So Dizzy!

This week has begun a new chapter in our lives. On Sunday evening as I tucked her into bed, I told Emry what the next couple of days of her young life would look like. Swimming lessons Monday morning, swimming lessons again Tuesday morning and then dance lessons Tuesday evening. 

“Mama!” she exclaimed. “I am so dizzy!”

I laughed. “Busy, Emry,” I replied. “You mean busy. But, yes, it might make us a bit dizzy.”

I think she was a bit nervous about her swimming lessons. She told me more than once that she didn’t know how to swim. I explained to her that the other children there wouldn’t know how to either – that is why we take swimming lessons! But she had no trouble following her instructors into the water. There are so many instructors and so few children taking lessons during her 45 minutes, she has one-on-one instruction. Within a few minutes, her instructor had her ducking her head into the water, floating on her back while he held her and kicking happily on the edge. Today we stayed after lessons for a picnic and then to swim, and she was very confidently swimming with her face under water, kicking and paddling with her little hands and feet. So, swimming lessons has been a great success.

This evening she had her first ballet lessons. I don’t think she was nervous about those at all. She sat patiently while I finangled her ringlets into a bun and danced about as she put on her dance outfit (the same one I wore 35 years ago to dance class). She was delighted to pick up her ballet slippers, scampered into the room with the other little girls and I could hear her in there dancing about to Disney princess music. The parents were allowed in the last five minutes of the lesson to see what they had learned: first and second position and how to curtsey. One of the tiniest little dancers there, she flowed through them all. Afterwards she chattered all about it as we drove home. I was glad she enjoyed it because, oddly enough, I was the one who had a flutter of butterflies take off in my stomach for a brief moment as I helped her out of the car to walk into the studio. 

Swimming lessons will last for two weeks, each morning from Monday to Thursday. Dance lessons are each Tuesday for six weeks, enough to give her a taste of them to see if she enjoys them. “Extra curricular activities”. It’s hard to believe we have already come upon that chapter – one that promises to continue for years!

Emry “floating” on her back.