Some fun photos in an otherwise very sad and depressing day.Yesterday was our anniversary and instead of celebrating I had a head ache and we were trying to decide what to do with our dog. This morning we took the kids to swim lessons. I love the diving photos.



This kid can still throw his students when they are 65+ pounds. Wow.


He's almost got the diving down. See how much he sucks in his stomach!


Look at the straps on Job's goggles. They kill me.


She looks like she's flying.




These two are now diving over a kick board. They have shown great improvement. I don't have any good photos of them swimming but they are improving there as well.
Now in most of these photos there are border mergers. That's where I cut off hands or feet and so the photos are lacking good composition. I have one more week to work on this and then classes are done.
Tomorrow I'll post about Madison.

Our children are taking swimming lessons at the Country Club. They've taken them at the YMCA before and it was ok. I've heard that the Country Club is great though. This year with MP3 we decided to give the Club a try, that and with our schedule it was the only one that fit. I was super excited that it was outside too. I grew up taking swimming lessons in the summer from an outside pool. Of course our pool wasn't heated but in Montana that usually wasn't necessary, here I think that it is. I wasn't sure what to expect though from these swim lessons. So the first day I just watched. I was impressed. They have 5 to 6 classes going on at the same time. Each instructor has 6 students except the little ones they have two instructors for 6 students. There are instructors on the deck to help the ones in the water. It is very well organized. Everyone spends time learning/practicing diving each day, even the little 3 year kids. I love that. Isaac hurt his back once trying to dive and now is leery of it, so having someone work with him on how to dive properly will help him. They also of course work on stroke technique. Job wants to skip ahead and start breathing with his crawl stroke but his instructor won't let him. I like that a lot. Job tends to rush ahead and think he knows everything already but you have to force him to slow down. For a half hour lesson I think that they do an amazing job. They've placed Job and Lona in the same class and they definitely pegged them on their abilities. Isaac is in the next 1/2 hour time slot and they've put him in the perfect class as well. I'm expecting them to have learned how to dive and how to do the crawl stroke or refine it by the end of the two weeks. Maybe next year we could get in on two sessions.
Notres enfants prendent un course de nager cette ete. J'entend que ces lessons sont magnifque. Alors le premier jour je juste regarde. Je suis surprise. C'est bien fait. Il y a 5 classes avec 6 etudiants par classe, mais le petit avais deux enseigners pour le six etudients. Il y a quelques enseigner qui aider les enseigner dans l'eau. Chaque lessons les etudients practiquent plonger et nager. Je pense que c'est une bonne idea. Un fois cette hiver Isaac fait mal au dos parce qu'il plonger pas bien. Je suis excite que il apprend de plonger correctement. Job veut apprendre plus vite. Mais il faut aller lentement pour faire bien et son enseigneur lui fait lentement. Depuis un demi heure je pense qu'ils apprenent beaucoup et les classes pour Job, Lona et Isaac sont parfait pour leurs.

Two classes combined and the instructors are helping Lona to dive correctly. Ici deux enseigner aider Lona plonger.

My baby, my little girl turned 7 on the 2nd. We decided to have a sleep over with a bunch of girls. We started at 4 and the girls showed up ready to play. The pool was so much fun. Some girls were comfortable, some nervous but all were in and playing. We had floaties and dive sticks, some goggles and warm water pumped in from the solar heater. Lona had a blast. John ran up and got pizza and then back in the pool they went. I went in the pool with the girls the 2nd time round. One became brave and took off her life jacket but I made sure to be with in reach of her all the time and another allowed me to take the floaty away and help her bob with the life jacket. Then we had ice cream instead of cake and then watched a movie. Some girls went home and then off to bed. At 1 am the girls were finally quiet but at 5:45 am Lona knocked at the door wanting to be able to be loud. I wandered downstairs 20 minutes later and started breakfast. By 10am the girls had gone home and Lona learned what happens after a party. It may be a while before we have a massive wake-over (because who sleeps) like that again but I think they all had fun. One comment from one of the girls, "Mrs. Parks, I didn't sleep good at Lona's sleepover. I'm still tired." Imagine that, not sleeping well.
I know the boys did, they went to a friend's house and missed all the girls. Just the way an 11 year old wanted it. I think that he was terrified that he might have to say hello to a girl, so he quickly arranged to be absent.

Pour l'anniversaire de Lona, j'invite 7 filles pour rester a la maison. Elles arrivent a 4 heure apres midi et partir le jour prochain devant 10 heure du matin. Elles jouent dans la piscine. Quel ques filles ne sont pas tres comfortable dans l'eau mais tous sont amusant. Elles sautent, et nagent et jouent avec les jeux dans l'eau. John commande de pizza. Nous mangons de glace aussi parce que nous aimons plus de glace que le gateau. Apres le dinner, elles vont dans la piscine encore. Elle voyent un film et commence d'aller coucher a 10 heure du soir. A 1 heure du matin tous dormir. Mais a 5:45 du matin, Lona demande si elles peut revere. Alors je descende et commence de preparer le petit dejeuner. A 10 heure tous les fille ont parti et Lona apprend que ce qui passes apres un fete. Elle faut netoyer la maison. Je pense qu'il est un peu de temp avant que nous avons un fete comme ca encore. Mais tous les filles sont amusant. Un fille me dit, "Madame Parks, je suis fatigue. Je ne dors pas tres bien heir soir." Je n'imagine pas pour quoi?
Job et Isaac ne restent pas a la maison pour le fete. Isaac vite trouve un autre place pour leurs. Je pense qu'il peur de dire bonjour a un fille. Il est onze et n'interess pas a des fille maintenant.



Warming up from the solar water. L'eau chauve.


She looks so grown up here. I love the girls around and the laughter shown on their face.
Lona est dans le centre et je pense qu'elle semble plus ages ici. J'aime les sourir dans les visages.


We can jump but diving is not allowed. Elle peut sauter mais plonger c'est interdit.

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