Can you call me 'Miss Gina'?

One of the things that makes teaching swim and music lessons rewarding is having the opportunity to teach the the little Weibels. Some chuckle and ask, "Why would you want to have a class full of kids when you could teach your own little child one-on-one?"

Positive peer pressure.

Today I went swimming with Guy and Zoe. We played water-baseball, a nifty game requiring swimming between the bases. It's somewhat difficult to explain the rules of baseball to a 4-year-old when each team only has one player (and as many imaginary friends as you would like...Guy informed me that my pretend friends all had to be grown-up women.) I suppose we could have recruited the only other swimmer in the pool, an older woman water-jogging in the corner, but I suspect she put herself in the corner to avoid being mistaken as the right-fielder. (Incidentally, Zoe identified this woman as "Grandma". If you are reading this post, and you are the true Grandma, you better come visit soon, lest you get replaced by a random swimmer.)

Guy's efforts to reach the bases before I tagged him (which I attempt to do after I field the ball and then throw it infield to myself) were valiant, speedy, and not at all in excellent swimming form.

He does know how to swim with his face in the water. He does know how to pull his arms up in the air in a nice arc. He does have a lovely backstroke. He does wear goggles (for the low bribery rate of $0.25/ 30 minutes). Where are the skills during playtime, I wonder? I suggested a few corrections, to the loving response of, "I'm going to build a boat out of noodles."

BUT, class on Monday, involving 5 other students, was a different story. Nothing motivates Guy to swim 20 feet at top speed more than swimming alongside Nolan (nice rhythmic breathing, Nolan!), or to go the longest distance when next to Alex, or float on his back longer than Noah. Swim team - here he comes!

So THIS, my friends is why I actually pay money to put my child in swim lessons, of which I am the instructor. Guy gets big smiles from having me as his teacher, and he lets his ownership be known by occasionally doling out a little extra sass and a lot of "Mom! Hey MOM! Mom!". I figure, it's fabulous having at least one student that loves me like a mother.