Swimming with Ms. Mildred!

Last week we completed our 8 day swim session with Ms. Mildred! So exhausting, but so worth it!

Chicken, Airplane, Rocket!

Getting ready to start diving...Olivia had such a fun class, she knew all the girls!

Even Pumpkin Face made an appearance on Show and Tell Day!

She pointed and yelled, "Sis!" the whole time

And Pabbie came to watch this time to!

Swimming Lessons, Part 2

Olivia has spent the last 8 days in her second session of swimming lessons with Ms. Mildred. After 8 days, the only thing I am thinking is, "Hallelujah!!" I am so glad that it is over! She did so good, but 8 days is a big commitment, for both of us! She wasn't super thrilled about me leaving her this time since last session was Mom and Me, but she warmed up after a while. She wanted me to take a picture of Ms. Mildred to send to Pabbie...(even though Pabbie was with us one day when we dropped her off!)

Nana came to Show and Tell on the last day!

Swimming on her back, all by herself!

Swimming across the deep end

Diving board, she would jump off and swim all the way to the other end of the pool

Slide

Olivia was glad when it was over and told Ms. Mildred she would see her next summer--not next week or tomorrow! She has decided that she wants to get her ears pierced as a reward for doing so well. I told her she had to talk to her Daddy about that one, so the jury is still out on that one. We're going back to the beach in September, so I told her we can't do it until we get back (Dr. Fogle said so--you'd be amazed as to how many situations that gets me out of!). Personally, I think her daddy is going to cave, but we'll see!

My Little Mermaid

For the past 8 days Olivia has had swim lessons. At the end of these 8 days, these are the things I know: she and I are both physically and mentally exhausted. She is sick, apparently from swimming from the funk that comes from 6 children in a pool from sun up until sundown. We are the proud owners of a baby doll that can swim who is now in the process of "swimming" all the way to our house because I had to order her online--thanks Jennifer!! She is in the middle of a heated debate with her Daddy about piercing her ears--thanks Anna! And lastly, she can swim!! She loves it (unless water goes up her nose--and watch out if that happens). She can float on her back by herself, jump off the diving board and swim to the ladder, swim across the deep end of the pool. And she almost swam from the diving board the whole length of the pool without a breath--only because she does not enjoy taking a breath while swimming and would prefer for her lungs to explode rather than taking a breath...even with Ms. Mildred screaming, "Pick your head up, take a breath!"

Thanks to the Denton's for videoing her for me!! I wouldn't even begin to know how to download videos from our camera to the computer. I think I am seeing a Flip in my future!

I am SO proud of her!!

Summer Fun

We have had a boring last couple of weeks...the heat has kept me inside most of the time. Olivia and I are both starting to get cabin fever having had the last few weeks off for summer break, with no extracurricular activities! She starts gymnastics back up this week at a new place, so that should be fun! We visited Michael's parents (Cookie & Pop-Pop) for a few days last week while Michael had meetings. We had a lot of fun, but the sad thing is I had my camera with me and forgot about it! This morning after church we went to the pool with our small group, which cooled me off a little bit! These are the first pictures I have taken in weeks! Pregnancy has made me lazy!

We have been so blessed by the people in our small group having made us feel so welcome since we joined Hardin Valley, but Olivia has made a very special friend~Katherine. They are so cute together and such good buddies. She is so excited that she is going over to their house on Tuesday for a playdate before Katherine starts back to school.

Olivia and Katherine going down the slide together!

Olivia and her buddy Carson enjoying an icee together.

Mr. Ed's Adventure Swim

This week was our second week at Mr. Ed's Swim Adventure school, and I have to say it went 1 million% better than Week 1. This week went the way I expected the first week to go. Olivia loved it and every morning got out of bed talking about going to "Ed's Home." She even insisted on making a 4th of July card for him when we were sending them out. Michael and I were very proud of her. There were several "criers" this week. I wouldn't have been nearly as devastated as I was last week when Olivia was the only one to cry. The children and parents were so entertaining, I could go sit in the 100 degree, yes literally, 100 degree poolhouse every day to watch these people. By the end of the week, she was able to kick herself across the pool on a kickboard, jump in from the side or off the diving board by herself and swim to the surface. Those were the goals for the week, so yay! Here are a few pictures from the week...

Please notice in this picture, Olivia (on the far right) is laughing at the little girl who is crying as if she wasn't doing the same thing last week.
Olivia and her buddy, Mr. Ed
She was constantly checking to make sure we were watching her every second.
I was so proud of her jumping off the diving board by herself! On the first day they did it, she and a 7 year old were the only ones to do it without having to be pushed.

Check out the awesome swim cap Mr. Ed gave her
And lastly, my mom (Nana) came on the last day to watch her. She had told her if she did good all week she would buy her a new swimsuit and a baby (for those of you who don't know, my child lives and dies by baby dolls). Once we were at the store, she decided she would not get a baby (shock of shocks) and get a make-up case instead. She couldn't wait to rip into it, so she applied her make-up in the car on the way home. I don't know who she has been watching put on make-up, but I kept telling her to switch to another eye, and all she could say is that she wasn't done with the first one yet!

Fun at the Pool!

Today we went to Aunt Titi and Poppy's house for a little "graduation party" for Olivia surviving her first week of swim lessons. She has improved so much in one week, I can't wait to see what she learns this week!

Swimming Lessons

This week we began swim lessons. I thought my child would be a natural. She isn't the least big afraid of the water. She is a little shy around men though, and unfortunately for her and everyone else in her class, the teacher is a man. Day 1-She screamed through most of class. Day 2-She screamed the first five minutes and Mr. Ed told me to leave. I went to the car and cried the rest of class. Day 3- She teared up when I left her, but didn't cry at all. Day 4 (today)- I snuck in and watched her jump off the diving board into 10 feet of water! I'm making Michael come tomorrow to see her improvement. We went ahead and signed up for another week of class for next week...hopefully it will go much better.

Before her first lesson