Grant has always liked the water and so we were more than happy to get him swimming very young. Well, I say very young and I mean he was in the water with me at six months old. Scott and I ended up keeping him in swim lessons off an on throughout the last 2 1/2 years. Normally, we slow up around the "winter" months. I put quotations around the "winter" because really can you say that Southern California has a winter...I think not. Anyway, we generally start back up in the Spring (around April/May). So, this year was no different than the ones before, EXCEPT Grant was really ready.
Well, not at first. He was a little bit of a pill back in April when we started him back. During the school year, the local YMCA has it set up where you can go twice a week for 30 minutes or an hour on Saturdays. Well, we go twice a week. It was a nice start with his first teacher, Ms. Jasmine. He liked her a lot. Although when Scott started looking for preschools for Grant, we were mentioning him getting a new teacher at preschool. He thought we meant that he would get a new teacher other than Ms. Jasmine. So, he told her he wanted to go to preschool and get a new teacher. All she heard was that he wanted a new teacher. We had to explain to her that her really did like her, but was excited to go to preschool. NICE SAVE.
Well, about six weeks into the program or maybe 8 weeks, he got a new teacher, PAUL. Okay, Mr. Paul sounded kind of weird, so I just called him Paul. He was the lifeguard on duty for the past two months and MANY TIMES EXPRESSED HIS DISLIKE OF THAT CLASSES' AGE GROUP (3-5 years...oh, yeah, they realized five weeks into Grant being in the class that he was too young, but still let him stay in). Okay, back to Paul...yeah, I wasn't that happy that Miss Jasmine was no longer Grant's swim instructor, but more importantly now Paul was his instructor and he is so MEAN. Well, when I say mean, I might be referring to his tough nature with the kids. You know, he is not a softy. He is not going to put up with the whining, tugging, and complaining that Miss Jasmine put up with for two months. I guess that could be one reason why Grant went from Pike to Eel level!! Yes, for two grading periods he stayed the same...yes, someone asked me how I felt that he hadn't progressed. Gee, let me see...he is not even the minimum age that a kid is supposed to be and it is a YMCA swim class, I am okay with him not "advancing." LOL Gee, what do I have to look forward to in the future with parents and questions that really seem not too nice.
Okay, anyway my whole point of the blog is to thank Miss Jasmine for getting Grant to trust and love swim again. And for Paul, who gave him tough love to teach him to be secure in the water. Now, you are asking yourself, "Can Grant swim on his own?" Don't get crazy people, but he can swim with noodles and bodyboards. He is also brave enough now to walk across Grandma and Grandpa's pool (this just happened last week). He is definitely more confident!!!
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