He Did It!!!

He did it!!!

That was the text message I sent to Holger this afternoon after Niels had returned triumphant from his Swimming Diploma test (Zwemdiploma A). Finally, after months of lessons, endless moaning and groaning about how he didn’t want to go any more, umpteen occasions when we’ve been half way to the location only to have the lesson cancelled due to thunderstorms....finally, it’s over.

We made what I suspect is a common mistake and enrolled Niels in swimming lessons back in Holland far, far too early. The swimming pool Gestapo in Lochem would have everybody believe that your child has to start lessons at four years old. So there was Niels, a kid who loves swimming and is very confident and able in the water, stuck on the side of the pool with 15 other kids, some who were even afraid to stand in the knee-deep water, let alone swim. Months of shivering on the sidelines had well and truly wrecked his motivation by the time we moved here.
Fortunately we chanced upon a very good teacher and Niels only shared his 40 minute lesson with one other child most of the time. The lessons were held at a nearby condo which has a gorgeous huge pool, plus big paddling pool where I could entertain Carl every week. Even so, we are all pretty bored with it by now so hip hip hooray for Niels for getting his certificate!



He was convinced that getting your swimming diploma actually meant you got a gold cup, so I arranged that for him too, because he deserves it.