Connor's 2nd Swim Lesson

While Ryan was swimming, Connor made himself at home in the viewing room.  He read a book, watched people swimming, and played with some toys.   Then when Ryan's Swim Lesson was over he happily trotted off to begin his own.

Unlike Ryan, he looked like he was enjoying himself right from the start even though he had a new instructor this week.

He went right in without hesitation.

And kicked and kicked and kicked some more. 

Kevin even looked over at one point and exclaimed what a "great job Connor was doing" and how he "couldn't believe how much he had improved!" To which I responded "That's not Connor."

But this is... And look at those feet!  Look at those splashes!  Yea Connor!

Yes, sweetie... We are still here.  :)  Or yes, you little monster, I can still see you - don't get any ideas...

I don't think Connor ever stopped smiling during his entire lesson.  He choo-choo'd down the pool like a pro.

And did a great job getting out of the pool all by himself! 

And boy did he have fun sitting on the edge waiting his turn.  He spent the entire time splashing like a maniac practicing his kicking skills.

After his next turn his instructor made sure he was sitting with his feet out of the water, indian style, before he left with the other student.

When Connor returned the next time he climbed back up and waited until the instructor was distracted...

Then he started splashing in the puddle beside him.  "But you said no kicking!!  I wasn't kicking!!" 

Connor's group, as their last trick, also attempted the back float, though not quite as smoothly as Ryan or his partner.

"Are you trying to drown me!?!"

Ryan's Second Swim Lesson

Noticing a trend around here?  Swimming, Swimming, more Swimming?

It was time for our second swim lesson today.  I was a little worried that the boys would be apprehensive given their repeated sentiments about not wanting to go back to swim lessons again.  And sure enough - the second the boys noticed that they missed the turn for our pool they began protesting.  By the time they were in the parking lot it of the swim lesson place it was getting to a fevered pitch.

While sorting out our registration we ended up needing to move Connor to a different time slot, which had the benefit that we would be able to watch both boys vs. having 1 in one pool and the other in the other and having to divide our time.  So Ryan was up first today.

Not surprisingly it got off to a bit of a rough start... Especially when the first thing up was putting goggles on and putting faces into the water to blow bubbles.  Needless to say, Ryan wasn't thrilled with this idea.

And it took him a while to move past that whole trust thing.  I can see how that might happen when you are convinced someone is out to drown you...

Even when they moved on to kicking practice Ryan wasn't so sure about all of this swimming lesson stuff...

Though before too long he warmed up to it again.  Though that might have had something to do with the dumbell to cling onto for dear life.  That and the fact that they quit trying to get him to put his face in the water...

So he kicked around and may have even managed to crack a smile in the process.

And then they tried to drown him again.  See??  Drowned rat look.  It was actually just a quick dunk, and he was surprisingly pretty okay with it.

So then they moved on to rescue skills where they practiced getting in and out of the pool.  Ryan did a great job of getting out all my himself.

And then the absolute biggest shocker of the day - the back float.  He relaxed and put his head all the way back into the water.  And before we knew it he was actually FLOATING!!  I think his instructor was as shocked as we were - check out that face. 

Seriously.  FLOATING.  All by himself.  For 30 seconds or so.  I was so amazed!

Way to go Ryan!

They finished up with some more swimming practice.  Ryan did a great job listening to instructions and doing what they asked him to do.

And he even got brave enough to put his face in the water for a few seconds.

Before the lesson was over Ryan had really warmed up to his evaluation instructor Scott.  So much so that we even checked to see if he had any openings in any of his classes.  But no such luck...

It was so nice to him all smiles when he came out of the pool to tell us all about his adventures in swimming.  Maybe this swim lesson stuff won't be so bad after all...

Ryan even got a really great report card!




Talking to Scott afterwards he said Ryan had done a great job - that he just needed to work on getting more comfortable with his face in the water.

The only way to beat the summer heat... Hanging out at the pool

I have had the best of intentions to get the boys to the pool once or twice after work this week in the hopes of practicing their swimming skills.   We actually made it yesterday.

Though of course, just my luck, the second I finally manage to get everyone sun screened and ready to go the whistle blows "Adult swim!" meaning the kids can't get in the pool for 10 more minutes as the life guards get a break. 

Luckily the rule doesn't apply to small terraced fountain and pool area so it becomes a mecca for all the kids banished from the two main pools during adult swim time. 

Though I have never understood the logic in that.  The top pool with the fountain in it is probably only 6-8 inches deep, but the lower pool is probably around 18 inches deep - about the same as most of the kids pool.  And as Connor proved it is absolutely possible to drown in just 6 inches of water when you do things like stick your head into the fountain and half the water blasts up your nose, and the other half comes down in a torrent on your head.

The kids still had fun playing in the little pools, but were eager to hit the kids pool the second the whistle blew.  So after donning their life jackets and pausing for a quick photo op they were off.  I have no idea where they got these fake cheese faces, but they totally crack me up.

As soon as we got in the boys wanted to go out to the deep end and swim.  They love their puddle jumpers and are really comfortable swimming around with them on.  They particularly like to throw their toys and chase after them or race us or each other from one end of the pool to the other.

All that kicking is hard work so after a while they made their way back to the shallow end to play with all the water spouts and try out the slide.

Kevin showed up as we were playing and they immediately recruited him to "get them" as they raced around the pool. 

We are really lucky to have such a great pool in our community that we can visit.  The boys always such a blast when we come.

They especially like it when we invite friends or happen to run into their friends from school.  On Sunday we invited Kendall and Mason to swim with us, and today we just happened o run into Matthew, one of Ryan's classmates.  He showed up just before we headed out.  Ryan was excited to see him and had fun chasing him around and sliding down the slide with him.

Potty Talk: More Comments from the Stall Next Door

Ready for the the next installment in the Comments from the Stall Next Door Series?

Ryan is a pottying machine.  Seriously.  We went to the pool yesterday evening after work and then grabbed dinner at a restaurant.  He went potty before we left the house, twice during the 2 hours we were at the pool, once again before we left the pool and then twice more at the restaurant.  It reminds me of those prostate commericals about a going problem.  And if he didn't have so much to put in the potty every time I might be worried.

Luckily Kevin joined us at the pool around the half way mark and got most of the potty duty.  I had Connor - the kid with the bladder of steel the size of Rhode Island.  :)

Unfortunately, by way of not taking him to the potty meant that I would get the potty report when he got back.  And Ryan only has one voice when it comes to the potty.  And excitement.  LOUD.

So as I was sitting at the restaurant enjoying my banana pudding while prodding Connor to eat some okra, Ryan comes tearing out of the bathroom, practically sprinting across the restaurant, beaming ear to ear and already shouting "Mommy!  Mommy!!" 

My only hope was that it would be swift and not too graphic.

Before he'd even come to a halt at the table he began boasting "MOMMY!!  I POOPED IN THE POTTY!!! I had a BIG POO!!"  At which point he paused and looked to me for acknowledgement and encouragement to expound on just how a big of a poop it was.

Luckily we were saved from further details as several of the tables around us began to laugh - many not even attempting to hide their mirth at Ryan's declarations - and Ryan was offered some of my banana pudding as reward.

Early on in our potty training adventures Ryan was very interested in poop.  He would count the plops with exuberance, and on occasion after huffing and puffing with such intensity I was sure the kid was going to have hemorrhoids after delivering what must have been the equivalent of a 10lb baby he would excitedly ask "Did you SEE THAT??"  "That's HUGE."  and proceed to carry on with sincere enthusiasm as I cheered him on. 

As pooping became more mundane for him as first the days, weeks, and months passed the poop conversations became more old hat, sotto vocce, just the facts, ma'am.  However with Connor's more recent attempts at potty training and in particular our excitement about him pooping the potty, Ryan understandably wants his share of the spotlight and cheering, too.  So, we have once again returned to the days of poop - the greatest accomplishment in the world.  An accomplishment to be shared with everyone in the vicinity, and cheered wildly by all.
....

Connor, not to be outdone has had his share of potty moments of late as well.  Including the discovery of just how tall or short a potty has to be to not need a stool to stand up and pee...

We were coming home from school and Connor mentioned as we were driving down the road near the house that he needed to go.  So as we pulled into the driveway moments later we quickly disembarked and headed for the door.  Connor was standing at the door doing the potty dance as I unlocked it.  So as the door swung open I told him to run to the potty and pull his pants down and that I would be right there.  I headed for the alarm, and Connor to the potty.  As I turned from the alarm, maybe 10 second after opening the door, and took a couple of steps towards the potty I heard the distinct sound of peeing only with more of a metallic pinging sound.  As I rounded the corner of the bathroom door and took in the scene I couldn't manage anything more intelligible than "CONNOR!" as he stood on the ground, next to the stool, with kids potty seat down (3 levels down that should have been up for standing to pee) peeing.  Only he's 2 inches to short to actually get pee in the potty in anything other than upwards arch that I am not even sure Peeing olympians could have made.  And not only was he peeing against the edge of the potty in the floor creating a river as it first pooled, splashed, and then blasted down the grout lines, he was letting out the flood of the century.  So after we cleaned it up we had a long conversation on how to tell if you were tall enough to stand up and pee in a potty without a stool....

But the one that has secretly amused me the most, and is probably mostly of my own doing was at Barnes and Noble, when as I was admonishing him to "point down" for the umpteenth time he crossed his arms over his chest and declared "That's not my JOB!"  "YOU POINT DOWN!"

When Connor first started potty training after a success or two when it didn't work after that he sadly looked down, holding himself, and declared that his "potty didn't work."  "My potty is broken."  Despite repeated attempts to assure him that his flooded diapers attested to the fact that his potty worked just fine he just needed to put it in the potty not his diaper, he was convinced.  His potty was broken.

So when in our most recent attempt at potty training on day 1 I told Connor that all he had to do was relax, and let the pee out.  I would take care of everything else.  His job, was just to let it out.

Sounded reasonable right?  One thing at a time.  Get to peeing in the potty and then we will work on aim.  So that's how it started.

After a while, when he had the peeing thing down we tried to get him to aim (in ways other than bending at all kinds of awkward angles that weren't guaranteed to have desirable results).   But he just wasn't interested and out of self defense we kept doing it for him. 

So now?  Now he's convinced that it is our job, not his despite our repeated attempts to convince him otherwise.  Stubborn kid.  Can't imagine where he gets that from.

Practicing our chopstick skills at DIM SUM

After swimming lessons we decided to head down to Bellaire to our favorite DIM SUM restaurant.

Every time we come I mean to bring rubber bands to keep the boys' chopsticks together so they can actually learn how to use the chopsticks the right way.  Because every time we come they insist on eating with the chopsticks instead of using a fork.  And just like every other time I totally forgot again.

Ryan has perfected the 1 stick eating method where he stabs his food kind of like a pick.  He's also a little dangerous... You have to watch out for his wildly waving chopsticks from time to time..

Connor on the other hand actually did a pretty good job of picking things up with both of his chopsticks this time.

He did surprisingly well given that he was eating with both his right and left hands.  Though we might just need to work on a that grip a little bit...

Starting Swim Lessons

We started swim lessons again in the hopes that someday the boys will actually learn to swim, instead of sink like rocks in the pool. 

They have both been doing great in the pool lately - they have been kicking like crazy, and are comfortable in pool with their puddle jumpers on.  They like to swim out into the deep, throw their toys and chase after them.  So we had high hopes for swim lessons this year.  Even more so when I snagged a groupon for a months' worth of lessons half off.  :)

Our first lesson got off to a bit of a rough start... Just before class time one of the staff members came into the viewing room and called the next round of students.  Connor was one of the first and he disappeared behind the door, but I noticed that he didn't end up in line with the rest of the kids.  The staff member was busy calling more names instead of directing the ones she had called.  Connor, left alone to do as he pleased, wandered off into the dressing room and stood at the gate to the back pool which was thankfully closed.  Watching him as he disappeared behind the door I noticed he turned the opposite direction as everyone else and went in search of him.  After getting him in line and making sure Ryan was as well I headed back in to viewing room, just in time to see the staffer open the gate to the pool and send the kids in to sit on a bench.  Connor lead the pack and instead of sitting on the bench he just kept right on going.  So did Ryan.  All the way to the end of the pool while the staff member was still ushering other kids in paying no attention.  Once again, I had to rescue them and get them back to where they were supposed to be before they decided to go swimming by themselves... in a deep pool with no life jackets on...

Ryan's teacher claimed him from the bench right away.  Connor on the other hand sat waiting as all the other students disappeared 2 at at time.

Connor was finally claimed and led off to a different pool.  I followed him just to be sure he got to where he was supposed to go instead of taking any more detours along the way...

Connor's group put goggles on and picked toys out of the bin and played with them for a couple of minutes before getting started.   At first Connor sat looking for me through the window calling "Mommy."  

Luckily it didn't last long.  And they started taking turns swimming out into the pool.

At first when it wasn't Connor's turn he would stand looking into the viewing room, looking less than thrilled. 

But as the lesson proceeded and he took his goggles off he started splashing in the pool and having fun. He tried more than once to swim off when it wasn't his turn to the point that a roving staff member had to come over and hold onto him lest he drown.

And by the end both he and his accomplice were splashing and making such a tidal wave of water that the productivity of the lesson had seriously diminished.

About halfway though I traded places with Kevin so I could watch Ryan's lessons as well.  He was taking turns practicing his kicking.

And even managed to put his head under water for a few seconds.  Way to go, Ryan!

After a few iterations of swimming out and back they "choo-choo'd" down the side of the pool and then practiced getting out, hopping back in and swimming back to the side of the pool.

Ryan's classmate headed to the potty at one point and after a dozen in and out's all by himself Ryan wasn't too thrilled about doing anymore.  I am pretty sure this look says - "rescue me!"

Thankfully, it was either time to move on, or the teacher got the hint.  They moved on to practicing floating on their backs.

I was actually surprised at how comfortable Ryan seemed as neither he or Connor generally like to lay on their backs in the pool.

Then, seemingly as soon as it had started it was over.  Later in the car, Ryan said that he didn't want to go back to swim lessons again and Connor chimed in saying he just wanted to go to the pool with mommy and daddy.  They have since repeated that sentiment a couple of times this week as we have talked about swimming some more.  I am little nervous as to how they will do when it is time to go back... If next week doesn't go better we may need to look into switching to parent/child classes assuming they even offer them for their age group...