Tying myself up in knots

Ok. So maybe the post about Jamaica Day 3 should have read "Jamaica Day 4". Who's counting? I wished it was day 3...

I'm back on "real" real time now.

And I could still use some more vacation time in Jamaica!

BIG NEWS!!!!!!!

Alpha learned how to tie her shoes!!! I was off work yesterday. It was naptime because I had declared it naptime. Alpha, however, doesn't take naps. As I was putting Beta to bed, I remembered that my goal for Alpha this summer was for her to learn to tie her own shoes. So, I told her I was going to teach her to tie shoes. I went and got one of my tennis shoes because hers are velcro.

Teaching someone to tie shoes is harder than I thought! I also never realized how complicated a maneuver it really is. After demonstrating and trying to explain, I let her have the laces and go to it. Several times I'd say, "Ok, now grab that other lace before it gets away!" Or something along those lines. I tried my best to sit on my hands and let HER do it. She only started to get discouraged twice. It probably took about 30 minutes before she got it! All on her own! She's still got lots of practicing to do. I told her I'd make her tie shoes once a day until we bought her some tennis shoes for winter. She was really proud of herself. I was proud of her, too!

When Jim got home, she showed him that she could do it. He asked why she had wanted to learn to tie shoes. She replied, "mommy told me to."

TYING KNOTS IN MY OWN STOMACH
Also yesterday, the girls started swim lessons! I had a lot of fears as a child. Swim lessons was one of them. I absolutely hated them. It was even worse that my brother liked them and was doing better than me! I still can't go underwater without holding my nose. I can swim, but not very good. But enough about me...

Both girls are in Level 1 - water exploration. I have no idea what that means. Beta was supposed to be in a "mom & tot" class, but they didn't have enough kids for it. So they stuck her in level 1. This makes me incredibly nervous! We've had 2 lessons now and I can hardly stand to watch. Ok. Ok. The girls are doing fine. But they actually had them go under the water! After 6 years of watching them like a hawk at the pool to make sure they never go under water, now they are supposed to! Do you know what that does to a mother's heart rate?

Also, my kids are failing! Shhh! Don't tell them I said that. Neither one has gotten totally under the water. Alpha is close, but Beta only goes up to her top lip. When they had to hang onto the side, lie down in the water, and practice kicking, my girls "ran" on the floor of the pool. They might have even kicked the wall. Alpha told me today that that had hurt her legs! Tonight they had tossed pennies into the pool and the kids were supposed to go underwater and get them. Alpha managed to pick one up by putting her hand over her mouth. ???? Beta never picked one up. Which was fine by me. Beta really is too young for this course. She needs some one on one at this age. I really only enrolled her at all b/c I knew she'd be mad if Alpha got to swim and she didn't.

However, both girls think they are doing just great and get all excited about swim lessons. I figure that's all I can ask. I hated taking lessons so at least we're ahead of the game in that respect. Whenever either one looks over at me, I smile and give them a "thumbs up" sign. Maybe when they become mothers I'll explain that this is the universal, "I'm shaking in my boots for you" sign. But that can wait.