Olivia started swimming lessons tonight. She was very excited for the last few days, and the half hour lesson went very very well. We are so proud of her. She was happy excited throughout and had a little difficulty floating on her back with her teacher holding her up, but though she sputtered and arced back up to sitting, she never stopped smiling. Each of the 4 kids in her lesson group took turns being held up to swim their arms around, then held up to kick on their stomachs, then back floating, then jumping in to a little deeper water, then chasing after some thrown rings and toys to get more comfortable with depth. They would occasionally stand in a circle in the water and swim their arms through the water.
I watched her the entire time, held my wife's hand, and remembered moments of her pregnancy. I smiled and waved back every single time she looked over at us, but she only did a few times. Which is very good, that she was so involved and attentive and not seeking out Dad or Mom's approval. Maybe she knows she has it? I hope so. I love to watch her bounce up and down when she is excited, and raise her hand to answer a question in the water, even though I couldn't hear what was asked and there were only 4 kids even being asked the question. And that, when she is through swimming and we had to go pick up her brother and sister, she is wrapped in an Iowa Swimming towel, given to her mother back in undergrad for being a swimming support cheerleader/manager - sorry honey, I can't remember the name of the role and can't describe it any better than that.
