Despite her enthusiasm, she's definitely not a fish.

I got a few comments here and there since Friday asking for an update on Sprite's swimming lessons. I thought I would add a quick snatch of how the lesson went in yesterday's RTT, but tangents got in the way and it became it's own long winded post, instead of a long winded paragraph. So, sorry. And you're welcome for sparing you from its wind on Tuesday.. (I care.)

Saturday was busy enough as it was. We began with a birthday party which we literally ate and ran from just to get to the YMCA's pool in time. Poor kid was asking for her share of the birthday cake along the way as I had been teasing her all week about how she would be able to sing "Happy Birthday" to someone other than "Friend" (which is usually what she fills the name in with when she has the song in her head) and get in on some sugar action, and then we cut her good times short by throwing her some cheetos and pushing her out of the park's pavilion before she could sing for her sweets. (We know, we're mean.) But any sour mood she sported from our refusal to let her have any fun (I know! We're mean! Consider the motion approved.) lifted when we pulled into the parking lot and the pool came into viewing (and smelling) distance. I carried her over and as soon as she saw the bobbing blue, the chattering began.

"I see the water! See the water? Do you SEE it? I swimming? Mommy!" she slapped her hands on my cheeks and turned me to face her full on. "I swimming, Mommy? Yes?"

"Yes, you're going swimming, Sprite." I put her down in the shady area where parents and children were starting to stake out territory for their towels and such. Not even a second after her feet hit the floor, she bee-lined for the water.

"Oh, no. Not yet." John grabbed her and parked her on the bench table so I could attack her with the SPF, which she objected to. (Yeah, cry now, kid. Are you going to be thanking me later when you are skin cancer and burn free? Of course not!) (So ungrateful..) While John and I took turns getting into our water attire, we both dealt with her repeated efforts to gain access to the agua.

Eventually, the roster was called and the teacher, Ms. Carol, had everyone in the parent/child group (age 6-36 months) join her in the pool. As we walked toward the steps, I noticed most of the other parents still huddled under the shade acting like we were getting ready for the final oral reports in high school Speech class and no one wanted to be called first. Screw that, I thought. I need to get there before Sprite tries to dive in herself. The fifteen or so toddlers waded in with their parents and the tears started. Some whimpered. Some cried. Only Sprite cried with joy, her screams echoing off the water as she looked all around her, excited for the experience of being submerged.

The lesson itself was very informal, just parents getting the kids used to the water, maybe introducing them to kicking, working on climbing onto the wall to escape the water, blowing bubbles, CPR lessons for the toddlers, an Algebra pop quiz, you know, the usual beginner's stuff.

John and I swapped out regularly as we led Sprite around the shallow end, noticing that she wasn't really interested in kicking, raised an eyebrow at our clownish looks when we tried to teach her the blowing bubbles, and seemed to think she had a handle on this whole swimming thing herself as she kept trying to escape my clutches in the middle of the pool.

"I swimming," she would cry, then push away from me. Her head would then disappear for a count before I could reach in and bring her to the surface, where, you know, the AIR was. She would sputter for a few seconds, wipe the water from her eyes, smile big, and try again. (Well, at least she's not a quitter.)

The teacher made her rounds and is probably regretting making a left toward us instead of a right for another couple and their 9 month old son, who doesn't quite talk yet.

"Look, Sprite, it's Ms. Carol," I began, thinking it would be a good idea to directly introduce Sprite to her teacher who may or may not be ultimately responsible for traumatic chlorine swallows in her near future. (And I was totally prepared to point fingers when the blame game began.) I barely closed my mouth when Sprite launched herself right out of my arms and into her teacher's.

"Hi, Carol! I swimming! This is my mommy! My daddy," she shouted, pointing toward John, "and I have Tinker Bell!" Her hands slapped her chest in an effort to get the Tinker Bell picture emblazoned on her swimsuit into the conversation. "Carol, are you blue?"

Ms. Carol (poor Ms. Carol) looked at us for a second with a blank smile on her face. "How old is she?"

"Two and a half," I replied, smiling in the hopes that she would find Sprite's verbal assault cute.

"And why is she asking if I'm blue?"

"It's the color you have on. She just forgets to add 'wearing'."

Ms. Carol nodded and beamed at Sprite. "We're gonna be good friends this summer, aren't we?"

Ms. Carol, you have no idea.

The overwhelmed teacher took her for a few moves and complimented Sprite's willingness to climb out of the water and jump back in. She offered us some pointers on helping Sprite learn to kick, cuz, you know, that's important to swimming survival and stuff, and blow bubbles. "Just let her blow bubbles in the bathtub. (Um, Carol, do you know that we've been trying to stop her from swallowing bath water for a while now? And now we are to encourage it? Forget Sprite being confused. My hand is raised.)

Ms. Carol tried to pass Sprite back to me, ending our turn with her, but Sprite would have none of it, and all of Ms. Carol. She clung to the woman and cried, "No! I want Carol!"

"Honey," I coaxed, "MS. Carol needs to help other kids. She'll come back later." I finally disentangled Sprite from the instructor who swam away. "Let's work on climbing out, okay?" I waded over to the wall and released Sprite who grabbed for the ledge.

She no sooner lifted her tushy to rest on the step when she started shouting, "Carol! Hey, Carol! Come here, Carol!"

John intervened. "Sprite, she's busy. Here! Come jump into Daddy's arms!"

Sprite didn't acknowledge him as she continued calling out for her new friend. "Carol! Carol! GET BACK HERE, CAROL!"

"Sprite, use your indoor voice." (Yes, I know we were outside. Trust me, I felt stupid saying it, but was pulling at strings to get her voice lowered. And the acoustics on the water's surface? Gives the term "voices carry" a whole new meaning.)

The rest of the lesson sped by with us alternately playing spotter to Sprite in the water and keeping Carol out of harm's (Sprite's) way.

Finally, we noticed the shady area becoming very crowded and realized we were alone in the pool. Sprite tried to stretch out on the ledge despite our requests to leave.

"Go way, Sprite sleeping. Come back later." She turned her head away from me as she tried to lay down on her tummy in the inch of water on the step.

The teacher made her way over. "Hey there, Sprite! It's time to go! Don't you want to go?"

Sprite looked up at Ms. Carol and smiled. "I sleeping."

"Well, that's not very comfortable on that concrete. Why don't you let Mom and Dad get you dry and warm? We'll see you back here next week, okay?"

Sprite slowly released her grip on the aquatic dream and let us reel her in.

As we walked back over to the tables for our things, Carol came over and softly said, "She's going to be one of my more memorable students this summer, huh?"

Sprite lifted her head off my shoulder and grinned that toddler watt smile.

Ms. Carol, you have no idea...

Comments

[Casey]

If only Graham had a quarter of the enthusiasm that Sprite has, we'd be ok. I'm sure Carol is going to love her much more than the screaming/crying kids.

[K]

My son is in swim lessons too.

I really feel for the teacher.

[Mama Badger]

Oh, God. This is great. I wish I were there to see! I'm with Casey, though, the over enthusiastic ones are so much better than the criers... For everyone.

[Deemarie]

How much do I love that she faked sleeping so as not to have to leave. That girl's got some creativity.
And I bet she rawked the Tinkerbell swimsuit! :)

[Jan]

Oh, Jen. You are going to have so much fun raising this young lady.

You have no idea. ;^)

[bessie.viola]

Oh, this is so adorable. Sprite is SUCH a character - I can just imagine this from your words. Ms. Carol is lucky - she's going to have SO many stories after this summer is through!

[Robin]

This is so great! Sounds like you might have a future olympian on your hands. And good stories to tell the media... you'll be able to put Michael Phelp's mother to shame! :)

[GiGi @ Incrementum]

Sounds like fun! The Boyfriend is a swimming instructor for little ones as well. I can't wait to start hearing his stories of crying little monkeys and comparing to fun Sprite in the water.

[Maureen at IslandRoar]

Such a little character! Very cute. Swimming lessons for my 3 kids was one of the best things I did. They all love the water, and I feel safe when they're in it.
Take lots of pictures and enjoy this time!

[Cameron]

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.

[Keely]

Ha! Nice that she recognizes the enthusiasm right off the bat ;)

I'd rather deal with enthusiasm than reticence, although X is the same with water and yeah, sometimes it's tough to rein him in...

[Kyooty]

I wish I was that excited about water!

[cyndi]

Aww, now it's killing me not to know her IRL and I can't wait to start the boys' second round of lessons. They were definitely NOT enthusiastic last time...ugh. Hope it's fun for you all.

[Lee Ann Haskett]

Good job Sprite! Keep up the good work! LoL I didn't have much luck until Bryan was older with swimming.

[Heidi]

Umm, I saw that they give lessons starting at 6 months...How does that work, exactly? I mean, Pook would be trying to drink the chlorinated water (that explains the smell), rather than swimming.

Were there actually any 6 month olds there?

[Krystal]

All I have to say is that you are a braver soul than I am - much much braver!!!

[Pseudo]

I think I want to be Sprite's swim teacher. With my teens abondoning me for days on end, I could use the ego boost.

[Michele]

Wow, no histrionics! I'm impressed. Nice idea to double team her. You'll be happy with that decision.

[Sam]

CUTE story, I love it! I'm so jealous, I've taken the kids to the pool almost every day so far this summer and I still can't get Ryerson to even consider getting his head wet. His hair is bone dry every day when we leave. Sigh.
It sounds like Sprite is going to have the time of her life this summer... with a little luck, maybe she'll even learn how to swim.;)

[Jenni Jiggety]

Does Ms. Carol have a blog? I think I might need to subscribe...

[Michelle]

Awww!
So very different from our traumatic experiences in the water with Peanut...
She loves swimming now but believe me, it was a long process...

[Rachel]

Do you know that I have no idea where you were at? How weird! I guess its just another testament to the fact that I am not a Water person. Still though, its sounds like it was a great time!

[Stacy (the Random Cool Chick)]

Sprite sounds SO much like Princess Nagger - you are in for a treat! And I mean that in a good way! ;)

LOVED the whole swimming lesson synopsis...Sprite is such a character! Especially when she was pretending to be sleeping so she didn't have to leave...heh, heh! Did you pass the Algebra pop quiz? ;)

[Petra aka The Wise (Young) Mommy]

Sounds like my daughter...she is in for it!

[Kat]

Carol you have NO IDEA what you are in for! The love from toddlers is hotter than a thousand suns.