Last February I started taking Ryan to the pool for Mom and Tot swim at lunchtime with my playgroup. I bought a family membership to the pool each month and we tried to go at least 3 times a week. Brad came along a couple of times when he could and Ryan really seemed to enjoy it, except getting his face wet. When I started babysitting Mason, I stopped taking Ryan to the pool. I just couldn't handle the two boys in the pool and I wasn't sure how Mason would take it. (His mom told me she has taken him a couple of times but never with much success.)
But one of my SMART habit's for February is more exercise and while I don't swim laps or anything, taking Ryan to Mom and Tot swim is better than sitting at home. So today we went and bought a month membership again with a goal of going at least twice a week. We can do Mom and Tot on Thursdays when I don't have Mason (or Brad can take him on Mondays/Tuesdays when he is usually off), and then there is family swim on Saturday and Sunday afternoons or Wednesday evenings when Brad could even join us.
We stopped by Brad's work to drop off his lunch to him before we went and Brad decided to join us. (Since he had to go into work on his day off Tuesday to deal with the new sign and may have to stay late tonight, he figured he could take a long lunch break today and come with us.) It was a very welcomed surprise (even if it did cut into our pool time with us having to swing home and get swim stuff for Daddy).
The last time we were at the pool, Ryan was just barely walking on his own. Now he is a full fledged toodler with a passion for running. He is much more active in the pool now, and he still LOVES it! He was a little cautious at first as he walked into the pool slowly letting the water get deeper and deeper. But he had the biggest smile on his face and even his eyes were smiling. He had no fear, walking out deeper and deeper until the water was going into his mouth. He does kick his legs a little if we hold him, but he is more content to just walk around in about chest deep water, chasing rubber duckies, boats and daddy. Next time we will try a life jacket, if they have one small enough, and it might be the next thing we invest in.
Next time Brad is able to join us for swimming (maybe next weekend when he is off) I am going to get him to bring the camera and take a couple of pictures of our little swimmer. By the way, we had so much fun! I don't know if it is because we are still crawling out from a deep freeze, but there were barely anypeople at the pool today. The big pool is for noon lane swim and there were maybe a half a dozen swimmers. When we first got to the pool, there were 2 moms with some kids in the leisure "kiddie" pool but they left soon after we got there and so we had the kiddie pool all to ourselves. I am going to look at the schedule and see if there is a time when I can get some swimming in on my own as part of my goal. I mean, we bought the membership, and while we don't have to go that often for it to pay for itself, it is a good thing to use. (The drop in fee for a family is $10 per time you drop in, a family monthly swim pass is only $20- just need to go 3 times to make it more than worth your money, and only $148 for a family for the year for just the pool. We are considering getting a year pass next month.)
*the picture in the left hand corner with the slide (which Ryan has not yet been on) is the leisure "kiddie" pool. The slide ends in a different tub of water than the pool. The pool has a graded entry, so you walk in, getting deeper and deeper. I don't know how deep it is at the end, maybe between 3 and 4 feet.
