Swim, Swam, Swum

Madison and Sammi took swim lessons again this summer. What nuts they are!! I signed them up for the first session (45 minutes sessions...every day...for three weeks...) thinking that would help quench their thirst for pool swimming. We have Parent's Day after first session and low and behold...two girls that I vaguely recognize as my daughters are pleading with me...no make that begging me to take the second session of swim lessons. Now for those of you that know their coach, Mr. Steve, you know that he is no push over. He's tough, he's firm and there is NO nonsense in his pool at any time. You can imagine my surprise then, when both Maddie and Sammi were asking for...

...more early mornings

...more strict instruction

...more strokes to be learned

...in general, more hard work.

Needless to say, I caved, wrote the check and we were a go-go-go for three more weeks of swim lessons (BTW - a super huge shout out for the chauffeur...thank you, Mom, for taking the little critters to and from swim lessons, twice a day, everyday for SIX weeks!! You rock!! Oh, and don't think I didn't see that eye roll thing you did when I caved to the pleading eyes of my children...I saw it all right. Just remember...caving is in the genes, woman!! LOL).

To say I am proud of my kids is an understatement. Madison has passed four levels and is working on level five. That is a hard level because they learn so many new strokes and it usually takes several attempts to pass. I'm proud of her for sticking with it and working through something that hasn't come easily to her - or at least not as easily as so many other things in her life. Sammi, my super-social butterfly, put scheduling play-dates on hold long enough to really concentrate during second session and improve all her strokes to pass level three. Her next session will be in the deep end next year! She even got to go down the slide for "graduation".

All our girls have a passion for the water - something I think they get from living so close to the Lake. I was in my Grandma's pool 24-7 when I was a kid. No formal swim lessons here -just fun and frolic in the deep aqua-blue waters of the Volkmann pool. Scott would argue that because he was in the 'original Swim Babies' class at the Y that their love for the water is all his doing. For those of you that know us, or better yet have seen Scott swim, I'll let you make your own judgment on where our girls "water" gene came from:)

Congratulations, girls on a job well done. Both your dad and I are so very proud of how well you have done this summer and what strong, graceful swimmers you have become!