swimming lessons.

Judah is doing three weeks of swimming lessons at a school a few blocks down the street, so the past couple of days we’ve been trying to get ourselves out the door for class at 8:00 a.m.

He’s only had two classes so far, so we’re still getting adjusted.  He actually hates it . . . there have been lots of tears and clinging to Mommy.

Oh how thankful I am for a four-year-old’s ability to actually tell you what’s wrong!  It’s a brand new season of life, folks!  Judah said he likes the pool, but he doesn’t like his teachers.  Honestly, I don’t blame him–two of the swimming coaches are big, gruff, mustached men who give the kids a shout and a big splash in the face if they don’t listen.  He also hates wearing his swim cap, which I also don’t blame him for.

There are probably 15 kids in the four-year-old class, and mostly they shiver at the side of the pool (the water is freezing!) until they are called on to jump or kick to their teacher.

Amie, on the other hand, spent most of yesterday’s class standing next to me and wailing at the top of her lungs because she wasn’t allowed to take swimming lessons. The kids have to be three years old for all the classes we found in the city, so she and Caleb, sadly, have to wait until next year.

Today David mercifully offered to keep Ams at home, but it started out rough for Judah again, despite multiple bribes of ice-cream, Starbursts (thanks, Alison!), and a movie night tonight.  He was more upset than ever, and I faced the age-old mom question of how much to push him.

Thankfully, though, something switched when he started getting a chance to jump and swim in the water more, and he started enjoying it.  We’ll see what tomorrow morning holds, but I have high hopes that it will turn out to be a positive experience after all.