2010 Swimming Graduation

On Saturday, July 31, 2010 was Swimming Graduation. We decided to sign up La'akea and Makaio for Beginners swimming lessons...again.
The classes were 3 days a week for 3 weeks in July.

This time La'akea was the first one to swim across the length of the pool...freestyle to get his graduation medal! I think he'll be ready for the Advanced swimming class next summer!
Makaio, as usual said it was easy so we hope he is strong enough to handle swimming two lengths of the pool with 2 different strokes next year so he can be in the Advanced class with La'akea. We want them both to be in the Advanced class so we won't have to stay at the pool for 2 and 1/2 hours to wait for the both of them in 2 different classes (Beginners AND Advanced).

Kamalei was ready for swimming lessons from last year! Little does he know he can't take lessons until he is 5! 2 more years Kamalei! He thought he was part of the class and wanted to sit with his big brothers at the edge of the pool.

He is definitely fearless as he kept going down the stairs to go into the pool and hold on to the sides... he has no idea how to swim. Ugh! Scary!

The lessons are free and every year all the county asks you to do is to provide $10 worth of prizes per child, to throw into the pool AND to bring food for the potluck at graduation.

People bring bubbles, beach balls, capri sun juices, ice pops, and this year Aunty Amber put 20 $1.00 bills in ziplock bags! The kids love it! They swim for the things they want while the parents wait on the side with plastic bags for them to collect their little prizes. La'a went for a plastic sword first and Makaio went for a beach ball and some kind of floatation device...basically the biggest thing in the pool!

And here's Kamalei...who still thinks he can swim all by himself and is not afraid to go into the pool all by himself! He freaks me out! I was on deck carrying Kaleohano and taking pictures...hoping Kamalei would not drown!