Ride a Bike in 5 Easy Steps

Today was our first day of a five day session at Pedalheads. They promise an over 90% success rate for losing the training wheels in the first week. How do they get those wheels off so fast? Well, they do everything that we do, but in a camp like setting, where EVERYONE is doing it, and the instructor says so (instead of mom) and it's all a big game!

Firstly - make sure kids can ride bike with trainers on

Secondly - force them to ride on grass (it takes some effort, but is soft)

Thirdly - tell them that the training wheels are what is slowing them down and making it hard

Fourthly - tell them to eat their snacks while you remove their training wheels

Last - push them really fast and say "Keep pedalling! You're doing it!"

All morning Leif was obsessing about not wanting to go to Bike Camp. He already knew about the possibility that they would take off his trainers, and he knew about the grass riding and was not interested in either of those. But he was the first one to ride really far all by himself, and he is in for such a treat when they finally set him loose on some firm ground! Laika took a little bit longer to get the hang of it, but by the end she could also keep going after her push.

We have four more afternoons of Bike Camp and then lookout SeaWall!

Things are Going Swimmingly

In January neither of my big kids would willingly let water touch their faces.  Shampoo time either elicited screams or came slowly after much negotiation and compromise.

Their first round of actual swimming lessons went fairly well, and because they felt pressured by an instructor, they SORT of did everything that was asked and Leif only cried once during class.  He also tried using the word 'unregister' quite frequently, as in, "Mommy, I need you to 'unregister' me from swim class, because I really don't enjoy swimming.  And I'm not going."  This was usually accompanied by tears.  

Though there was a lot of stress involved with getting the swimsuits on and everyone out the door, both children were always elated by the end of the class and the change room would be filled with the sounds of Leif singing these strange Italian sounding songs that he would make up.  They were victory songs I guess.  They were very proud of their progress and so was I, so I registered them for a second set of lessons at a different pool where they would be in the water for an hour.

What a difference half an hour makes!  The time to play and get comfortable help a lot, but the real change came from having young and playful instructors.  Most of their instructors are University students who are happy, energetic, and know that this is a short-term gig and so they are having fun with it.

By the third lesson Leif and Laika were bobbing underwater for fun.  They go down the slide for fun, pick things up from the pool bottom for fun and try to swim, for fun.  Now I have kids that actually enjoy the pool!  I could not have done it on my own.  I could not have poured water on their heads, or pushed them under to pick up a ring, or stepped back as they came flying into the water, but I'm so glad someone else could.  Now I can't wait to go snorkelling (in warm water) with our little fish.  Mission accomplished.

Sunshine

Yippee!  It was Friday (or Friderday - whichever you prefer).  Leif went skating for the first time with school.  He held tightly to his cone (or pine cone - you choose) and very s l o w l y worked his way from one side of the rink to the other.  The most glamorous mom was also on the ice, and she took him for a little spin.  She is glamorous and kind both!  Leif said he loved it.   Laika was cold and didn't love watching all the skating, but it was highly amusing for those of us on the sidelines.  The best moment was when they opened the gate to let all 60 kindergarten kids on the ice.  The kids tried to flood through, but as each one hit the ice he or she wiped out, and then the next kid would wipe out and one would get back on her feet, and then down again.  The ten or so strong skaters pushed their way through and started showing their stuff.  The floundering horde were helped out by a bunch of big orange pylons.  

We went to Science World in the afternoon and checked out the Lego exhibit for the second time.  We were then inspired to buy more Lego - remember, members get a discount (this is how I justified it).  We got a box of 'girl Lego' for Laika.  It was completely worth it.  Now she is actually motivated to build when she can make a pink car with two little girls in it, or a white bunny with a flower on it's head.  We are getting quite the collection which is fine by me, because Lego is Awesome.

Our life is so busy with swimming and nightmares and school and grocery shopping and Legotime and gymnastics and cooking and cleaning and driving and playgrounds.  I am necessary in each endeavour, and Tineke is by my side through it all.  She is my little smiling, toe-sucking mascot.  There are 3 hours a week when it is just the two of us all alone while both kids are at school and she's often asleep.  The rest of the time we share the sidelines watching our big kids play.  Now she is at the point where she will watch the kids in the pool, gym or park.  They are so proud of their happy baby sister.  I learned that Laika knows how to sing "You Are My Sunshine", so we've been singing it to Tin all day.  We like to get very dramatic during the sad part.  As we sing, Tineke lays on the floor holding her toes in her tiny fingers and laughs at us.  She knows she is our Sunshine. 

First Swimming Lesson Ever

Today Leif and Laika started their swimming lessons.  They are so lucky to be in the same class of only 4 kids (all classes have only 4 students).  Lessons start at 11:30, but were a few minutes late as one of the babies in the baby class had pooped in the pool.  So they had all sort of vacuums and skimmers out and were changing the filter etc.  Very educational for our first day.

Before they went in we bought goggles.  These were a big hit.  They make them feel invinsible.

So, the instructional objective in the Starfish level is to get them used to water.  This means making them get their heads under the water . . . lots and lots of times.  The instructor was wonderful, she kept everything moving so fast and kept them so happy that they didn't have time to dwell on the fact that she kept tricking them.  Her number one tactic is to give them a rubber toy of some sort, then they put it on her head or shoulder, and then she stands a few feet back and they have to jump to her to get it back.  The trick is that she always steps back, so they flop into the water and then she picks them out and gives them the toy and they keep on going.  In 25 minutes both children had been fully immersed more than they have been in their lives so far!   They have these things called 'magic islands' which are big metal stools with bars on them that 4 kids can sit on.  They push these islands into the deep part of the water, so that the instructor can be working in deepish water and the kids have this handy island to jump on and off of.  The instructor would ask the kids to give her 5 and then when they slap her hand she falls right back into the water.  This is hilarious to them.  Getting into the water is easy as they keep the pool at bathtub temperature.

Both kids were chatting nonstop when they got out of the pool.  Their adrenaline was pumping, "I was the deepest kid!  I went soooo deep!  I could see underwater.  Did you see me go underwater?  Did you see us sitting on the island?  Next time I'm going to go under and try looking around.  When do we go back?"

Phew.