Wed. was obviously a wash since we felt like we were in the wizard of oz...the playhouse flew across the yard..never made it over the fence but that was a scary night! We had water coming in a few of the windows on the back of the house..not something you want when you just bought the house but it was a very weird blowing storm and hopefully we won't be replacing windows... Sorry tangent there.
Thursday I picked up the girls from the pool with daycare where they told me Sammy actually put her face under the water! I watched Ali just go under going after a ring too..she is NUTS. We then headed to the pool at Aunt Janet's. I knew we needed to go cause Sam hadn't been in the water at all on Wed. and I didn't want her to loose the momentum we were gaining on Tuesday...but she did..she fell asleep on the way there so I almost just went home but she eventually "woke up" and got ready to swim... Sam hesitated a bit to even get in and wanted the life jacket on again..finally Aunt Janet came out and said NO LIFE JACKET! Then Sam was whining and only would walk the wall..then finally she got in the middle of the shallow end with Aunt Janet and she made her jump up and down until she finally went under!!!!and came up OK! Then by the end of the night she walked (reluctantly) to me in the middle of the pool without holding on and then jumped in off the side to me! Aunt Janet had to kind of throw her in but she didn't cry so I hope we are making progress. She has her recital and a lot going on this weekend so I am afraid we won't go again until Monday...and we will be starting over. I hope not... It is also exhausting all of us too but I need her to be more comfortable with the water!
ENJOY this wonderful summer weather everyone! Happy Friday.
COUNTDOWN
Friday, June 25, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
SWIMMING.....
I am compelled to write about Sam's progress with "swimming" this week. AND THANK YOU TO MY AUNT JANET FOR MAKING IT HER MISSION TO GET SAMMY IN THE WATER!
In 2005 & 2006 Sam was only an infant but had no real problems going in the water with Mommy or Daddy or Grandma and would even go under a little if we blew in her face etc...she was always cautious but OK.
January 2007 We started Samantha in swim lessons with Mommy and Daddy (she was about 20 months old). During the 6 week swim class they progressively made us put her under more and more. The first time she didn't love it but no problems...the second and third attempts..YIKES... We just thought she is young she will get over this. Well the summer came in 2007 and we would again take her to Nana and Papa's pool or Aunt Janet's pool or even Auntie Laurie's lake she would barely go in the water past her ankles with us and was VERY reluctant...she would always play in the zero depth areas but nothing deeper. We thought we better keep trying to get her in the water and trying to make her go under or she will never learn to swim. The next January 2008 (she was almost 3) we signed her up again for Daddy daughter swim lessons (I was pregnant with Ali and didn't want to put on a bathing suit). The first week she wouldn't even get in the pool..she remembered the "crazy torture" from the year before and SCREAMED and SCREAMED and clawed Andy once he forced the issue and carried her into the water...she was disrupting the class no matter what the teacher did to help ease the anxiety..Finally I told Andy just to get out...we tried one more week with no difference in behavior--no matter what we bribed her with...I let her quit...I know I couldn't believe I did it either but it was not worth the misery.
So that summer of 2008 was WORSE torture she wouldn't get in the water at all except to sit on the stairs..wouldn't put on a floaty NOTHING. She would go to the zero depth entry pool with daycare and would show me how she would put her face in and would "swim" but she was just laying in 4 inches of water and put her face down for 2 seconds...I though it was progress but she wouldn't even like to get in deeper if we held her--SHE WOULD SCREAM like we were ripping her arms off. At this point we obviously had Ali and I wasn't in the water much due to surgeries etc but Andy made it a point to try to get Ali in the water and she was a baby so she didn't seem to mind..daycare made a comment about how much Ali loved the water too but we were so focused on getting Sam in that we didn't really make a big deal over getting Ali in the water...
So this past fall Andy decided we batter start Ali in lessons ASAP so we don't have the same issue as Sam.. Ali is a FISH..she is now in her 3rd level of lessons and almost swimming on her own--jumps off the wall goes under comes up laughing. Andy said in one of her lessons the other babies are crying and Ali is saying AGAIN AGAIN!
Back to our issues with Sam.. Sammy goes with her daycare to the pool almost everyday but just sits in the SHALLOW beachy area and splashes around.. we tried to got to Nana and Papa's pool over Memorial Day but she wouldn't even get in..even with her cousin the same age swimming around her on the stairs with floaties on..it didn't matter. Andy and Uncle Brian finally bribed her into the water with floaties on her arms and tricked her into floating by herself for about 3 seconds..she just screamed though as it was happening. So this week the we went to play at Auntie Kelly's house on Saturday and Sam put on a life jacket but wouldn't even step 2 stairs down....then we got invited to my Aunt Janet's for Fathers Day dinner. She has an in ground pool. I got the girls ready to swim and again put a life jacket on Sam...she just stood on the stairs with water to her ankles..Ali was jumping in right next to her and playing in the water with G'ma but Sam wouldn't budge. I was trying to show her that he water is only 3.5 feet deep in the shallow end and finally grabbed her and walked out in the water.. She screamed so loud I thought the neighbors would call the police... So here is where Aunt Janet came to the rescue...she told me to "go away". She helped Sam learn new calming techniques..and by the end of the night had Samantha walking down the wall holding on and stopping to clap and starting to walk away from the wall a few steps--in her life jacket but--OH MY GOODNESS! WOO HOO! We ended up not eating dinner till 8:30 pm cause Aunt Janet was determined! Aunt Janet told me to get her back all week if we could so she doesn't forget! My cousin Jesse is a swimmer and we even talked about maybe doing a regular swim lesson there with Jesse. Sammy LOVES Jesse--maybe this will work to get her actually swimming byt he end of sumemr. Monday after work we headed back to swim again. Sammy had been playing at the pool at daycare that day as well but we needed to keep up on the progress....on the way to my Aunts she kept saying Mommy my belly is excited. I said good you are excited about swimming by yourself..she said NO I am nervous...but she did it..got her life jacket on right away and walked in and grabbed the wall and started walking..by the end of the night--NO LIFE JACKET and walked to Andy in the middle of the shallow section!!!!!!!!!! She even let Andy swirl her around in the water..AMAZING! In the meantime Ali is mad cause I won't let her go down the slide into the 9 foot water. : ) Sammy was even not wanting to get out! So much better.... we went yesterday too and she was very tired..she hadn't taken any nap and had again been at the pool with daycare. She did get a little more adventurous at the pool with daycare but nothing too exciting yet.. At Aunt Janet's Sammy didn't even put on her life jacket and hesitated a little but finally walked in and right to the wall! She did a few lengths of the shallow end and then we told her to try to go under and stand up on her own at the wall...she got so close but just couldn't get all the way under..I even bribed but it didn't work..she got very tired pretty quick but I am so proud of her and so exited. I keep explaining how mush more fun it is when you are able to get in and walk and play..and if she would just go under and push herself back up she could even jump in ..like her 2 year old sister. : ) Daycare even told me she is now going to make Ali wear a vest at the pool cause she just jumps and goes under and doesn't care... everyone that watches her is AMAZED at how fearless she is..great but SCARY!
Looks like today will be a wash out but I hope Sammy keeps up the great progress!
THANK YOU AUNT JANET!
Sorry for the long post. I will keep updating and will hopefully get a chance to take pictures..I am always too busy chasing Ali and making sure she doesn't just jump in on her own. : )
In 2005 & 2006 Sam was only an infant but had no real problems going in the water with Mommy or Daddy or Grandma and would even go under a little if we blew in her face etc...she was always cautious but OK.
January 2007 We started Samantha in swim lessons with Mommy and Daddy (she was about 20 months old). During the 6 week swim class they progressively made us put her under more and more. The first time she didn't love it but no problems...the second and third attempts..YIKES... We just thought she is young she will get over this. Well the summer came in 2007 and we would again take her to Nana and Papa's pool or Aunt Janet's pool or even Auntie Laurie's lake she would barely go in the water past her ankles with us and was VERY reluctant...she would always play in the zero depth areas but nothing deeper. We thought we better keep trying to get her in the water and trying to make her go under or she will never learn to swim. The next January 2008 (she was almost 3) we signed her up again for Daddy daughter swim lessons (I was pregnant with Ali and didn't want to put on a bathing suit). The first week she wouldn't even get in the pool..she remembered the "crazy torture" from the year before and SCREAMED and SCREAMED and clawed Andy once he forced the issue and carried her into the water...she was disrupting the class no matter what the teacher did to help ease the anxiety..Finally I told Andy just to get out...we tried one more week with no difference in behavior--no matter what we bribed her with...I let her quit...I know I couldn't believe I did it either but it was not worth the misery.
So that summer of 2008 was WORSE torture she wouldn't get in the water at all except to sit on the stairs..wouldn't put on a floaty NOTHING. She would go to the zero depth entry pool with daycare and would show me how she would put her face in and would "swim" but she was just laying in 4 inches of water and put her face down for 2 seconds...I though it was progress but she wouldn't even like to get in deeper if we held her--SHE WOULD SCREAM like we were ripping her arms off. At this point we obviously had Ali and I wasn't in the water much due to surgeries etc but Andy made it a point to try to get Ali in the water and she was a baby so she didn't seem to mind..daycare made a comment about how much Ali loved the water too but we were so focused on getting Sam in that we didn't really make a big deal over getting Ali in the water...
So this past fall Andy decided we batter start Ali in lessons ASAP so we don't have the same issue as Sam.. Ali is a FISH..she is now in her 3rd level of lessons and almost swimming on her own--jumps off the wall goes under comes up laughing. Andy said in one of her lessons the other babies are crying and Ali is saying AGAIN AGAIN!
Back to our issues with Sam.. Sammy goes with her daycare to the pool almost everyday but just sits in the SHALLOW beachy area and splashes around.. we tried to got to Nana and Papa's pool over Memorial Day but she wouldn't even get in..even with her cousin the same age swimming around her on the stairs with floaties on..it didn't matter. Andy and Uncle Brian finally bribed her into the water with floaties on her arms and tricked her into floating by herself for about 3 seconds..she just screamed though as it was happening. So this week the we went to play at Auntie Kelly's house on Saturday and Sam put on a life jacket but wouldn't even step 2 stairs down....then we got invited to my Aunt Janet's for Fathers Day dinner. She has an in ground pool. I got the girls ready to swim and again put a life jacket on Sam...she just stood on the stairs with water to her ankles..Ali was jumping in right next to her and playing in the water with G'ma but Sam wouldn't budge. I was trying to show her that he water is only 3.5 feet deep in the shallow end and finally grabbed her and walked out in the water.. She screamed so loud I thought the neighbors would call the police... So here is where Aunt Janet came to the rescue...she told me to "go away". She helped Sam learn new calming techniques..and by the end of the night had Samantha walking down the wall holding on and stopping to clap and starting to walk away from the wall a few steps--in her life jacket but--OH MY GOODNESS! WOO HOO! We ended up not eating dinner till 8:30 pm cause Aunt Janet was determined! Aunt Janet told me to get her back all week if we could so she doesn't forget! My cousin Jesse is a swimmer and we even talked about maybe doing a regular swim lesson there with Jesse. Sammy LOVES Jesse--maybe this will work to get her actually swimming byt he end of sumemr. Monday after work we headed back to swim again. Sammy had been playing at the pool at daycare that day as well but we needed to keep up on the progress....on the way to my Aunts she kept saying Mommy my belly is excited. I said good you are excited about swimming by yourself..she said NO I am nervous...but she did it..got her life jacket on right away and walked in and grabbed the wall and started walking..by the end of the night--NO LIFE JACKET and walked to Andy in the middle of the shallow section!!!!!!!!!! She even let Andy swirl her around in the water..AMAZING! In the meantime Ali is mad cause I won't let her go down the slide into the 9 foot water. : ) Sammy was even not wanting to get out! So much better.... we went yesterday too and she was very tired..she hadn't taken any nap and had again been at the pool with daycare. She did get a little more adventurous at the pool with daycare but nothing too exciting yet.. At Aunt Janet's Sammy didn't even put on her life jacket and hesitated a little but finally walked in and right to the wall! She did a few lengths of the shallow end and then we told her to try to go under and stand up on her own at the wall...she got so close but just couldn't get all the way under..I even bribed but it didn't work..she got very tired pretty quick but I am so proud of her and so exited. I keep explaining how mush more fun it is when you are able to get in and walk and play..and if she would just go under and push herself back up she could even jump in ..like her 2 year old sister. : ) Daycare even told me she is now going to make Ali wear a vest at the pool cause she just jumps and goes under and doesn't care... everyone that watches her is AMAZED at how fearless she is..great but SCARY!
Looks like today will be a wash out but I hope Sammy keeps up the great progress!
THANK YOU AUNT JANET!
Sorry for the long post. I will keep updating and will hopefully get a chance to take pictures..I am always too busy chasing Ali and making sure she doesn't just jump in on her own. : )
Toy Story 1 (not 3)
Sammy has been talking about Toy Story 3 with all the hype out there so I decided we needed to watch Toy Story 1 first so she knew at least some of the characters. Last Friday I was still flying solo with Andy in China again for work and it was so stormy outside...I figured it would be a good Mommy daughters activity for the night. I picked the girls up from daycare and we talked all the way home about watching Toy Story after we had pizza! Then I realized I have no idea where the box is after moving with my Disney movies in it..on VHS..wow I am old.. : )
I ran down to the basement and dug a bit and found the box...Toy Story was on top..thank you God! Then I get upstairs and realize we no longer have a VCR hooked up..I know we have one but where is it and can I hook it up if I even find it...luckily the girls played well without me for the time I was running around the house like a crazy woman... I finally find the VCR in a box and luckily there were component cables in the box as well. So Mommy did it..I just plugged the VCR right into the front of the TV and left it sitting on the floor ghetto style! We had fruit snacks and watched Toy Story 1! I forgot how much adult humor is in those movies..Sammy liked it but didn't really seem to get attached to it at all. But I think she understood it more than I realized--before bed she looked at me and said "Mom, I sleep with different animals all the time..not just one." I told her that was OK..then she said "then there shouldn't be one that gets sad right?" It was cute to see her concern... I am a little nervous that she is now never going to want to get rid of any toys cause they have feelings...
I ran down to the basement and dug a bit and found the box...Toy Story was on top..thank you God! Then I get upstairs and realize we no longer have a VCR hooked up..I know we have one but where is it and can I hook it up if I even find it...luckily the girls played well without me for the time I was running around the house like a crazy woman... I finally find the VCR in a box and luckily there were component cables in the box as well. So Mommy did it..I just plugged the VCR right into the front of the TV and left it sitting on the floor ghetto style! We had fruit snacks and watched Toy Story 1! I forgot how much adult humor is in those movies..Sammy liked it but didn't really seem to get attached to it at all. But I think she understood it more than I realized--before bed she looked at me and said "Mom, I sleep with different animals all the time..not just one." I told her that was OK..then she said "then there shouldn't be one that gets sad right?" It was cute to see her concern... I am a little nervous that she is now never going to want to get rid of any toys cause they have feelings...
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