Swimming

We have lived in our pool this summer more than any other summer. Mainly because Charlotte has turned into a little fish!!! She has always loved being in the pool but only if she was in the safety of her inflatable ring or someone's arms. Nathan is great in the water, but he needs to work on his "form." So, we decided to get both kids private swim lessons this summer. I found a company that finds swim instructors in your area and then they come to your house to give the lessons. Sounds great right? No, it was a disaster!

When I first signed up at the end of May, they told me that it would take 5-10 days to match me up with an instructor, which was fine. They found someone for me. We emailed and came up with a schedule of two lessons a week starting the 2nd week of June. Then Wayne surprised me with our trip to Italy, so I didn't want the kids to do one week of lessons then be off for two weeks while we were gone, so we decided to wait and start as soon as we got back (2nd week of July). On the first day of lessons, Nathan and Charlotte were so excited! We got all ready and waited and waited and waited and WAITED! She never showed up! I emailed her and called her, and got no response back. I called Sunsational Swim School, told them what happened, and they said, "Ohhhhh, I'm so sorry, we were afraid that might happen with Sarah.." Alrighty then, seems like they need to stop hiring Sarah out. So they said they'd match us up with a new instructor, but it would take another week. What a pain! I'm thinking the summer is almost over now, but oh well, we'll try again. So our next instructor contacted me. We set up a schedule to be every Tuesday/Wednesday at 10, and we were going to start July 16, finally. Well, it stormed like crazy that week. So we didn't start until the next week. Miss Rhodesia (yes, that's her name) showed up right at 10 that next Tuesday. She was very sweet, and the kids loved her. Charlotte did cry at first, but was fine after a short while. I watched and listened to the whole lesson from my living room to make sure everything was ok between the kids and Rhodesia, and I really did like her. 

At our next lesson, she was 15 minutes late. Not a big deal. She said that it's hard to keep right on schedule when she has another client before me. Totally understandable. The next week, we make sure to be ready and waiting right at 10. Then it's 10:15, then 10:25. I'm thinking she's not coming. At 10:30, she shows up. She apologized for being late. I was irritated, but luckily didn't have anything planned that afternoon so I didn't care that much that we were starting late and ending late. At the next lesson, I didn't kill myself trying to have the kids ready at 10...I figured she would be here between 10:15 and 10:30. NO! She didn't show up until 10:45! I was so pissed! Yes, she always shows up, but does she think I have nothing else better to do than wait on her? I plan the rest of my day around these lessons. So on this day, I told her that she can't keep showing up late. I originally signed up for 10:00, and I understand that it's hard to be exactly on time if there is a client ahead of me (although maybe she should get there a little earlier) so why don't we agree on 10:30...that should give you plenty of time to get here. I told her I couldn't sit around here waiting and wondering if she was going to be late or not come at all. She was nice about it and said she'd be here right at 10:30 next week. 

I then emailed the company and let them know about her being late and how I wanted that corrected, but that I did like her and what she was teaching my kids. They emailed me back a few days later, said they talked to her, and that she would be on time next week. So the next lesson rolls around. 10:30 comes and goes. Seriously? This was the day that I was getting my hair cut and highlighted so Nathan and Charlotte were going to spend the day at Grandmother's house. Grandmother offered to have them over earlier in the morning so I could have some extra time, but I said we couldn't because of lessons. 10:40, and she is still not here. No call. No email. I was so mad that if she did show up late, I wasn't going to answer the door. So I called and emailed the company telling them what happened and that I wanted to cancel the rest of my lessons and get a FULL refund. 

I told Nathan and Charlotte to get dressed so we could go ahead and go to Grandmother's house and that if the doorbell rang, do not go to the door. On the way to Grandmother's house, the swim school called me and said that they talked to Rhodesia at 11:05. She was in my neighborhood coming to my house. They told her I was upset and wanting to cancel lessons and that she needed to try to smooth things over with me (they are telling me all of this about the conversation they had with Rhodesia). And Rhodesia got offended that I was offended that she was late and told them that if I said all of that, she was turning around and going home! Can you believe that?! And I can't believe the company even told me about that conversation. 

Needless to say, we canceled everything, and they did agree to give me a full refund.

The good thing though, is that Rhodesia did get Charlotte more used to the water and to going under. The week after we quit lessons, everything just clicked with Charlotte. She LOVES to go under now! She will jump in (without me holding her hands) and then swim to the side. It is a little scary that she has no fear now and is so confident, but we are so proud of her! She and Nathan have so much fun in the pool now.