Swim Class

I love swim class pictures. Bright blue water. So refreshing. Makes ya wish you were a kid again, huh?

The pictures are posted from youngest to oldest. I ordered matching swim trunks and rash guard swim shirts from an Australian company called Coolibar. Did I mention my 5-y-o is allergic to all sun screen lotions? He breaks out in hives/welts. And he is so fair. I make them wear matching blue floppy hats to walk from the car to the pool and back. Except for the older boy, who has a more olive complexion. But I still make him wear the long sleeve shirt because I will need it as a hand-me-down for the boys. 6 weeks of swim class in the noonday sun made me take extra measures to protect them.

big relief

This may sound like small potatoes, but I am so relieved to have successfully registered my 4-y-o in a particular preschool program this morning. Registration started at 8:30am. I lined up at 7am and was dismayed to see about 25 people in lawn chairs were ahead of me in line. Then I got even more nervous to hear that there were only 5 spots still available in the class that I wanted (folks who were enrolled in spring had preferential pre-enrollment). I wanted him in the 8:30 to 11:20 class, not the afternoon class. Afternoon is nap time. If he was in class during nap time, and his bro gets off school at 2:30, then the afternoon would be set up all wrong. The good news was, most of the folks in line were there to enroll their 3-y-o kids. The bad news is that I will have to do this again next year for my youngest. He is turning 3 in December. Too late to sneak him into the class in the spring, even if he is potty trained by then, because he would have needed to be 3 by mid November. So he will have to make due with mommy and me classes this year, and I will have to get up at 5am next year to line up. I simply *must* have him in the am class in this program. It is a very high quality program with wonderful teachers and extremely inexpensive. Only $450 for 16 weeks, 3 days a week. We used to pay more than that amount per month at the Montessori school.

Today is the first class of the last session of swimming through the parks and rec. I canceled the private lessons for today, which I will have the boys make up in the end of August. I have my 8-y-o signed up too, but he will not be able to go until next week, because he is still with his dad for one more week. I asked his dad to take him to the class, but he doesn't want to drive {eyeroll}. He also made me cancel the dental appt, which fell on his dates. {another eyeroll}. I know he and I will end up back in court again when he asks for more custody. So though his attitude is bad for my son, it will give me more leverage in court. I will ask the swim teacher today if it is OK if my son shows up next week for the last week of class only. He is a very strong swimmer, and even if he starts late, I bet he will still be one of the best swimmers in the class.

Proud momma moment

You should have seen my 4-y-o at his swim class today. He swam 15 feet independently. I was completely amazed. Just 2 weeks ago he was shrieking and clinging to the kickboard for dear life. This private swim school does great work. Next week the youngest is starting a series of classes as well. He hates to get his face under water, but it's for his own safety. He needs to learn.

My 16-y-o son completed a couple of days of training at Knotts. Some of the things he told me were interesting. He learned that there will be 2 cameras pointing at his game booth at all times. I guess he better watch his little habits, eh? He will need to keep watch on all sides of the booth at all times so folks don't walk off with the merchandise. They also told him that somebody got fired for eating something as small as a Tootsie Roll Midgie. He was also taught how to recognize phony currency. Like how some folks wash off a 1 dollar bill and reprint it as a 20, so my son will have to look and see if the face in the watermark matches the face on the bill. I would never have thought of that. It's really neat that he is getting this training from them. I mean, parents can tell their kids what they need to do to get and keep a job, but him hearing it from the men at Knotts leaves so much more of a lasting impression. And yes, eating a tootsie roll that doesn't belong to you is stealing, which is a firing offense. If he wants a tootsie roll, he needs to buy it first.

Random updates

I get questions and I apologize for not answering them in a timely manner. I'll try to answer them here.

How are the kids reacting to news of our baby-boy-to-be? The 2 littlest ones don't really understand. My 4-y-o is convinced that he is growing a baby boy in his tummy. He is so cute. He has even taken to carrying around the doll that DH bought for him when Joseph was born 2.5 years ago. He takes good care of his "baby" and makes him look both ways when we cross the street. :D

DS-age 8 is thrilled. He was asking and asking for another boy and he got one!

DS-16 is a little perturbed that I keep cranking out kids. No matter the gender.

DD-(almost 19) was hoping for a girl. She had told me in the past that she didn't want to be dethroned as my only girl child, but I think she matured beyond that. I was touched by her desire to see me raise another girl and happy that she reached a point where she was thinking along those lines. We both had a good laugh to hear that it was another adorable boy. We love boys!

How are the summer activities/jobs going for the kids?

DD is gone this week to Chicago, then she will start her job orientation at Knotts I think July 3rd. DS is at his first orientation/training today. He will have one or 2 more sessions this week, then I think his first 6-hour day will be Saturday.

DS-8 and 4 are taking swim classes these first 2 weeks of summer. Then DS-8 will go to 3 weeks of full-service day camp. He loves this camp. They have very elaborate field trips to all of the fun local attractions twice per week, with daily swimming in a heated pool and a rock climbing wall. Then the 3 weeks after that he spends with his father.

DS-4 will begin a new preschool session a few hours per day 3 days per week, and take private swim lessons on the off days.

Little Joseph, 2.5, will join DS at the private swim class in July. Joseph didn't like the one trial class he had in June, but DH and I think that he needs to get water safe, with all the older siblings running around and on the off chance that somebody leaves the pool gate open. He also starts Mommy and Me once per week for 1 hour.

So I continue to work 2 mornings per week, and try my best to juggle the kids' schedules around my own. I'm so happy about the older 2 having jobs and I don't even mind all the driving.