Let's Swim!

Last Summer I put Paul and Claire in swim lessons with a great teach with training to help kids with special needs. Claire was swimming in weeks. Paul, well, he learned to like the water. He would get stiff in the water and open his mouth when he went under, not a good combination. If we put floaties or a life vest on him he would float face down in the water. He had no idea how to keep vertical in the water. It was better when he was scared of it. So this summer with a pool in the backyard and my newly acquired swimming teacher skills (I learned a lot from that great teacher) I invited two families in our ward to come 4 days a week for swimming lessons. My goal, to not feel that Paul would drown if I was not holding on to him. Well, after 8 weeks and 1 more to go I am declaring it a success. Paul can now float on his back for a slow count of ten without floaties. And with floaties he can keep his head up and work his way across the pool treading water and he loves to jump in. He often needs a reminder to close his mouth and blow bubbles. I feel that someday he will swim, but it could take some time. His mucles gets so tense when he is trying to use them. The other sucess is that all of the other kids have also made great progress. Claire is working on two different strokes and three of the other kids have learned to swim. We have had fun. I am thinking about doing it next summer. Claire is a super swimmer.

Paul jumping with a friend.

Claire, Grace, Holly, Addy and Paul on the waterfall.

A picture is worth a 1000 words.