Swimming In The Sun

Callie, 4.5 yrs, earned a diving gem today for doing a standing front dive with a TRIPLE FLIP!!!! The triple flip was underwater after the standing dive. She just learned how to dive and already she’s seeing what more she can do with her new skill. She’s adding twists and all sorts of Vegas Razzle Dazzle to her dives. She’s amazing.

End of August progress board. This has worked better than I expected. Students love seeing their magnet move down the board. They don’t like it when their sibling or friend’s magnets move down further than theirs so they ask me what they need to do to catch up on the board. Students who want to learn are the best students!

You can’t look at this fridge and not feel the love. I have the best job. I LOVE and appreciate all my students’ art that they were so thoughtful to make for me. 🥰

Julia, 4 yrs, 1st year student, had class after Isla. I told her Isla earned a gem for touching the bottom of the 8’ deep end. Seeing another kid, around the same age accomplish a challenge like that gives a student the confidence to try it themselves. It was exactly what she needed. She kept trying and managed to touch the bottom of the 8’ deep end by herself and earned her own special diving gem.

Isla, 5 yrs, 2nd year student, FINALLY touched the bottom of the 8’ deep end. A few weeks ago she was scared of sinking in the deep end. So I had her start practicing jumping in, which also helped her with proper breathing. Each day she practiced jumping in her fear started to dissipate. Then it turned from fear to a challenge to actually get herself to the bottom. She accomplished that goal today and so she definitely earned a special challenge diving gem. She’s so happy.

Julia, 4 yrs, and 2nd month student, is showing off her “Orangutan” move. Kids are so creative. They love showing off their unique moves in the pool. My students are so much fun!

New students and sisters Cici, 7 yrs, and Everly, 5.5 yrs, are working super hard trying to learn how to float. They think if they lift their hands up they will fall and smash their faces on the step. It takes a LOT of convincing kids that water works differently than air. They just need to trust me. Once they learn how to float I won’t be able to keep their heads above water! 🤪

It’s nice to see Maximillian, 4 yrs, 2nd month student, finally really having fun and enjoying swimming lessons. He’s had so much fear and concerns. Now he’s able to trust me and let go of his fears and is ready to learn and enjoy it. He looks forward to swimming lessons now.

Ken showed up today!

Cora, 8.5 yrs, 1st month student working on super straight gliding. She’s trying to get all the way across the width of the pool. Gliding helps with her diving legs. Here she tried so hard to make it across the pool she started to roll over. 🙂🙃🙂😆

This is Julia, 5 yrs, 2nd month student. I love how she tries to cover her nose with her upper lip instead of blowing bubbles out of her nose. It an old habit she’s still working on breaking. She’s making progress but needs a lot of reminding.

From day one Gabe, 2.5 yrs, 1st month student, has done this when going under. He closes his mouth before going under but always opens it going under. It’s not ideal, but he doesn’t inhale. Some kids just like the way water feels in the mouth. Sometimes there is no reasoning with a 2-year-old. I’ll keep trying to get him to close his mouth, but he has never inhaled the water so my time is better spent teaching him how to swim so he can get air when he needs it.