From fear of bubbles to a fish in 48 hours

We finally put Collin in swim lessons, mostly to make someone else be the bad guy and help him overcome his fear of putting his face in the water.  Having taught swim lessons for years, I can teach him the basics, but I wasn't sure he'd want to go swimming with me if he associated me with dunking him underwater while he protested.  So the first week in June we crammed into the swim lesson spot for two weeks of daily lessons.

The place we went was highly recommended, but my friends also warned fairly aggressive with pushing kids underwater.  I clearly over prepared Collin that they'd be teaching him to swim with his face in the water, because the first day, he was the only kid I wasn't sure was going to get through the door.  I had to push him in and the instructor had to pull!  And unlike many kids who were reluctant on day two, Collin strolled in on his own after the first fearful day.  Here he is through the viewing glass with his class -   

Not sure if it was the five days of lesson or the positive peer pressure from our friends' kids or that he had finally gained confidence with his age - and probably a combination of the three, but at Maya's birthday party, we convinced Collin to wear goggles, and he became a new man.

At the end of the party, Amber suggested diving for rings.  And my boy, who two days earlier whined and cried about blowing bubbles, shrieked and screamed if we said we were going under, was game for ring diving.  It was incredible to watch the transformation in two short days.

We told him over and over how proud we were that he was brave and swimming!

Going down the slide by himself without a puddle jumper -

We didn't take photos during the party, but on Sunday I grabbed the camera to document our little fish.  

Collin has a lot of my childhood shy, tentative personality.  And like Collin, I was the kid sitting on the steps crying about putting my face in the water during swimming lessons, and then one summer the switch turned on and I was suddenly a swimmer.  So I was confident it would happen, and we're thrilled we got to witness the transformation.  And much like my younger brother, I think Maya will be ignorantly daring - as we've watched her walk off the edge of the pool without a care in the world.  I wish some of Collin's cautiousness would rub off on her, and it will be interesting to see her approach to swimming in the years to come.