Back in April I received the local Parks and Rec pamphlet in the mail, and I started thinking about how I was going to keep Annabel occupied this summer. I flipped through the pages of all the available camps and classes, and I settled on swimming for her again. I want to tell you that I signed her up for six weeks of swimming because I want her to learn a valuable life-saving skill. In actuality, I have her in swimming so she’ll be exhausted by the end of the day. The life-saving skill thing is just a bonus.
For the first two weeks of her swimming classes, she took a group class for her age range. One of the three kids in her class dropped out after the first day, so Annie basically had a semi-private lesson. She thrived in that environment, and by the end of the class she was doing all kinds of advanced stuff. She had tremendous water confidence, and she looooooved swimming.
She wasn’t old enough for me to move her up to the next level, so I signed her up for private instruction (still with the Parks and Rec) to bridge the gap between ability groups. Those started this week and wow. Annie LOVES THEM. She loves her teacher, she loves getting 100% of the attention, she loves swimming, and most randomly, she loves wearing goggles. Or as she calls them, “Gobbles.”
Annie has had a thing for goggles ever since she went swimming a few months ago with my friend Helen’s daughters and they had them. She begs to wear goggles whenever we’re going swimming, and when I saw some of the older kids at the pool taking lessons with goggles on, I knew we were done for. Sure enough, Annie saw the kids wearing goggles and flipped out, begging to wear a pair.
Yesterday, her teacher surprised Annie with goggles. Annie was in heaven.
Why yes, she IS talking non-stop about how much she loves her “gobbles.”
I honestly thought Annie would hate the goggles after she tried them for a few minutes, but she absolutely loved them. They made a noticeable difference in Annie’s approach to the water. She told me later this was because “the gobbles make my eyes not hurt.” I’m a little worried that Annie will refuse to swim in the future without goggles, but her instructor told me the goggles won’t hurt her. Except for, you know, where they LITERALLY HURT HER:
These marks looked so much worse in person, and didn’t go away for almost TWO HOURS. It made going out in public with her…interesting.
The private lessons have proven to be a great idea after only two sessions. Annie is already swimming unassisted for a few feet at a time, and at this rate she’ll be really and truly swimming by the end of the summer.
And you know what else? She is napping and getting tons of sleep at night. SUCCESS IS MINE!
Annalisa says:
It’s great that she loves goggles. Most kids I know hate them, and I agree with your daughter: it makes swimming much easier.
As for the marks, they probably just mean you need to make slight adjustments to them so they don’t tug at her face so tightly. After all, that’s why the straps are *elastic*
Jenn says:
YAHOO!!!! I LOVE Win/Win situations!!! Her poor little eyes DO look sore though!!! OUCH!! Maybe you could find her some more little kid friendly “gobbles”?
I love your pictures!!! They make me SMILE…even on my worse days!!! THANK YOU HEATHER, MIKE, ANNIE & JAMES!!! You’re ALL the BEST!! xo
Adrienne says:
Check out Aqua Sphere goggles. They are the absolute best. Easy to put on and adjust and have great suction leaving minimal facial marks.
Mary Brock says:
My daughter is 8 now but has been using Aqua Sphere goggles for years. They are perfect for kids faces and hardly ever leave marks. Cost about $20-25 at sporting goods stores.
Janet says:
I was also going to recommend Aquasphere goggles. My daughter loved them!
charlsie says:
We had the same problem with our daughter Laurel until we found these swim goggles. They are a bit bigger and made for kids. http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=19458846
But goggles definitely made a difference in Laurel being able to swim better. So glad Annie is having a great time swimming.
Megan says:
Wow, sounds like you have a real swimmer! That’s wonderful.
I used to swim laps recreationally (I feel like that term is a misnomer here; recreation implies fun, and there was nothing fun going on), and I had semi-permanent goggle marks. They didn’t really go away until weeks after I quit swimming.
Courtney says:
Ha! We have our son in swim lessons for the same selfish reasons. He eats like a horse afterward and always takes a massive nap. It’s awesome (plus, life skill, etc etc.).
Also, he calls them “gargles.” We will never correct him.
Tracy says:
LOL try wearing the strap a little higher on the head that might stop some of the marks, they also might be a bit tight. My daughter (8) is swimming daily for swim team practice and she has marks on her face for a bit but in about 15 min they are gone.
I wish swimming would tucker her out, even now as she is preparing for conference and swimming about 20-30 laps in 45 minutes she’s fully recharged and ready to go after a Nutella sandwich… and goes to 11 or 12 nightly.
Michelle H says:
I second this. They look like they are over the top of her ear which could have been loosening the suction around her eye, causing the instructor to tighten them more.
My kids will not swim without their goggles either. So excited for you that she’ll be swimming like a pro in no time!
shannon says:
Fabulous!! Swimming is one of my favorite vacation activities with four kiddos…they SWIM, they EAT, they SLEEP…repeat!
Kim says:
My kids LOVE their goggles. I bought the Finis ones this summer and they are the BEST! Made for little faces, not too tight and easy to adjust. Also, they don’t fog up super easily.
Ellen says:
I had to laugh at your post. I have a now 18-year-old high school GRADUATE daughter who still wears goggles…I was looking at her post-prom photos recently; she and a lot of her classmates were swimming in a friend’s pool the next day. My younger daughter and I looked at each other and shook our heads when we got to one of the photos…Good lord, there was my 18-year-old in all her goggle glory swimming in the pool. What I love though is that she just doesn’t care! She must have her goggles!
Margie says:
Us parents are a sneaky bunch, huh? We have a hidden agenda. I like to take my almost 1-year old to the store late in the afternoon or early in the morning and tire him out. He loves people watching so after that morning visit, I get rewarded with a 2-hour nap. (Oh and groceries too.)
Annie is adorable, as usual. Gobbles!
Shannon says:
Two things:
(1) As a lifelong swimmer-for-exercise, I will tell you that goggle marks are a sign of PRIDE.
(2) I once worked at a sporting goods store where a grown adult asked me where the “gargles” were.
Donna P says:
She has the most beautiful eyes. Good for Annie on her swimming lessons!
Paula says:
Yay for Annie and yay for you!
My boys LOVE to swim. They are like little fish. They’ve never had formal lessons but they all have a healthy respect for water and swim like little dolphins.
I agree on the goggles: Loosen them up and make sure they’re fitting her properly.
Jodie Brooks says:
YEAH!!!
DianeG says:
My almost three year old calls them google-eyes. I love it. Now if only she would take to the water like Annie!
Elissa says:
How cute! Same thing with my daughter. Once she got a pair of goggles her fear of the water went away and she is now swimming!
Nancy says:
My kids were goggle-wearers for the past three years and this year they’ve seemed to learn to live without them. I suspect the siren call of the pool at YMCA camp outweighs their desire for them and by the time they get home, they forget to ask me to pack them the next day.
She may outgrow them, she may want to keep wearing them. Either way, it’s awesome that she’s learning to spend her summers in the pool.
Jeanie says:
I’d say those gobbles were a might snug on her. Whatever makes her happy! I’m glad she’s loving the water.
Rita Mannelli says:
Awesome goggle-marks Annie!! Wear those with pride!! All great swimmers have them.
(I’ve swam competitively since age 10 and still do…and taught swimming for years! It’s the BEST sport…so happy she’s loving it. Just wait till she’s on a swim team and gets to wear a cap!)
Leslie K says:
She is SO cute in her GOBBLES!!
And in the picture of her gobble marks, her eyebrows look just like Maddie’s!
Meg says:
She might need to try different brands and/or styles of goggles, but it’s worth the effort to find the best pair. Eyes & eye-safety are important!
Auntie_M says:
Wow! Win/Win/Win/Win/WIN!
Annie loves swimming! [Win]
Annie is inadvertently learning a life-saving skill [Win]
Annie is napping & sleeping well at night [Win]
Mom & Dad are getting a bit of a break [Win!]
And, hello! GOBBLES too!!!!!!!! [WIN!!]
This is all wonderful!!! (Except for the part where it looks like you gave her 2 black eyes and her explanation to anyone who questioned her would be that her eyes got hurt from the gobbles! LOL)
hdj says:
Mine’s 11 and still won’t swim without them – as long as she’s swimming!