Refresher Survival Swim Lessons Are Over!

-- because we dropped out.

And I don't consider it a failure!

The good news:  I have my playful, fun, curious and vibrant daughter back.

Where'd she go?

That Alexandra disappeared after the first week of refresher survival swim lessons.

As usual, she cried during her entire 10-minute lessons -- just like she did during the 2 months or so when she first learned how to roll over on her back, and hold onto the side of a pool (if she were to fall in)

But this time around -- she's expressing herself better and made it quite clear she wants nothing to do with the lessons.

I ignored her protests the first week ....

Then during the 2nd week, Alex's personality, her actions, demeanor -- everything changed.

She was taking lessons in the morning, but her protests would start the afternoon before --

*  Alex stopped eating a good dinner; only consuming 1/2 of what she normally eats ... which would carry over into breakfast the next morning....

*  Alex would whine all afternoon long -- fought hard every night about going to bed; because it meant swim lessons a couple hours after waking up...

*  Alex was even crying -- and i mean to the point of hyperventilating HARD -- IN HER SLEEP, never waking up, but crying incessantly ... only stopping when my husband or I would tip-toe into her room and place a gentle hand on her back or forehead.

Funny -- when there was ever a thunderstorm and she realized we had to skip her lesson for the day, Alex would run around the house screaming, "We can't go!!  We can't go, mama!! It raining outside!! We can't goooooooo!!!"
Which always ended with an "I love you" squeeze to my leg.

Ugh.

I could have put up with all of the protesting, because I really believe the survival swim lessons are important... but I can't let Alex go an entire week not eating well.

Alex was only 4 pounds, 10 ounces when she was born and has stayed very thin -- though she's growing vertically like a weed.
If she catches a cold and doesn't eat well for a couple days -- she loses weight, so you can imagine -- an entire week?!?!

Too much.

I hated breaking the news to her instructor Ms. Suzi, who was totally find with my decision.

It took a week for Alex to even go into another pool, and even then -- she cried when we put on the sunscreen, and only stayed on the top step for an entire hour.

It's been a couple weeks now.

Alex still protests when going into a pool .. but once she's in, she's having fun -- on her terms, of course.