Swim Lessons

Today Kate started her two week swim lessons at the Hubenak Swim School (aka the Hubenak's back yard) in North Richland Hills. I knew going in that Kate was not going to be happy. She doesn't like getting her face wet, she definitely doesn't want to go underwater, and she's not fond of strangers. So basically I signed her up for her worst nightmare, right?

This is Kate's little class, and each kid sits on the side of the pool until it is their turn for one-on=one instruction. The teacher repeats this cycle over and over throughout the 45 minute class. You can see from the way Kate is looking at me that she was not happy. In fact she ever so slowly inched her way out of the pool and back to me, crying.

 But she got her turn anyway, repeatedly, and she cried and complained the whole time. Here she is swimming to the side! All by herself! Not drowning! But yet she's still mad. She wouldn't stay seated on the mats by the pool, and she wouldn't stop asking if we could go home. Finally the Mr. of the married teaching duo took over for me and hovered over Kate to make sure she stayed in her spot on the mat. He wouldn't let her get up, and she protested the whole time. But she did great in the water!! She probably would have done so much better had she calmed down and focused her energy on learning instead of crying.

 One of the exercises they made the kids get a dive ring off the bottom of the pool. She pushed Kate down to the bottom over and over until she finally came up with an orange ring, and we all cheered and clapped and what did Kate do? She flung it across the pool in protest. One lesson down, seven more to go. It's going to be a long two weeks!!