One fish, two fish...

The weather here in Utah this last month has been pretty cruddy (windy & rainy) but June gloom can't keep our boys out of the pools! It's summer time and
SWIMMING LESSONS have started!

It became pretty obvious to both Spencer and myself when we took a family trip with all three of the boys to the Lehi Legacy Pool on Ian's birthday, back in May, that the two oldest boys NEED to learn how to swim this summer should we want to spend any more summer afternoons by the pool or water park together as a family. Unfortunately Spencer and I are NOT equipped with 8 arms like an octopus and eyes on the back of our heads (though I find myself thinking more and more often how practical and nice it would be), so keeping a tight grip on each of the boys to prevent any drowning incidences while in the water should almost be considered "mission impossible". So with that having been said, I found the two oldest boys swim instructors to teach them individually how to swim. Both NOAH & IAN have been taking personal one-on-one swim lessons at the outdoor Scera Pool in Orem (or the indoor Orem Rec Center Pool if weather isn't permitting) with their instructors on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Fridays for half hour periods of time. They just finished their 2ND week of lessons and they're still LOVING it! (They still have lessons through July and the beginning of August).

I remember as a kid spending EVERY summer morning, noon, and evening by the pool in my parents backyard; if I wasn't at the pool, I was at the beach. I was a water baby right from the get go, learning to swim before I could even walk; I think it's fair to say I always had a bathing suit wedgie- I LIVED in my suits- LITERALLY! I actually remember throwing conniption fits when my mom would tell me to remove my swimsuit and put on some "real" clothes so she could take me to the grocery store or the ball field to watch my brother's ball games. I was at home in my nylon suit just the same as I was at home in my OWN skin. I spent EVERY Saturday evening sitting in the bath tub SHRIEKING because the lemon juice my mom poured onto my hair to get the green out was running down my face into my eyes! I also remember EVERY Sunday evening, just after dinner, how I'd join my dad outside by the pool to watch as he checked the PH balance in the water and cleaned the pool; on occasion he'd let me vacuum the pool as though it were a privilege and some times, if I bugged him just enough (intentionally of course) I'd find myself IN the pool, Sunday dress and all, completely SOAKED! I think it's an understatement to say that I like swimming; truth is, I LOVE IT and so having been said, I want my own boys to enjoy playing in water too! But first things first, they MUST learn to SWIM to be SAFE.

Noah's showing off his "swim arms" after a lesson indoors here.

In the picture below Noah is practicing his "strokes"
with his swim instructor Becca,
while Ian's off in the distance getting ready to JUMP into the water to his instructor, Lauren.

Rain or shine, NOTHING can keep the boys from swimming.
Ian's practicing floating on his back here during a rain shower.

Noah's really become a much stronger swimmer since last summer.
His kicks have improved and he can use a kick board all by himself.

Ian has aBsoLuTEly NO FEAR OF WATER!
He loves jumping in and even LOVES going completely under water.
He's learned how to hold his breath and blow air out his mouth under water.

What a stud!
Doesn't he look like he belongs at the beach?
Too bad it's 10 hours away.

Here's another stud, sporting the leather sandals.
I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've had to rescue him
just as he's about to crawl into the pool fully clothed!

STATUS UPDATE: So the boys aren't swimming completely on their own yet, but they're on their way. Noah has great strong kicks and is beginning to understand he needs to do his "swimming arms" at the same time he kicks to stay afloat. He is very comfortable in water and likes to go head under. He can swim with little assistance both on his front and his back. He should be swimming completely on his own by the end of summer. Ian is doing really well with swimming too. He can scale along the side of the pool completely on his on, and he can also climb out of the pool without the help of a ladder completely on his own. He LOVES to jump into the water and go underwater. His kicks are great, only he still kicks underneath himself and needs to learn how to kick out. Ian probably won't be swimming completely on his own by the end of summer (there is always that chance though) but he is learning a lot and making good head way.