Swimmy

I signed the girls up for swim lessons as soon as school got out.  So we have been to the pool every weekday so far this summer!  They both amaze me.  G's teacher said to move her up a level next summer, as did Elia's teacher.  With lots of practice in between.

Diving Board Day

I like this picture because it shows that G can handle the older kids- they were all in the same class!

This was Elia's first time, so she was a little hesitant at first.

Here is a video of them playing in the "square" pool, as they call it.  This is at our public pool, and this year is the first where both girl's heads are above water in the deep end!  I think it goes up to 3 feet.  Here they are practicing their back floating.

Gianna's Swim Lessons

Gianna can really swim. I dont mean just splash around, but she can get in water that is over her head and swim more than 5 feet! Its really amazing to watch.  

Ready for lessons

On diving board day she was one of the only little kids to jump off the board without first clinging to the lifeguard for dear life. I feel bad for those kids- the lifeguard peels them off and then drops them in the pool, crying, kicking and screaming too!

new swimsuit.  Doesnt she look like a ballerina?

Elia found a hideout by the concession stand.

Back float

passing

swimming back to the others

Gianna and Melissa

Elia's swim lessons

Too cool for school



Off the diving board

Swimming on her own in the deep!

With her instructor.

She can swim!!

Sorry about the annoying bell in the background!

She is so amazing!

Here she is off the diving board- this is the 2nd, more successful attempt:

What we have been up to...

It is frakkkkkking hot here in Texas. So hot that I haven't had the energy or material really, to blog. Life is back to normal after our StL trip, so we are just hanging here. I try to get the girls to the pool at least 4 days a week- its the only way to stay cool outdoors. They have loved it. Gianna started swim lessons this week so we will be there everyday!

Otherwise, we have been play-dating, bbq-ing, cleaning and reading all summer long. The 4th of July weekend was super fun. Besides the heat, I can't really complain!

The Monday after we got back from StL, Gianna had Vacation Bible School at her preschool. She loved it. She was gone each morning all week, so Elia and I spent 3 days straight in the bathroom trying to train her. Fail. Not an epic fail, but I went and bought 2 Costco boxes of diapers after that, so it will be a while before we try again. Anyways, here are some pics I took from her last day. She looooved dancing to the music.

Even Boom was feeling the love.

Don't Break the Ice on your toes!

We got a Beta fish and it has been alive for almost 2 weeks! G named him Cinderella and insists that he is a girl. Whatevs.

Typical after nap bed head. We have been making home made popsicles! Yum!

More later...

Elia's "Fishing" Lessons

The 2 weeks before we left for StL, Elia took swim lessons. But she called them fishing lessons. She has a funny obsession with the word fish- if something is broken or not working (I think she is actually trying to say fix it), she says it is fishing, if she is thirsty she says fishy, swimsuit is fish suit, and then when she actually sees a fish, she calls it shoe. How hilarious is that?

Anyways, she was amazing in the water. She had 8 lessons total, and the first 7 lessons I was not allowed to be there with her, since there would be too much mama-drama, as her teacher explained to me. So the big day was that 8th lesson, when we got to watch all her hard work. That girl brought me to tears, I tell you! She is amazing in the water. Check it out!

Monkey crawling:

Swimming with just a noodle!

She learned to put her head underwater by grabbing for a pool weight:

I had a great little video of her swimming but can't upload it right now- darn you blogger!

Super Star pt 1

Gianna is a super star! She was so excited that Daddy came to her last swimming lesson to see her show off. We went to a friend's pool today, and she barely kept her head above water- she is obsessed with going under!

Rowles Lately

A glimpse into the past few weeks(in no particular order):

Elia is walking, and even tries to run at times. It is amazing how quickly she picked it up and wants to do more more more!

Chris and I lost the Biggest Loser competition to Tom and Shan. But we lost the most combined weight- 72 lbs!

Gianna has been taking swimming lessons. What an emotional roller coaster for her. Some days she loves it and other days, (like 3 out of the 8 classes) she hates it. Cried, howled, through them! However, this morning they made her jump off the diving board and she was not scarred! We have been to the pool since the lessons, and I can tell she is getting braver. She likes to jump off the side and into the pool. She also will hold her nose and go completely under for a few seconds. I am so proud of her!

While out on a walk at the hiking park last week, we saw a real live tarantula. In Dallas, people. It still gives me the shivers when I think about that day. When Gianna talks about it, she says, "it was not a spider, it was an animal." Thats how big it was. Kind of makes me nervous to go back hiking. Eek!

Elia and I have been doing a little Mommy and Me swim class. It is SO cute. She held on sooo tight the first time we got in the pool, but by the end of the session, she was really enjoying herself. We have been practicing blowing bubbles in the bath, and today at the pool without any prompting, she did it all on her own! It is so fun to see her learn things just like G did.

Gianna got her haircut. I mean chopped. I wanted the bob look, where its shorter in the back and longer in the front, but it feels like it is the same length all the way around. Thank goodness her hair grows like a weed, it is a bit too short for my liking. Except that it is so easy and painless to comb/brush though her hair.

We had lots and lots of family stay with us in May. My parents were the last of the group to be here and it was really nice to have them! My dad was very relaxed (don't see that too often) and we got a lot of stuff done. Lots of yard work, and they, with the help of Chris, recovered my dining room chairs! So pretty. Now I have to paint to make everything "go" together. This pic was taken by my dad's iphone:

We have a really busy summer ahead of us! We are going to head to St. Louis and California to catch up with family. Colleen asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding so there might be another trip out to the Lou late summer/early fall? Maybe.

Gianna's imagination and vocabulary is expanding daily, and I want to document a few of her musings. And tomorrow is her "show off" day for swim lessons so I will want to post some of that good stuff. SO stay tuned for that.

And for those of you who were really nervous they would never see a picture again, never fear! Our camera is fixed and back with us as of today.