Carson's Swim Lessons 2008

Carson just finished his swim lessons and he did so well! We are so proud of him. He absolutely LOVED going and loved his swim teacher "Ms. Kim." This year was such a better experience than last summer. Last year, I took Carson to an athletic club here and it was in a group setting, in a pool that he couldn't touch bottom, so during his time to wait he had to stay standing on a bench that was in the water. Okay, this totally terrified him and he cried every single day at swim lessons and HATED them. This year, I met a kindergarten teacher in a town outside of Fayetteville at a school meeting I had for work. She teaches swim lessons at her home privately in the summer and has for years. She came highly recommended from another SLP at that school. As it turned out, she also goes to our church! Who knew! Carson was not excited about taking swim lessons this summer. Ms. Kim was the difference maker this year along with a pool where he could touch bottom and he was one-on-one with her. I could tell that she was a kindergarten teacher because she talked to Carson that first day like she had known him since he was a baby. She was great and Carson talked to her like he had known her all his life too (which he usually doesn't do with strangers at all). Here is Carson with Ms. Kim. After swim lessons were over the first day, I asked Carson if he liked Ms. Kim and he said "oh yeah, I loooved her!"
She had Carson going under water, jumping in, sitting on the bottom of the pool, and diving for rings on the bottom all on the first day! This was so exciting for us to watch as last year, he was no better (if not worse) at the end of his 6th swim lesson than on his first day.

Here is Carson getting the rings off the bottom. This was his favorite thing to do this year!

Here Carson is about to jump in...
in mid air...
and we're in!

Here is Carson underwater searching for the rings again.
Here is Carson working on his back float. She asked him on his first day if he had ever floated on his back, to which he replied "yes, but I don't very much like to do that." And he was right because last year when they worked with him on this - he about choked the lifeguard working with him in a panic...he hated being on his back. This year, he totally and completely trusted Ms. Kim and really listened to her teaching him what to do with his arms. He never hesitated with her, not once.


And here is Carson going through the ring underwater! We are very proud of our little fish and Carson already can't wait til next year. Maybe Ms. Kim will have a cancellation and we can do another set of lessons this summer. Thank you God for Ms. Kim!