It is fun to watch Abe because he really is getting where he can swim and where I can envision at least having one child at a pool that I don’t have to worry about their drowning.
It is fun to watch Daisy because I put her in Abe’s same class. She really probably wasn’t quite ready for this, but I will admit, I was lazy and wanted to get Abe, Daisy and Goldie all in classes that were at the same time. Anyway, she just is so small and happy and determined in that class. She is by far the least experienced of the kids, but it never seems to phase her even when her head keeps bobbing under as she back floats across the pool or her coach has to go steer her back in the proper direction as she unwittingly veers towards the middle of the pool. I bite my nails a fair amount as I watch her because while she is doing all the same swimming as the other kids, she has a way about doing it that makes her look as if she might drown at any second, but I swear she is always smiling her biggest hugest smile as she struggles along -- always last and always as proud and pleased as if she were first. She has a cool little front crawl where her bum somehow manages to poke out of the water giving her swim an added wiggly inch worm style with all her very quick but rather inefficient kicks. The other day she made it to the other side as the other kids were already finished and sitting on the side with their legs dangling in the water. She stopped just a few inches short of where her hand should grasp the edge. With out taking his attention from the coach, Abe just instinctively grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. For some reason it made me want to cry.
Speaking of paying attention, Abe and Daisy’s one main complaint about swimming lessons is that they can’t hear their coach very well because Goldie (who is in the next class over) is always yelling and yelling, “Hi Abe!! Hi Daisy!!”
Which brings me to my third little child I enjoy watching. I’ve always assumed that my children are the attentive “good” kids in every activity, so it is a bit odd to watch Goldie twirling and skipping and bouncing – never ever stopping – while her coach attempts to teach them something. When they go to hop off the edge, the other kids jump in fully, but Goldie cheerfully beckons her coach closer and closer until she is pretty much holding her and then cheerfully scoots her legs into the water. She looks super pleased with her self and then goes back to hopping and splashing and grabbing the hula hoops that they are supposed to swim through and probably not supposed to play with. In fact, sometimes I’m not certain but that the coach has assigned Goldie to go off and “bounce about” while she teaches the serious learners something. It seems a very wise investment of our money. As I glance from Goldie’s class to Abe and Daisy’s, I find it very difficult to believe she might also someday be swimming.
I wish Mike was there to watch with me because for some very odd reason the other parents don’t seem to notice particularly how much fun it is to watch my kids.
4 comments:
Oh Nancy- I just love how you write about your kids. You just seem to capture them SO perfectly. The fact that you pay such close attention to and embrace all of their quirks and personality traits really shows what a wonderful and loving mother you are!
nancy, i love reading about your kids too ... you just say it all so well! :) you made wish i were there to watch swim lessons too!! :)
hahaha! i never pictured goldie to be the type to sit nicely and listen. she and addie are so alike its crazsssy! can't wait until you are back here and our kids can take lessons together! :)
Not that you wouldn't instinctively pull your sibling to the side of the pool to help them, but just seems to be A Mike thing instilled in your little Abe.
Your kids sound way more fun to watch than mine. I told you all my kids do is bob up and down in the water dumbly saying DUH.
Oh well....again.
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