Just like Clifford

Today I was a proud Mummy. Not that I am not always a proud Mummy but today I noticed a real strength in Jaz that I am sure has always been there but that I had maybe taken for granted.

Many moons ago, when Jaz was a tiny six month old we started her in swimming lessons. these were more water awareness and familiarisation classes - not the type you see pictures of with tiny babies being thrust under water and seeming to swim.

As you by now know, whenever Jaz becomes unwell it goes to her chest so as a baby she had several bouts of bronchiolitis and as a result of this, coupled with many ear infections (so common in that age group), we only managed to attend a handful of classes over the period of about 12 months. So all in all, we decided to give the lessons a little break and start again when we felt her immune system could cope better and we weren't paying hundreds of dollars to attend only a handful of classes.

This year Jaz turned three and has been the healthiest she has ever been. We decided it was time to give the swimming lessons another go, only this time it was a little more logistically difficult. how was I going to participate in Jaz's swimming lesson and look after Kayde? So I started looking for a swim centre that also had child care. I landed back in my old stomping ground in Hastings at Pelican Park and booked Jaz in for term four swimming lessons in the 'Seahorse' class, then I booked Kayde in for one hour of child care a week at 'little pelicans' child care. So I could now drop Kayde off at the end of the corridor, go through the change rooms and into the pool for our lesson, returning via the change rooms after the swimming lesson to collect Kayde. Logistical problem solved.

So last week we re-started Jaz's swimming lessons. At first as we discussed what was going to happen she was so excited, telling me with a huge smile how she was going to learn how to swim like a fish, something we heard over and over in the days leading up to the lesson. When it came to the big day we started on the back foot, running incredibly close to the clock. We went to drop Kayde off at care, only to discover that he had, ummmm, 'filled his pants' and leaked right through. Whoops, sorry ladies, I'm running late for a swimming lesson, here you go - small person, leaking, thrust at child care staff (something I never thought I would do). There was only one problem, it was not me who was hesitant about the childcare and Kayde really wasn't fussed either (he'd had boobs and relieved himself so I was not needed for a few hours anyway) but Jaz, that was another story entirely and she was most unimpressed at the thought of leaving her 'baby brudda'. Once I convinced her we would definitely come back and get him immediately after her lesson she agreed to leave him and go swimming.

As we stepped towards the pool and Jaz turned around and made towards the chairs 'I just sit and watch I think'. Uh oh... Well I'm not exactly sure what made her apprehensive, leaving her 'baby brudda', being rushed all the way there (I'm not used to a 9am start anymore), meeting new kids, the incredibly bright and enthusiastic instructor or the pool itself but Jaz was NOT going in the pool.

After practically dragging her (coaxing and bribing hadn't worked) into the pool we began the lesson and Jaz clung to me like a kitten trying to avoid a bath, her hands gripped my skin and her arms stayed wrapped tightly around my neck. I began to think that this whole swimming lesson, one on one time, was going to be more stressful than it was going to be fun. There were only three students, all girls around the same age and ability, though no one bar me could know what Jaz's ability was, it was amazing she managed to get wet with the effort she was making to avoid the water. She did eventually relax a little and enjoy a game or two but seemed so very daunted by the whole experience.After the lesson we chatted about what she had learned and how lovely all the people we met were and that's where I thought it had ended for the time being.

A few days ago Jaz started talking about how she had gone to the pool 'the other day' and was learning to swim like a fish, how she had to learn puppy paddle which meant kick kick kicking and dig dig digging 'just like Clifford' (the Big Red Dog). Hmmm I thought, interesting. I heard her singing a tune to herself and asked her to sing it to me. It went to the tune of 'twinkle twinkle' but started 'twinkle twinkle little toes'. At first I couldn't think where I had heard it sung, it soon dawned on me...

This morning we went back to the pool. We were running reasonably well to schedule and Kayde did not fill his nappy just as we pulled up (he waited till we were safely in the pool, well trained baby that one). We dropped Kayde off, went through the change rooms, shed our trackies and headed to the pool. Jaz seemed really excited. As we entered the pool there was no hesitation whatsoever! In she went, just ahead of me, and straight into whatever the instructor requested. Just as she laid her head on my shoulder and pointed her toes to the roof (the activity that freaked her out the most last week) she started singing... 'Twinkle twinkle little toes, this is how my backfloat goes' - That's where I had heard the song, somewhere, sung in the background as I wrestled to untangle her arms from around my neck and get Jaz to trust that I wouldn't let her go, the song was being sung by Jess the swimming instructor. Jaz had been singing it the last few days while she was telling me all about our trip to the pool and how she was going to swim like a fish.

I was so very proud, I understood what my beautiful daughter had been doing over the last week. She had been working over the lesson in her mind and preparing herself for her next one. Telling me how she was going to do it all and even singing the songs that went with it. As I held her tummy up and she did her 'puppy paddle' she was saying 'I dig dig dig like Clifford' and she kicked her feet too!!!! I felt such a surge of pride. She had not only overcome her fear but totally conquered it! After the lesson we had some play time with one of the other girls in the class and returned to pick up Kayde. Jaz has spent the entire day telling anyone who would listen all about her swimming lessons that are 'so fun'.