He's Swimming! Well, almost.

Logan has been taking swimming lessons for the last week and a half from a physical therapist with my school district who has been doing swimming lessons for like the past 30 years. Now Logan is not afraid of the water--unlike other parents at the lessons, that was not my concern. He is a little too comfortable in the water and that was my concern. He'll jump right in (as long as his head is above water), not understanding why he can't swim. Anyway, the lessons are only 30 minutes long and I was wishing they were longer, wondering what they could possibly get done in 30 minute group lessons (3 in his group). First she just worked on him being comfortable in the water, check. Then she got his face/head in the water without letting him dry their face off--he needed to get used to water on his face. Parents were instructed not to offer a towel or anything during lessons. Strict, strict. She put him on his back and helped him "float" and then flip over and reach for the step. She had him put his face in the water and kick to her while she was holding his arms. She even pushes on his neck to force the head to stay down--that was hard to watch at first, but now I see the progress so it's okay. Now he's jumping off the step to her and swimming a couple feet to her! I mean, he's not great and I am still not comfortable with him alone in the water, of course, but wow! He knows what to do and he is not at all panicky or scared of putting his face in the water at all anymore. The last class is tomorrow and it is the "show off" class where we can bring cameras/video cameras and see what they've learned. Since I'm there everyday, I don't know if I'll see anything new, but I'll be taking video and Chris will be there.

Proof that he's learning and generalizing came tonight, though. We were at the Keller Pointe swimming and he really wanted to swim, not just play! He was letting go of the rails and "swimming" to us. Sure, it was only a foot to get to us, but still. He's 3. I'll take it. Chris took him to the toddler area where the water is not quite 2 feet deep and Logan started showing him what Mrs. Debbie (swim teacher) had taught him. He was putting his face down and pushing off and using his arms and legs and everything he had to swim to one of us. He did this for like 30 minutes straight, I swear. Over and over again. He'd come out of the water so proud! But we need to get the kid some goggles. He swims with his eyes wide open (and his mouth, somehow) and his poor eyes were beet red tonight. Yet somehow he didn't fall asleep until after 10...