A loooooong proud mommy post! |Gilbert child Photographer|

Having my girls take swimming lessons has ALWAYS been a priority for my husband and I. The only problem...getting someone to teach twins without having two adults in the water with them! But...thanks to a super sweet friend...ahemmmm, Mariah....I was squeezed into a swim school with a closed waiting list when my twins were a year old. Since then...the first school they knew was swim school. And they have gone every week since they started, excluding the occasional missed week.


About a year ago, I switched swim schools when our teacher retired and then found the best school...
EVO Swim School in Gilbert. I could go on and on and on and on about my twin's instructor Ms. Lorraine! As a former teacher....I know the qualities I like in teachers for each of my girls and dread the day I have to be the pushy mommy for my girls in school. Needless to say, I'm pretty picky...I know my girls and there is a wrong way and a right way to teach both of them. Their swim teacher has the right way for BOTH of them, in my opinion a rare find in teachers!


When they first started with this new school, many of the methods were OPPOSITE of what they had been taught...kinda scary and a pain in the arz at first. And I'll be honest, it seemed like FOREVER until they would grasp the new swim concepts.


The biggest swim skill that is focused on as soon as they start at EVO is survival swimming. Meaning....being able to swim face down, then independently rolling on their back to get a breathe, back to face down and repeating this process until they reach a wall or stair. They also spend a TON of time on kicking...without using arms...but truly getting speed through water by just kicking. After what seemed like eternity....my girls passed their first class. And when I write passed, I mean had to pass two tests. The best part is they don't take passing tests lightly, it took one of my girls a month to pass her test.


When my girls moved on to the next level, Seal, I was floored at what they were being taught to do the first class. As I sat back and watched, behind a large window, I saw my girls attempting to swim the width of the pool with a swim barbell stretched out in front of them. The other two girls in their class were swimming the width of the pool...at a fast pace and doing literal laps! I couldn't help but pick my jaw off the ground thinking....um, are my girls training for the Olympics?


With each class I'm proud of my babies...leaving and calling my husband bragging on how amazing our girls swim. I'm in total awe of what they can do.


As I sit back and watch their lesson, I also think...they have one damn good teacher! She loves what she does! Her passion is clear....she is firm in her expectations, clear with directions, smiles while encouraging, repetitive, tries alternative methods for getting a concept across, and just is so damn good! While I do have to say, my girls are quick learners....it takes a good teacher to maximize learning. She is the BOM-diggity! The best part, my girls really do love her and I love seeing that she loves them.


One of the many skills the girls are learning... practicing swimming on her back and keeping the face up for breathing. (they tend to sink in a back float)
One of the many laps they make with their swim barbells to practice kicking.
Always so clear in talking with them...I love this part. She doesn't talk over them...but talks to them in clear, precise terms. I do love watching my girls ask their questions and practice what she teaches.
My babies are goggle junkies! They didn't use them until a few months ago...and now they are a must have for my girls when they swim.
And kicking with their face down and arms out to help them improve kicking. Here is one of Ms. Lorraine's many teaching talks...the kicking legs motion with two fingers. It's a popular talk for my Cam.

At the very end of every swim class, the girls get to have a few minutes of fun.

No real purpose for this one except for their Grammie...a rare moment, Cam waiting.
The day of swim school is our busiest day of the week. So....if you ever try to reach me and I never answer the phone or return calls...it's probably this day! If I answer, I preface it with....there might be a few baby cries or preschool giggles....at only one volume...LOUD!


After swim school, we spend the afternoon practicing the skills and having fun. Today my girls saw a lot of my camera!

This day is gets extra busy when I pick up our good friend who lives with us for a few days each week in the summer.
Here my girls jumped off the diving board and swam to the front steps of the pool. Cash is FABulous in going face up to get a breathe and then flip back over. Cam is still working on this...but she is getting to be the master in holding her breathe for a looooooong time.
Giggle Giggle... our friend doesn't do too well with anything she can't predict to the teensy weensiest detail. EXCEPT when it comes to the twins...she will endure just about anything for them. I giggled...outloud...when I saw her expression of "holy cow...here it comes...probably safer keeping my eyes shut!"


If you get a chance...I really recommend you look into EVO swim school! AND I recommend Ms. Lorraine.
Why?My Cam is the child that needs tight, strong as steel boundaries, tolerance for short attention span, repetition, alternative teaching methods (not a type A student) and a sense of humor because she'll keep you laughing.My Cash is the almost that type A child. Basic, old school teaching methods work with her. She's independent, likes space, needs room to reason, requires limits or she'll rule the leader or at least teach them how to do it better, and prefers cut and dry instruction.Ms. Lorraine fits each of these areas my girls need from a teacher.{side note: I'm not in any marketing agreements with them! I simply believe in the schools methods and believe in Ms. Lorraine.}