Swimming Missteps

Bright and early this morning I woke up, slapped some car worthy breakfast together, woke up and dressed my two sleepy little girls for their first swim lesson of the summer and threw them in the back seat with a bag carrying two cups of dry cereal, two bananas and two spill proof milk containing drink thingys.

Bright and early this morning we showed up to the pool in which only old people were occupying for a exercise class.  I asked the lifeguard if there were supposed to be lessons today and she informed me we were a half hour early. 

Crazy.  I swear when I rechecked the email confirmation this morning it said this specific time.

A half hour after bright and early this morning, the teachers and other children showed up.  Instructions were given.  Names were taken.  Ours were not on the list. 

Seriously?  I showed up a half hour early for a class I didn't sign up for?

One of Kyra's older instructors shows up, recognizes Kyra and informs today's instructor she's at a higher level then both the classes today and we're probably signed up for another day, but we can join today's classes, since we're already there and all.  I knew I liked that woman....

Kyra joins, no problem.  This is old hat for her.

Lydia joins, no problem.  This kid is fearless.

Lydia takes off in the pool as one of the instructors tries to hold her head above water.  Discussions take place between instructors as to why Lydia needs extra attention, "She's too good for her own good." 

Apparently, she's swimming in a flat on top of the water position, just like you're supposed to.... She's just has no clue she's supposed to pick her head up out of the water and is sputtering everywhere and scaring the teacher.

All is happy.  Until Lydia notices Kyra in the lane next to her.

Lydia wants to swim with Kyra and if she can't swim with Kyra she will instead cry and whine and demand "Mooooommyyyy!"  And when I come to save my sweet babe, she cries and whines to me, "Yee-ya, bimming!"   She does not want me, per se, she wants me to tell her she can go swim with Kyra.  Instead I tell her if she wants to swim, she's is to swim with her teacher.  Without crying.  

We danced this dance 3 times.  Because this child is impossible.  She is impossibly stubborn and hard headed and if she doesn't get her way then she wants to sit and cry about it, damn it!  [side note: I must admit she comes by this lovely character trait rightly as I'm sure Jeremy's middle name roughly translates to "hard headed" and mine is something along a linear line of "stubborn."]

Later this week we go back for round 2.  The good news is, Kyra's class isn't in the water at the same time as Lydia's.  The bad news is, I don't think this will matter much.  This is going to be an awesome 8 weeks.