Sunday, October 16, 2011

Summer and the new normal

Gradually, we return to the new normal. Last summer, Kirsten and Darren took Alannah to swimming lessons, water-awareness lessons, more accurately. This morning (yes, Sunday at 8am) they regrouped, and off she went again. The pool this group uses is in the basement of a large block of apartments on New South Head Road. It could even be the pool for owners which was under-used, and so the body corporate is employing it usefully. Would like to think so!

Alannah was not all that keen to begin with, there were some tears but not really sustained. In this series of photos you can see her relaxing as the half-hour session progressed. They even have homework, which mainly involves getting her head/face in water, blowing bubbles, and the like.

4 comments:

Joan Elizabeth said...

Do you remember what it was like learning to swim? I remember my Dad holding the back of my togs while I splashed about terrified that he would let go.

We didn't get to swim very often ... just on a trip to the beach every couple of years until the town got a pool when I was 12.

Alannah introduction to the water seems much more gentle.

Julie said...

I can remember (with great clarity) my father taking me out to the shark net at Balmoral, plonking me there and telling me to swim back! We left Sydney when I was 8, and even when I was 13 I was in the 'learners' group'. The fact that I had a 'hole in the heart' and could not breathe and chew gum was something noone knew. However, in the last three years of his life, I forgave him all that - to his face - as he knew no better.

Ann said...

Kirsten looks terrific.

freefalling said...

I grew up in the water - we always had a backyard pool - starting with the little blue wader. We went "down town" to the Milne Bay Olympic Pool all the time.
And on our yearly holidays at the beach we swam out past the breakers with Dad and across various fishing boat channels (!) and rivers.
Swimming is one of the great joys of my life.
I still love it.
And you know, I still remember when I first started learning, having the same homework as Alannah - cups of water over the head and blowing bubbles.
I love how she is hanging on to Darren's nose - noses make very good handles.