We Love Ms. Cis

Mom made a super yummy dinner tonight of sausage, gurken salat, and super creamy garlic mashed potatoes (w/ potatoes from the garden).  Then we had strawberry shortcake for dessert.  Autumn had a major melt down and had to sit in the time out chair for a while b/c she didn’t want to wear clothes over her swimsuit.  But, on the last day of swim class, that’s what Ms. Cis asks the kids to come dressed in.  That way, if they ever fall in the pool w/ their clothes on, they won’t freak out and will know what it feels like and how to swim to the side.  Andrew was brave and went first.

Once Autumn saw that the other kids were jumping in and having fun, she forgot about being a stinker and had a great time.  Here’s our sopping wet little swimmers.  They did wonderfully well swimming in wet/heavy clothes.

1/2 way through the lesson Ms. Cis had them take off their wet clothes and just swim in their swimsuits.  She lined them all up on the side of the pool and told them that if someone is in the pool and can’t swim, you never lean over to help them out.  You lay down on the side and pull them to the side so that they can’t pull you in.  She had Mr. Steve pretend to be drowning and what did Autumn do?  She leaned over to help him out and he pulled her right in.  He even pushed her under a few times, b/c that is what someone who is drowning would do.

Autumn didn’t like that at all, but I think it taught her a valuable lesson that she will hopefully never forget.  Ms. Cis had her try again, and this time she laid down on the side of the pool like she was supposed to, but she was worried about getting pulled in again so she stayed far away from the edge and wasn’t close enough to reach Mr. Steve.  I love how Ms. Cis is doubled over in laughter.

YAY!  She finally got it right on the third try.

Then Ms. Cis said that if someone is out in the middle of the pool where you can’t reach them with your arms, you can use a stick or pole to help pull them to the side.  I am so glad she teaches them pool safety along with how to swim.

She is such a great teacher and we just love taking lessons from her.  She is stern and serious, but she also is very effective and cares so much about the kids.

Here’s a picture of the group that took lessons together.  It was funny b/c we had 2 Andrews and 2 Riley’s in the same class.  They were a good group and we liked getting to sit outside the gate and talk w/ their Mom’s while we all waited for our kids.  It was fun to have Dad come to the lesson tonight to watch the kids swim w/ Lexie & I.

Drew, Andrew, Autumn, Cis, Riley, Steve, & Riley.

I was so sad when I got home and saw how washed out my pictures looked.  I tried my go to editing in Picasa, but even that didn’t help.  So, I clicked on a link in Picasa to Picnik.  It is AWESOME!  This is the SOOC picture and the one above it (which looks so much better) is the one where I used 1960’s edit in Picnik.  Some of the effects you can only use if you pay for them, but they have a lot that are FREE.  I will for sure be using Picnik in the future b/c it’s ridiculously easy!

We came home from lessons and let the kids have a popsicle and I edited pictures for a little bit and then brought Autumn home b/c she was whiny and tired.  I am watching Eat, Pray, Love while blogging and doing a load of laundry.  I am really glad tomorrow is Friday and that this is a long weekend.  We’re going to have a blast making lots of memories.