Swimfan

We've taken PK to swim lessons since she was about 6 months old. In Virginia, classes consisted of splashing, kicking, and putting her face in the water. It's been an entirely different experience in Arizona - and for good reason. The drowning rate of children in AZ is startling, and at AquaSafe Swim School, kids of all ages and skill levels are taught survival skills. While swim class is fun, it's not about splashing or goofing off. This is serious business, and we were told Peyton's coach, Spencer, was one of the toughest. They focus on a small set of necessary skills - rolling over onto your back so you can breath, floating, finding the wall, and learning how to get out.

Peyton's slowly gotten used to Coach, and even though we've been going to AquaSafe since September, we really didn't get the sense anything was sinking in. Until this month. It was as if a light bulb went off in Peyton's head, and all of a sudden, she was the star of swim class. She floated on her own for at least a minute, rolled over by herself, rolled back again, and even started pushing off the wall, making small kicks and "swimming" toward us.

Undoubtedly, Peyton's favorite part of swim class (next to the lollipop and juice she gets aftewards) is jumping off the cow at the end. It may not be the most graceful entrance, but she sure does love doing it!