Today, I embarked on a mission to sign Olivia up for swimming lessons. Not the baby swimming lessons (been there, done that), in which I have to get in the water with her. She's three, meaning she now qualifies for "real" lessons. Most of her friends have pools and, as you all know, we live very close to the ocean and will be spending lots of time at the beach and at pools in the very near future. Swimming is a life skill and it's essential that she start taking more advanced lessons.
So, off I went today to sign her up. I was excited that I would now be able to watch her from the coffee shop overlooking the pool. Ahh, a warm cup of coffee, a book and a half hour of peace while my daughter has a blast...Oh, I forgot about Lila. She'll be joining me in the coffee shop. I hope patrons won't mind her crawling underneath tables and climbing chairs while my face is stuck in a book.
So, we arrived for her swimming test at Solinca-my top choice for instruction. My major concern was the language barrier between her and the children (teachers speak excellent English). That didn't seem to be a problem. My next concern was entering the water without me joining her. Not a problem. She grabbed a noodle and hopped in. She loved it! The kids were her age and I could instantly tell I'd have a hard time getting her out. I was ready to run upstairs and sign her up. I may be more excited about this than she is..."Excuse me, mom, she's too short to take this class. She'll have to join the baby class for six to eight months. It's not my decision. It's the center's policy. I'm so sorry. If she could touch the bottom without her nose going under the water, she'd be allowed in this class."
Okay, okay. I admit it. Olivia is three and many of her 2T outfits are just barely fitting her nicely. In fact, her favorite LLBean coat is size 12-18 months and is a perfect fit. She is short. But, come on!
The instructors tried to convince me to put her in the baby class on Sunday's. Are you kidding me? She'd be bored to death (she outgrew baby swimming lessons by age two).
So, off I went to the next center. By then, it was dinner time, and both kids were crying out of hunger.
She didn't have to take a test at the next place (though, she did take her shirt off in the lobby - maybe hoping to take another swim test? I'm not sure because I was too busy butchering my Portuguese trying to ask if she would need a test, if there was a height requirment (no), prices, initiation fees, etc.). I peeked in on the class she would be entering and it looked fun, yet, much more advanced than the mom and tot classes she took in Alaska.
So, every Wednesday and Friday evening for the next six months, we'll be at Bella Vista. I haven't figured out what to do about dinner as we'll be arriving home when I'd normally be serving dinner (CrockPot to the rescue?). However, she's finally involved in something. It's not preschool, but it's fun, group-oriented, exercise-related and skill enhancing. Good enough for now!
2 comments:
Fun! Daniel just started Tae Kwon Do - first class last Saturday. They were so cute and he had a blast. That is also his first organized lesson, although we've done mom-n-tot swimming, Kindermusik, and lots of play groups. It's so neat to see them involved in an organized activity like that! I'd like to do swimming, but what do I do with a 2-year old and a nursing infant? Too much chaos, I think.
oh..the girls are so cute!
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