Floating Finale

James didn't hang on to the fever very long, just long enough to stay home a couple days. He wasn't exactly thrilled about it; he's really enjoying band, and the novelty of being at home wore off quickly.

We went to the pool three times week in an effort to get Adam his First Class rank in Scouts; the swimming requirement was the only one lacking. But the boy was having serious difficulty floating. Comes from not having fat on his bones.

Since James was sick anyway, we skipped Scouts on Tuesday to spend some dedicated time in the pool, just myself and Adam.

It was snowing pretty good on Wednesday, so we didn't go anywhere that night.

James was all better by Thursday, but it was also a snow day, so the kids were out of school, but by evening they were getting antsy and needed to go out and do something, so I took them to the pool again. Besides, Cheryl was hosting a party at the house for one of our church friends, so to reduce the overall noise level, out we went.

Everyone had a great time, but we still didn't do much in the way of floating.

Friday was a regular school day (finally!), and everyone was feeling better, so off they went. That evening, Cheryl and I went on a date: dinner and a Beatles concert! Of course, it wasn't the real Beatles, but it was still a good concert.

And it was still snowy.

Saturday was a very busy day. Adam had his ACT test (we force him to take at least major test a quarter to keep him in practice, so he'll be ready for high school and college). As a reward, he got to go to Steak'n'Shake. Then I had to go to work for awhile. And then ... back to the pool! We had arranged to meet with another Scout family to go through the swimming requirements for 1st Class and 2nd Class, and I was intent on getting it done.

It also happened to be the Chinese New Year celebration at the school, plus the Sweetheart Dance, so the place was packed. And it was still snowing! We had a bit of difficulty finding parking, and the snow was a bit thicker than I'd counted on, but we made it inside and got into the nice, warm pool.

We got to practice in the big pool (6'8" deep), which was not quite as warm as the family pool (4'5"), but that didn't cause a problem for anyone. Except Adam took quite a long time to ease himself into the water. That's the problem when there isn't any body fat to keep him warm. But once he got in, he was OK. He did his floating thing, and then he played 'drowning victim' for the other two, so everyone got through their requirements. Now Adam is all set for his 1st Class rank, and James is well on his way to 2nd class! Yay!

Due to the crowds and the snow, it took us quite a while to get back home, but we managed it. And then we celebrated our success with hot chocolate!

Can't wait til the next Honor Court. It'll be nice to have some new ranks complete!