A new one at swimming lessons

We made it to swimming lessons on time.  The kids got out the car and we walked inside with Mr. Will.  Jory pulled off his top, put his backpack on the shelf, took his shoes off, and headed to the pool.  Layla took off her top clothing to reveal her bathing suit and went off to get their swimming apparatuses.  Rowan didn’t want to take her clothes off, she cried.  She said, she didn’t want to go swimming.  I told her she had to go swimming.  I reminded her of what her jobs were:  to go to school;  to clean up her room; help out around the house;  and go to swimming lesson.

My tolerance for her crying was low.  We had gone through this nonsense when she first started swimming.  It wasn’t that she was scared or that she didn’t like the water.  It was the simple fact that she didn’t want to listen to her coach.  She didn’t want to obey.  I wasn’t having it again.

I walked her to the other end of the pool and encouraged her to jump in.  The tears fell and fell.  Cries of, “No, Mommy.  No, Mommy.  I don’t want to.” Fell from her lips.  Mr. Will tried to talk to her, but to no avail.  If she had a legitimate reason for not wanting to swim, like she was sick or that she was terrified about being the deep in, I might have relented.  But I knew that none of those things were an issue.  She just didn’t want to do it.  I tried reasoning with her.  Through the tears, she agreed to jump in the pool, but instead she took off running.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!

I couldn’t believe my eyes.  Did my daughter, my daughter- - Had she lost her mind?  I grabbed her and we had a few more words before she got into the pool.  Mr. Will told her to swim to him.   

Well she swam to the pool divider.  She would swim for two seconds, then hold on to the divider.  So Mr. Will had to go get her off the divider after trying to cajole her, encourage her, and commanding her to get off the divider didn’t work. 

Enough was enough.  I went to the car, got my suit, and got in the pool.  By the time I got back, 

Rowan’s mood had infected Layla.  Now the Irish twins were acting nutty in the pool together while Jory swam laps and goofed off like nothing was wrong.

Who knew this was how are Saturday swim lessons would turn out?