The start of swim lessons

We've put our kids in their first official swim lessons. BOOM. Max 4 1/2, twins 2 1/2 (i keep kind of telling the twins they're 3 because you're supposed to be 3 for swim lessons, sue me/guilty wide eyes look). They're all in the same class for 30 minutes.

For the past month we get a pass to the rec center and took the kids swimming twice a week to get them acclimated to the water and having fun with us. Max was hesitant at first with us but by the end of the 4 weeks, was swimming on his own for like 10 seconds under the water with arms, kicking, and taking breaths, he's a rock star. The dumb rec center made us keep floaties on the twins at all times because they're stupid like that (some dumb rule about non swimmers out numbering adults, that was only the first of our complaints). They were a little slower to feel totally free in the water, especially without their floaties, not fans of putting their faces in the water but still had lots of fun kicking splashing and jumping in.

So come the first day of swim lessons, we'd been talking to them about it for weeks, everyone is very excited. Everyone gets in the pool and is super happy and excited. The twins are yelling "hi mommy and daddy!" proud to be showing off they're in swim lessons and then after about 7 minutes, THE TEARS. Mommy and daddy is all they wanted. They wanted out NOW. Bryson had to pee now (never peed) came back and then he had to poop no (never ended up pooping either) tears and more tears from the twins. Quinn stopped crying after about 10 minutes when he was doing an excercies with the teacher and realized he CAN blow bubbles and get the ring in the water! A big smile came across his face and he totally changed and was happy to do all the drills with her! But then they got out of the pool and it was back to tears when they had to jump to the teacher. So overall I'd say the twins cried for about 20 of the 30 minutes, ha. I was definitely doubting my putting them in swim lessons earlier than the age requirement, ugh, but I also know that this is often what happens with first time swim lessons,

And then there's Max, just a total rock star. Doing everything they ask so happy, big smiles, looking for us to wave to all the time. He's also 2 years older than the twins, ha, but he just did so so good.

So at home we give them skittles for how well they did: Max 8 (I just chose a larger random number) and then with the twins I enumerated all the things they DID do during swim lessons. They reassured me that next time they weren't going to cry and they loved swim lessons.



FAST FORWARD to the next swim lesson. Lots of talking before hand prepping them with teachers names, how fun it will be, how brave they will be, and how awesome it will all be, and that if no one cries we get ICE CREAM. Swim lessons come and BOOM all 3 are rockstars! No tears! No whining for mom and dad. Eager for their turns. Willing to do more in the lessons than they have for mom and dad. I was just so intensely proud of them all! They cheered each other on, they were just so awesome! Each time the teacher would take them for their part Casey and I would watch with excitement and see how awesome they did when asked to do each drill, so amazed at the difference from the last lesson!

At the end they went to jump off the diving board. Max got up no problem and just jumped! Quinn go up with excitement and slowly walked forward, half way forward realizing "um, actually not so sure about this" but then the lifeguard helped him forward and gently put him in the pool he did it! And then Bryson, again eager as the others, walked forward and halfway across the diving board was like "uh uh, I am NOT doing this! And you could see his little legs trembling and the fear fully overcome him, ha. He turned around and they let him jump off the edge, he was very proud of himself and so was I:)

Once swimming lessons got over we had a Cutler huddle to tell them how awesome they did and they were quick to remind me "they get ice cream!!!!!!" So ice cream we went! (actually we did stop at Cafe rio since no one had eaten dinner yet, ha) But they were so excited for their ice cream and were all so cute eating it.

Man I love these kids of mine!

Thing I don't want to forget my children are doing right now:

Maxson (3 1/2):

-Loves trying to catch lizards in the backyard, except he says "widuh" and no one except Casey and I can understand him.

-Always saying "I'm so big" "I'm such a big boy"

-Is a great helper when it comes to putting the dishes away

-Always wants his back tickled at night while you tell him a story

-Loves listening to Primary music and singing along. Maxson's enunciation is a little difficult to understand probably for a lot of people but as his parent I can tell he's saying pretty much all the words of the songs.

-Loves pointing out his "new friends!" we've made at church when they show up.

-Always asking to go to grammie and grandpa's house and talks about how it's his "favwit"

-likes to tell you things are his "favwit" suddenly

Bryson (22 months):

-loves to be held, he's always begging me to hold him when we go places. and then if I do hold him, Quinn goes crazy and apparently needs to be held too.

-calls his teddy bear his "nigh nigh"

-thrives on one on one attention, his giggle and scrunched up nose when he laughs is just the cutest

-Loves shoes. He's always putting on everyone's shoes and coming to show us

-He thinks it's hilarious to call our name so we'll look at him with his finger in his nose...goof ball

-he's the best sleeper. Never wakes up in the middle of the night, bless that child

Quinn (22 months):

-When grammie and grandpa enter his mind he comes up to you with big eyes saying "grammie, papa, house! grammie, papa, house! derrick! tay tay, karkar"

-will hold the water hose at people teasing to shoot it at you with the most evil and happy look at his eyes knowing he has all the power in his hands

-obssessed with "muht!" or milk. OBSESSED. milk and lawn mowers

-always wants to go outside to tell the birds to go away, sounds like "doh wahy burr! doh why!"

-once upon a time was our peacemaker...not going to lie now he's kinda the meanest, ha! Poor Bryson constantly gets bullied by lil Quinny

-His speech is flying. He connects multiple words all the time, it's incredible. He has a great memory of words I taught him a long time ago.

Love this little family of mine. We are in a really really fun hilarious cute adorable stage with our kids and also a really really awful exhausting screaming tiring intense stage with out kids. I know the whole "you're kids grow up fast" "blink and you'll miss this" "you'll miss this stage" "you'll want this back" and I'm trying my hardest to enjoy it, truly! But at other times I'm like "this is way too freaking hard, I need more breaks!!!!" ahhhhhh... this too shall pass, for good and for bad. I love my children, oh I do. I just wish there was less screaming and crying...

By the way on all these swimming pictures, the kids loved swimming in AZ. Bryson was our most fishy fish of the 3. SO awesome and independent with floaties. Maxson loved some of the day,s his bad ear infections put a damper on some of the days but truly he did love the water.

swimming and bahama bucks

We only got to go to Bahama Bucks twice, BUT those two times were so delicious! The first time we went was with the whole AZ family after bowling one night. My children of course were crying and screaming during half of it because they didn't have their OWN cup. See Bryson? Insisting he hold Casey's cup. Max was screaming during some of it. Quinn probably was. Ugh, sometimes I wonder why we do fun things because during half of it it's NOT fun, blergh. 

Blue tongues! Love blue raspberry!

Our main Arizona love was SWIMMING!!!!!!! We were seriously out there for about 2 hours everyday. The babies did SOOOOOO great. These little puddle jumpers are so great, it allowed them to have their own fun, independent swimming experience the whole time. Bryson was a great floater and kicker, Quinn whined a little more but really they were so great. Maxson on the other hand, sigh. He did SO great the first 2 days we swam together. And then did really bad one day, and then refused to swim for days on end. We learned he had a really bad ear infection, poor guy, luckily we didn't push him much when he said he didn't want to swim. He did really good another day, and then really awful some other days. When I say really awful I mean he refused to take off the floatie and swim but he'd still get in the pool and swim. When he did try to swim he could swim like all the way across the pool by himself, silly boy, blah. We'll get there someday.

2nd bahama bucks trip! Savage young families with no shirts.

Casey FINALLY got his free punch on this visit so he got the biggest size possible, ha. savage.

Wish we had more swimming pictures, but with all our little kids and no water proof camera it was just a little difficult!

the beach! {part 2} more beach play!

A beach kite, woohoo! It flew as our mascot for awhile and was super cute. And then Max held it by himself with no one supervising, let go, and tears ensued. 

The babies LOVED when water would come up to them

B

Covered in sand!

B

Attempting to learn to like the water at the end of day 2!

The kids loved to be buried!

Love Quinn in this picture

More tomorrow! Including our traditional beach bonfire!