Swimming Lessons!

Since it is still like winter here, I decided that we needed to do something to get us out of the house, so I signed Gideon up for Swimming Lessons (there is an indoor pool about half an hour away)! The very first time, he was a little nervous, but he got in the water and just clung onto the teacher! That night he asked Daddy if he could get a blessing so that he would not be so nervous and could be brave! He wanted to take a bath everyday to practice blowing bubbles and swimming! The next week, Gideon was excited to go to swimming lessons, but as soon as he got in the water he screamed and cried the entire time! I tried to help him calm down (the best I could by sitting on the side of the pool and trying to keep Jeremiah from climbing into the pool)! Finally, at the end of the lesson that day, the teacher said for me to get a babysitter and get in the pool with Gideon on the third week! I decided that I would do that to give him one last chance to try and finish the five lessons! The third week, I got in with Gideon and he was still nervous, but I taught him how to sit on the stairs and not be afraid! I stayed in the water for half of the time and then told Gideon that he needed to be a big boy and do it himself! When I got out, I could tell he was afraid, but I gave him the thumbs up sign and he grinned at me! He stayed in and did as his teacher asked him to do! He would always look at me to make sure I was watching him and I would smile and say, "You are doing Awesome!" When it came time for him to get out, he got out and smiled at me and said, "Mom! I did it! I'm not nervous anymore! I did AWESOME!!!" He has continued telling me this all week and can not wait to go to the fourth lesson on Friday! (Friday happens to be his birthday as well, and he said that he will do awesome and get in the water all by himself and do what his teacher tells him to do so that it is a present for his birthday)! I am so proud of my Big Boy! He is doing so much and I can not believe that he is going to be Four on Friday!