The horror that is swimming lessons

Let's be honest a week without swimming lessons for Rowan is like Charlie Sheen with a day off of work, which translates to nothing good can come of it.

Last Saturday, the pool was closed so no swimming lessons. Of course, Rowan was thrilled to not go. But this Saturday, we went and to a pool where the staff knows us, which makes me feel good. Because if you showed up around 3:15PM to the pool, you would think a young child was being maimed and tortured. As you walked out of the bathroom, the echoes of her screams bouncing of the walls, would greet you as you made it to the pool.

And it's not that Rowan is scared. If you leave her on the steps of the pool, she's playing, she'll kick her legs, and blow her bubbles. She even does these things in the bathtub.

No, the screams, the tears, the "I have to use the bathroom," are solely devices to make me cave. She seems to think the piercing screams coming out of my oldest twin, the tears streaming down her face are going to make me say, "Will, stop torturing my baby!" I'll open my arms and she'll walk, not run because it's unsafe to run by a pool, right into them. I'll shower her with kisses and tell her she'll never have to swim again.

Oh, the fantasy world, three-year-olds create because that aforementioned scenario would never happen and not gonna happen. I love her and I want her to be safe around bodies of water, so she needs to know how to swim. I love her and I want her to learn that screaming and crying is not the way to get out of doing something. I love her and I want her to know she can't refuse to do something simply because she doesn't want to do it. I love her and I want her to know she's not the boss of her, I am. I love her and I want her to learn how to swim, so she, her brother, and her twin can all be in the Olympics at the same time. Can you imagine a relay team with Layla being the lead swimmer and Rowan the closer?! AWESOME!!! Bob Costas would interview us as they sit with their gold medals hanging from their necks. The kwan would come and Oma and I could cruise the world thanks to their endorsement deals. Cha Ching!

One day the screams will stop and she'll love swimming, until then I'm thankful I'm desensitized to the screeching.