June 17, 2013

(click here for today's pictures)

Swim Lessons Day 1

• Monday morning and the kids were excited about starting the day and even more excited about swim lessons.  After everyone woke up, we had breakfast and then starting moving fairly quickly.
• Since we didn't do any schoolish work last week due to VBS, we started back this week.  Reagan did some sight words and math facts.  When she can read/answer the card quickly, it is then put in Anderson's jar.  And when he knows his sight word quickly, it is moved to Graham's bucket (if it is simple enough for him to sound out).  Campbell's jar is full of alphabet magnets that she is working on.   
• So one at a time we worked on that and when they weren't working with me, they were reading trying to rack up enough books to earn a free book at Barnes and Noble for their summer reading program.  And then everyone had a turn vacuuming while everyone else was getting ready for the day.
• We made it out the door in plenty of time with a semi picked up house.  As soon as I backed out of the garage, I was pretty worried about us being able to do our lessons today due to the rain but thankfully it held off.  
• We dropped Keaton and Whitman off at Nonna and Pops house.  Keaton started fussing when I climbed out of the van-she thought I was the only one getting out of the car and that she wasn't going to get to.  So when I opened the van door, she started shouting "buckle, buckle, out."  She was thrilled to get out of the van and realize that she was getting to stay.
• At the pool, it took me awhile to find our swim teacher but then I looked around and their were 6 people giving swim lessons in the pool.  Maybe I should be a swim teacher!  We were there early and the kids had time to swim some before their lessons started.
• Campbell and Graham were the first ones.  The teacher and her helper introduced themselves and the kids followed them in the water.  Campbell was a bit hesitant and walked behind Graham holding on to his shirt.  Would love to have gotten a picture of that.  Soon though she was grinning from ear to ear having a great time.  They worked on pushing the water away and both did really good.  A few times it even looked like Campbell swam a few feet.  And they were even able to slide down the slide a few times.  
• Reagan and Anderson were the next ones and by the end of the lesson, Reagan was swimming across the pool and Anderson was almost doing as well as Reagan.  They worked on floating on their backs some and I have never been able to get her to do that.  The kids were pretty exhausted by the end of the lesson.  Robby was even able to come and see a bit of the lessons.  
• We then headed back to Nonna's house to eat lunch.  The kids changed clothes and even had a few minutes to play before we headed home.  At home, Keaton and Whitman had a nap and the others played upstairs.  They played hard and the toy room which was already a mess became trashed-I mean trashed.  Due to some later disobedience during the day the toy room was picked up by them and Reagan and Anderson even had to write sentences "I will obey my mom the first time."  
• Reagan so wanted to go outside but wasn't going unless I was.  Since I was a bit busy I told her that I wouldn't be able to and she didn't take no for an answer.  She just followed me around saying that she would go outside when I did-neither one of us ever made it outside!
• Nonna, Pops and Jason came over for a delayed Father's Day supper.  We had Mexican casserole, rice, beans, chips, salsa and the traditional Mexican dessert of cookies.  After we ate, the kids ran around like crazy until everyone left and then it was bedtime!