Swimming Lessons Update: They're Going Swimmingly.

No surprise, but Harry loooooves his swimming lessons. Loves them. Even when we're 10 minutes late and he misses playing with the noodle. Even when the water is so cold that his cute little lips turn blue. Even when the 16-year-old instructor forgets that we've already sung "The Wheels on the Bus." Twice.

He loves watching me jump into the water. loves taking a shower after the lesson is over, loves running around the locker room naked, loves holding my hand and walking back to the car like a big boy. He doesn't seem to mind that he is the only baby who's enjoying himself.

There's an adorable chubby girl with curly hair who gets angry when she has to get her face wet and refuses to speak to her mother or the teacher, communicating only with splashes and pouts. There's a skinny little girl who clings to her mother's neck and shrieks except when it's time to blow bubbles; blowing bubbles cracks her up, and she's the only one who can do it (Harry, for example, thinks that bubble time is all-you-can-drink time and ends up with a belly full of chlorine). There's a rolly poly 7 month-old who appears to have no idea where the hell he is and has the same placid look on his face when he's floating, bobbing, or fully submerged. Finally, there's a pale little blond boy who hates the pool, the water, the other kids, the teacher, his sister who's happily swimming with the big kids' class across the rope, and his mother for bringing him to the pool, the water, the other kids, and the teacher. He is a sad, wet little boy who pleads, "Bye bye!" every time he's asked a question and bursts into tears as soon as he opens the door from the locker room and sees the pool on the other side. Today, his mother FINALLY took him out of the water and sat with him on the bleachers instead of forcing him to swim. She kept saying, "This was supposed to be such a good experience." I was inches away from saying, "Dude, your kids HATES this-- get the hell out of the pool and don't try to dip him under the water-- what would you do that for?" when she came to her senses and gave him his bye bye. Harry, by the way, freaking loves to be dipped under the water-- it's a trick he can't wait to try in his tub every night. Great.

So, he's not really learning anything at swim lessons, per se, except ways to scare the shit out of us at bath time.

Since he takes such a kick ass nap after swim lessons, I've been taking him to the outdoor pool in the afternoon to see if he'll start sleeping better at night (by better I mean all damn night in his own damn crib-- so far, no dice). Here are a few pictures of a semi-recent pool outing and its aftermath:





Yes, he is alseep sitting up.

No, these pictures aren't totally current, since he is a TOTAL BIG BOY WHO ONLY DRINKS FROM A CUP now.