Tag: swimming

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That exercise thing…

It’s no secret that I hate anything resembling exercise. I’ve joined many gyms with good intentions that fizzle out after a month or so.

The fact is though, I’m not getting any younger and my metabolism isnt getting any faster. And even though I’m eating far healthier than ever I’m still feeling flabby and saggy and old. I need to do something to get a bit fitter. I’m not talking body building type muscles or CrossFit or anything, just something that gets my heart rate up and my muscles a little toned.

One of the good things about being car-less is that I walk a lot more than I used to. According to the health app on my iPhone I average about 4 500 steps (~3km) per weekday and about 9 500 steps (~6km) per weekend day. Not bad. But no where near good enough.

So when Rolene told me that our friend Alyssa was starting a Friday morning Pilates class I jumped at the chance to do some more exercise. It also helps that Pilates is pretty much the only exercise I think doesn’t suck.

I really enjoyed my first class last week and I felt it for days afterwards. I cant wait for tomorrows class too. Now I need to find some time to do a half hour or so on my own once or twice a week too.

And soon it will be summer and the pool will be open, I want to start doing laps too. 

guns

So, here’s to getting fitter!

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Its not you, its me. Or is it?

Aaron is loving his swimming lessons and he is doing so well that we have graduated from the small pool to the shallow end of the big pool.

In order to help Aaron transition and to minimise any anxiety we were asked to stay with the same teacher (there are three different teachers at the school) which was fine with us as Aaron adores teacher L.

In order to move to the big pool we had to change lesson times.  This was fine with me, once we had rescheduled Kindermusik lessons.

What I didnt bank on was not liking the parents at our new lesson time.  I loved the parents at the old time.  They were friendly and welcomed me with open arms and a ready smile.

The new parents barely even looked up from their discussion the first time we came to that lesson.  Since then (4 lessons in) they still have not even smiled in my direction let alone introduced themselves or even said hello.  And its not for lack of trying on my part.  I always arrive with a smile and make eye contact (or try to) but they never reciprocate.

Not only have they not welcomed me but they are rather bitchy when they talk.  About other people or situations.  They are obviously all friends and move in the same social circles.  I cannot stand how cliquey they are and how nasty they can be.  So much so that I asked the teachers if there is another time that we can move to with teacher L.

I dont think moving the time will effect Aaron as he doesnt know the kids in his class now on a personal level and the only requirement is that we stay with teacher L.

I know Im not guaranteed a better group of parents but anything has to be better than wanting to smack them with a shovel.

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Swim fishy swim…

Round about this time last year we started taking Aaron to swimming classes.  We took him to a teacher who had a few kids in the class and was a little kooky and crazy.  Aaron loved him.  The swimming?  Not so much.

Aaron and I spent about 2 months, one lesson a week arguing negotiating how much of Aarons body he would allow to get wet.  By the end of the year we were sitting on the step but only during the last 10 minutes of the class.

In December the teacher went on holiday and told me that he would call me when he was back.  He never did.  I think he just didnt want to deal with Aaron and his water issues.  I then had Faith and I never followed up with lessons in the new year.

Ah yes, water issues.  Lets go back a few years to bathing a new born Aaron.  He screamed.  He cried.  He really did not like bathing.  He especially did not like getting his head wet and to this day washing Aarons hair is a trauma akin to bathing 10 cats in one go.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago.

With summer upon us, swimming lessons became a topic of conversation once again.  Paul got the number of a swimming school from one of the moms at Aarons play school and I gave them a call.  We arranged to have two 20 minute lessons a week.  There are three instructors and each instructor has no more than 4 children at a time.

The first lesson was a disaster.  Aaron screamed blue murder.  We left.

The next lesson he agreed to sit on the side of the step with his feet in the water.  Half way through his ‘lesson’, the one instructor from the ‘baby’ class came to sit on the step with him.  She chatted to him and got him to throw some toys onto the step and then get up and walk to pick them up, she even got him to sit on her lap in the water before getting out the pool.

The next week the same teacher asked Aaron if he would like to come sit on the step in the baby pool with her.  (There are two pools, a large regular pool and a smaller baby pool with two steps and a shallow end, no deep end).  He agreed.  He threw toys on the steps and sat on the top step for most of the lesson.

The 4th lesson was amazing.  He blew bubbles with his face in the water and even let the teacher hold him and take him into the water.

Yesterdays lesson made me cry with pride for my big boy.  He not only got onto the pool noodle (which he had point blank refused to even touch before) but he ducked his whole head under the water.  He even let me go sit in the car instead of by the side of the pool.

I think he is learning to love swimming 🙂  I cannot wait for tomorrows lesson!