Swimming in the deep end!

This week it happened.... Ashley swam across the deep end all by herself.

She had been dreading it... I mean not wanting to go to swimming lessons the last 2 times fearful that Coach Angie would make her do it. Obvious she knew she was ready or she wouldn't have thought coach Angie would consider here swimming on her own in the deep, deep, 13 foot deep end.

But during the last 15 minutes of practice Coach Angie told Ashley to swim 12 feet from her to the ladder in the deep end. Ashley didn't move. She screamed. She cried. She bawled her eyes out. She even swallowed water in her attempt to breathe properly. But she did it. And did it great.

The first time she had to have coach swim right beside her and have me walk along the waters edge (while crying she was hysterically reaching for the side of the pool during her swim). The second time she did it all by herself with just a little bit of whine.

I was so proud of her.

When I asked her why she was so scared she told me the octopus tile mosaic picture on the wall in the deep end scared her (just like it had scared Anna). So during Anna's lesson we talked about the deep end, went and put our hand on the octopus and Ashley slowly bought into the fact that there was nothing to be scared of. After Anna's lesson Anna was a rockstar big sister in that she came up to Ashley and said, "I used to be scared of the deep end. Do you want to put on your bubble and swim in the deep end with me??? I like the deep end now!" Ashley accepted and they went from picture to picture and touched the ones they could so Ashley could get over her fear.

Now she tells me she likes the deep end! We will see Thursday when we go back :)