Sean swim lessons

For spring break we decided to have the kids take swim lessons at the Parsley Center again this year.  They are fairly comfortable in water, but neither has had much opportunity to actually swim or be in deep water.  Since we have plans this summer that include a pool or two, we wanted them to get re-acquainted with one...

Sean had a very good instructor, who seemed to be able to spend a lot of one-on-one time with each kid.  She taught him lots!

Sean doesn't have his sister's issues with putting his face in the water, so getting some of the strokes is fairly easy for him.  His problem generally comes when he wants to be able to so what big sister can, and he's just to small yet...

It doesn't daunt him, however.  He just keeps trying!  He does have a little problem using both his arms and legs at the same time - thus a lot of work with the board.

Here Sean got a little water.  He was trying to go without the board, and his legs just don't generate enough 'push' yet to keep him going.

Much like sister, Sean loves to swim on his back.  However, he still has problems kicking and swinging his arms at the same time...

This is a cool shot:  the boy the instructor is talking to is bawling because he's scared to put his face in the water, and Sean is telling him he can do it and giving him the 'thumb's up'!

Unfortunately, the kid refuse to keep trying.  The good news, Sean gets extra work on back floating/swimming!

Sean also loves to dive for bars and loops.  Here he's dropping an orange bar to dive and get.

He always looks so excited when he comes back up!

Now it's back to board work and extending your arms...

See how Sean's legs just aren't going when he's using his arms?

He's actually getting pretty good at 'reaching' for the board with each stroke.  If only his legs would kick in...

Notice this time the legs are going, but the arms have stopped?

Well, he's young - he'll get it some day!

Just not today...

At the end of the last lesson they turned on the slide and the kids got to go down it.  Sean got a little turned around, and it scared him a little.  To her credit, the instructor took him back and went down with him again, so he'd get past it.

This time he's got his nose plugged - must have got water last time!

She lifted him up a little at the end, just to make sure he didn't go under...

That time he liked it!  I think he might have gone under the first time just to get a second slide (he was the only one who did).