Summer Swimming Lessons

To say I’ve been thrilled and amazed by Hannah’s swimming improvements this summer would be a huge understatement!!  She’s gone from swimming close to the side and venturing out a couple of feet to jumping off the diving board in the deep end of Mom and Dad’s pool and swimming everywhere with confidence!  Because of this, when I took her to swimming lessons I chose not to bring last year’s report card with her as I’ve seen such great improvements that I was afraid that report might hold her back.  I’m so glad to have made that decision!  

This summer I signed Hannah up for 1 week of private lessons once again and it was a great choice for her!   Her teacher from last year (a family friend from church whom I’d taught Sunday School to when she was just 7yo) had married and moved away so Hannah had a new teacher this year, Annie. 

After Hannah’s first class was finished Annie stopped by to say that Hannah was doing great with her Level 3 skills!  3??  THREE??!!!  My little fish had skipped the last 2 ‘animal’ level of lessons as well as the first two numbered groups for an advancement of 5 levels!  WOW!!!

One of the skills Hannah started to working on is a sitting dive.  She did well – even when she forgot to use her arms!

Hannah was introduced to the various parts of front crawl on Monday.  By Friday she was putting it all together and swimming an entire length of the pool! Doing a pretty good job of swimming the front crawl!  (Mommy was so excited that I forgot to get video of that one.)  As well as some awesome swimming on her back and learning to swim on her side, Hannah also began to tread water and more!  This little dolphin swim wearing flippers was one of her favourites!

In the end Hannah was thisclose to passing her Level 3 and I’m so proud of her!  Way to go Hannah!  Your lessons were a huge success once again this session thanks to your great listening and hard work!!

Wow!!! What a Difference Just 4 Days of Private Swimming Lessons Made!

Hannah has been a fish since she was a baby and has always loved the water!  Here’s her first set of swimming lessons when she was just 11 months old.

I normally put Hannah in swimming lessons during the spring session and did again this year.  I was excited when her teacher was a gal from our church.  Hannah swam really well with Rachel so I decided to sign her up for a week of private lessons during the summer, hoping she’d be able to pass the level that she’s been in twice so far and needed to repeat again.

Within minutes….MINUTES last Tuesday things changed and I could tell that this was going to be a great time of learning and growing Hannah’s swimming skills!  Two days before her first lesson we were at my parents and she could swim about 4-5 feet in the shallow end but then would need to put her feet down.  The month before at a friend’s pool she’d begged me to take her water wings off so I did so standing right beside her.  The entire pool was over her head and she quickly slipped a couple of inches the water.  I could see her looking up at me and she wasn’t at all concerned….but she was under water!  LOL!!  I pulled her up and she said, ‘Told you I could do it Mommy!’  Heh….not quite yet my love!

So, I was excited to see what would happen when she had 4, 1/2 hour lessons with Rachel.  They spent the majority of the time at the opposite end of the pool that was often blocked from view by a wall so I couldn’t really see her progress.  I was SHOCKED on Friday when I was able to go down and see her SWIM!  Way to go Hannah!  This is the same little girl who 4 days earlier couldn’t swim more than 4 or 5 feet!

After her big swims back and forth a few times, Rachel took Hannah for a ride in the canoe.

One of the other neat things that happened this session was that the pool was almost empty!  Normally during lessons there are a number of groups in the pool.  This time there were only 6 kids in the entire pool!  That was a neat surprise!

Hannah jumping into the deep end and then swimming to Rachel.  Amazed once again!

I am so thankful to Rachel for all that she taught her.  Unfortunately for us she is moving away in a couple of weeks so we won’t be able to plan any more lessons.  That being said, I’ll sign her up for private lessons again for sure!

In the end Hannah not only passed the level she’d been trying to for 2 sessions but the entire next level too!  Way to go Hannah XiaoFen!!! 

Crocodile – here we come!

Spring Swimming Lessons

Hannah continues to be my little fish!  We occasionally swim during the winter but I tend to save swimming lessons for the spring session.  Hannah is taking the same level that she did last spring and I see huge differences in her skills!   She may or may not pass this time but really it doesn’t matter to me at all, it’s all about her improving her swimming skills and gaining confidence and I see this happening with every single lesson.  Hannah has always been pretty confident in the water and now her skills are improving due to her willingness to try new things and persevere as she learns them.  One thing my sweetie hears on a daily basis from any number of people is ‘Slow down’ and this is something that will help her swimming too but I do see her starting to slow down a bit and really concentrate on the details.  Way to go Hannah!!

You are doing so well Hannah!  Mommy is so proud of you!

Swimming, Swimming, In the Swimming Pool

Hannah is in her first non-parented swimming class and she’s doing great!  I’ll admit to being concerned before she started the class.  Not that she’d cry but that she’d hop in the pool while the teacher was working with another kiddo!  We did some practice lessons during public swims and she did really well waiting her turn.  
The first week she had a private lesson as she was the only one signed up for her class and I hoped it would stay that way.  It was not meant to be as the next week she was joined by 4 adorable little boys.  All 5 of them are confident in the water so they get lots of opportunities to try things and the teacher is often heard reminding them that they need to stay against the wall when she’s working with another kiddo.  I’m so thankful for the new style of pools with the variety of depths that allows the kiddos to stay in the water while waiting their turn rather than shivering while sitting on the side.  Hannah is still shivering by the end of the class even though she’s in the water and it’s 88oF.
Hannah and her men.
In this video you catch a glimpse of Hannah splashing Coach T as she jumps to her.  Sadly this happens each time she goes to her to attempt something.  Poor Coach T!  But, after she does her float….check out Hannah!  She’s SWIMMING!  She may not travel far but that will come with time.  I love the confidence Hannah has in the water!  It beats Mommy who cried her way through 3 swimming lessons at her age until my parents pulled me for a year. 

Starfish float
Put me in coach!

Jumping into the deeper water.  This was the very first time Coach T had moved into the deeper water yet it didn’t faze Hannah in the least.  Jump baby girl!

This is a big step in Hannah’s swimming independence and she’s doing great!!  I don’t anticipate that she’ll pass this level this session but that’s totally ok with me.  She’ll eventually need to float on her back and front on her own and glide for 2m on her own so that’s going to need more work.  For not she’s learning and that’s what matters.
Way to go Hannah!  Mommy is so proud of you!!