Hannah's always been really independent and headstrong...I've never kept this fact hidden. It causes me grief on a regular basis. But, as with all things that Hannah undertakes, when she is ready, she will go full bore and get it right.
Last year, it was swimming. She did NOT want to learn, never was going to...she cried the first day when they wanted her to put her head in the pool. But by the end of 6 weeks of lessons, she was doing pretty good, diving down for rings (albeit with little grace, lol) and swimming underwater without a care. This year, she moved up from her starting point (station 3) to her current session...where she is learning to do the backstroke, having mastered the crawl (or overhand) with rhythmic breathing (if you've never heard the term, it means breathing as you stroke, in a rhythm, or pattern). She's come through with flying colors.
Last year she also begged for a scooter. I am not fond of these things, but when our neighbor gave Scotty a 3-wheeledscooter, I knew it wasn't fair to Hannah NOT to have one. She insisted on a 2 wheeler, though. So, I scoured yard and garage sales and got one for $5 (not wanting to buy one for $25 only to discover she wouldn't like it). She taught herself...and got pretty good at riding it.
She's always done things in her way...she taught herself to write her name once she knew the letters in it...she can draw anything she sees...that's just Hannah.
So...her latest accomplishment? Well, it's in partial thanks to Ali's daughter, who has a 2 wheeled bike. Hannah decided to just pick it up and ride it. She's mastered it quite well in just a few days! I wish I had that kind of determination to just DO it and DO right!
And it appears that Scotty will follow his big sister...he's swimming like a fish NOW (today he passed into station 6 after doing his backstroke across the kiddie pool, stopping only once)...he too was a kid who was afraid to put his face in the water. Guess kids just KNOW when they are ready to do something. And Scotty's also learned to ride a 2-wheeled scooter. He about gave me a heart attack when I looked out the kitchen window one day earlier this summer and I saw him on the neighbor kids' scooter! He's got a lot of style and flair, as all things Scotty do!
And this? This is Akela...in one of her calm and quiet moments. (I put that up for you and the kids, Ali!)
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
On Her Own...
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6 comments:
hmmmm, I wonder where she gets that independent streak from....
:)
Do you think it has something to do with being the older sibling? I was like that to a point.
Hannah should talk to Jorden. She's scared to death about removing those training wheels. A nasty spill only confirmed her fears. Chase, however, refuses to be taught how to do something. Whether it's a shape-sorter or the potty, he's such a self-learner about things. And when he's trying to learn, he wants to be left alone to figure it out himself.
I remember hearing a story about a boy who was this way. He studied & studied how to do everything until he was absolutely sure he could do it & that was it. That's not any of my kids though nor my hubby! LOL
How great it is when a child grows up with such a strong backbone. No doubt where she's learning her lessons. Well done, mom & dad.
BTW, the dog's gorgeous. Akela is what we used to call our leaders in Boy Scouts (yes, I was a geek!) Our Akela, a man named Tevvy, was an inspiration to us all, and just the mention of the word brings fond memories to mind.
Ah, properly channeled that determination will serve her well. Cute story, thanks for sharing.
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