed to coax Annabelle into the pool and the three of them dunked their heads under at least three times.  As I walked toward the exit, I heard Annabelle crying, "I want to go back!  I want to go back!", meaning, she wanted to go back to the steps so she could get out of there.

I waited outside until the lesson was over.  Since this was the first lesson and both kids were a bundle of nerves, I promised them candy afterwards IF they tried their best and did what the instructor told them to do.  I couldn't wait to find out how the remaining 20 minutes played out. 

Annabelle greeted me at the entrance, her monkey towel wrapped around her and a huge smile on her face.  "I did it!" she yelled.  "I bwoed da (blowed the) bubbles!"  I was ecstatic.  "That's so good, Annabelle! I'm so proud of you!"  Annabelle seemed proud of herself, too.  She kept saying over and over, "I bwoed da bubbles!  I'm hungwy!", meaning, "I want my candy now!"

We walked over to the other side of the pool where Jacob was just stepping out.  He had a big smile on his face too, and he wasn't crying anymore.  The instructor said he did really well.  He did everything she asked him to do and she felt he had made some progress.  I felt good about that.  Then, I asked about Annabelle.  "Well, Annabelle refused to get in the pool," she said.  Annabelle looked at me and said, "I did it!  I bwoed da bubbles!"  The instructor corrected her.  "No," she said.  "You didn't even get in the water." 

As I helped my kids put on dry clothes, Annabelle kept smiling and telling me she blew bubbles, which she followed up with, "I'm hungwy!".  I said, "But your teacher said you wouldn't even get in the water.  You have to get in the water to blow bubbles."  Annabelle quickly replied, "I know!  But I'm just pwetending I did it!" 

She did not get candy.

They've had two lessons since then.  The end of the second lesson was like deja-vu.  Annabelle greeted me, telling me all about how she blew bubbles in the water...only this time...it was true.  And she was very happy to eat her well-deserved snack in the car on the way home.    Jacob's fear of the water is quickly vanishing.  Today, right before we left, he said, "I'm excited about swimming!"  Wow.  Definite progress.  I'm proud of both of them for trying their best!