FREE SWIM

Since the Benedict Inn is shutting down at the end of March, they are opening up the facility to the public,

FOR FREE on

Sunday, March 27th, from 2-4pm.

There will of course, be swimming, along with refreshments.

Last Post

This is the last post for the swim blog. I am very sad to have to do this, but I am a realist, and I know I will have no more need of this.

I do hope that we were able to help you at some point.

Since this is the last post, I have added my 'Sink or Swim' page at the bottom of this post.

Sink or Swim

Swimming can save your life. But what about when it is time to stop living? Is there anywhere to go? Where will you go? Where do you want to go? How do you go about getting there? Thankfully, there are answers to these questions.

After this life, there is Heaven or Hell.

How do you get to one & avoid the other?

We are all imperfect. Every last one of us. We are not able to enter Heaven of our own accord. We are to be held accountable for our imperfection & sinful acts. Since we have no way of making it right, we are condemned to die eternally in Hell. (Romans 3:10- as it is written, there is none righteous, not even one)

How bleak.

However our Creator, God, loves us. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ to die on our behalf. If you were the ONLY person in the world in need of salvation, He still would have died for YOU. (John 3:16- for God so loved the world that He gave is only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life)

All you need to do to get to Heaven is realize you are a sinner, and believe that Jesus loved you enough to die for you. Ask Him to forgive you.

That. Is. All.

No door to door, no denying yourself of everything, no being perfect, no baptism, no re-accepting. One you have sincerely asked, you are saved. Forever. (John 10:28- and I have given eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of my hand)

While the above acts are applicable in certain situations, or can be good things, they are NOT necessary for your eternal life in Heaven.

If you have further questions or would like to know more, visit my church website. You are always welcome to visit ANY time you would like.

No Session

Unfortunately, due to a huge lack of interest, there will be no group swim lessons offered.

Since the pool will be closing permanently on the 31st of March, there will be no more group lessons at all.

I will still offer private or semi-private lessons until the end of next month. Please let me know if you'd like to work something out.

REGISTRATION TOMORROW!!!

Spring session registration is tomorrow, Saturday, February 12, from 10am-1pm.

Mention the blog at sign ups, and receive $5 off your fee.

Spaces still available...

Another Possibility for Saturday

Seeing as the 9:45-10am time is not possible for those children in school, the time may be a water acclimation class for 3yr olds.

It would be a small class, and still 45min, but with more of a focus on water safety, getting used the the water, and basic acclimation.

If you are interested in this, please let me know so I can make it official.

And as always, please feel free to contact me with any questions.

March Session Registration

Registration for the March session will be at the Benedict Inn on Saturday, February 12th from 10-1.

Please be prepared to pay for the session when you sign up.

Please share this information with anybody you think may benefit from it.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions - e-mail is the best way, but you can call or text me as well 317-260-7318.

Dates for Spring Session

I have the dates and times for the spring session. Since I am not anticipating a huge turn out, I will be filling up a time slot before moving onto the next. Here are the currently available days/dates/times.

As of now, there are two sessions planned, however if there are only a few for one, we may need to drop it. Unfortunately that cannot be determined yet.

February 28- March 11 & March 14-25
Monday, Wednesday, Fridays- 9:45-10:30am

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday- 4-4:45pm(TT) and 1-1:45pm(S)

If the class times do fill up, then the next time to open up will be earlier in the day. Since the pool schedule only allows us much time, I figured that starting with the latest available slot would be best.

I am trying to put together a registration day, and should know when that will be in a day or two. Probably sometime in early or mid-February.

I do plan on having a make up day for each session, and you can see the plans for those on the Policies page.

Please let me know if you have any questions, and I will do my best to help. If you would like to 'pre-register,' please e-mail with the following details: Parent name & contact info, child's name, age, skill level, and requested days. Payment is expected before the start of the session, and a deposit is due at registration to hold the spot.

As for the payment, you can read up on it at the Policies page. Any early payment will be accepted. It can be mailed to my attention at the Benedict Inn (1402 Southern Ave., Beech Grove, 46107), or given to me directly while I am at the pool.

New Contact Info....again

I am very sorry to do this yet again, but the phone number to reach me at has changed. You can find it the right of the screen: 317-260-7318

Spring Lessons, 2011

Since the pool may not be around after the end of March, we are going to try to get one last swim session squeezed in.

I am in the process of getting days and times approved, and will share them as soon as I know.

I do realize that since this session will be smack dab in the middle of the school year, that many may not be able to attend, and I very sorry for that. I am trying to get the best times, should it fit into your child's school schedule.

There will also be private lessons offered, and there aren't many openings. If you are interested in private lessons, please let me know. You can see the pricing on the Private Lessons page.

An e-mail would be the best way to get in touch with me. You can also call me, but be prepared to leave a message and I will get back with you within a day or so.

More News...

I realize it has been a looong time sine I last posted, and I do apologize. Between different illnesses, family trips, and of course, the most recent holiday, I have fallen behind in many areas.

As of this moment, the pool is still scheduled to close at the end of March. I am trying to work out a final lesson program or those of you who will be able to participate during the school year.

I am hoping to have some better information by the end of this week - please feel free to get in touch with me (e-mail is best, but you may also call) if you have questions, or if nothing is posted again by the beginning of next week.

I hope you had a very merry Christmas, and that next year is blessed for you.

~Cristi

News

Well, it looks as though the Benedict Inn pool will be closing come spring time. I am hoping to get in a lesson session before that happens, probably sometime during March, right before it closes. I will have more information as I get it, as well as any relevant updates.

Next session update

After much thinking, prayer and advice gathering, I have made the very difficult decision of not having a fall session for swimming.

There are definitely the people to fill a session, but since nothing has been formalized, I thought this is the best decision.

While I love to do this, I have many responsibilities not only to my family, but to myself as well, and many things are getting neglected with the pressure of having lessons. If we had a light summer, then it wouldn't be a big deal, but I started planning and organizing for lessons in March, and am just now getting over the final session.

I will still post on things you can do to help your children begin to swim, as well as developments on future lessons.

Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you so much for your understanding.

What you can do, part 2

Bubbles. It sounds juvenile and way to easy for most kids. However, blowing bubbles is a good way to start introducing breath control. When swimming, it is easy to run out of breath.

Teaching them to slowly release breath is the best way to start breath control. The benefit is that younger kids get a kick out of seeing bubbles, and now they can produce them without getting in trouble at the dinner table!

Older swimmer? Nose bubbles. This is a good practice to get into at any age. if you must hold your nose when going under or jumping, then your hands are only working at 50%. This will free up both hands, as well as make a faster swimmer.

If your child is nervous about getting water in their nose, start slowly. Have them blow from their nose close enough to the water to make the surface move. A bathtub or small pool may be best to start to avoid waves. Gradually get closer to the water until they are actually blowing underneath the surface.

Both of these can be done over and over for practice. You make a game to see how long they can make the bubbles go before they run out of air. Then see if the can beat their time. They could even practice slow breath release anywhere, then be ready for the water when it is accessible.

Please let me know if you have any questions, or even any other suggestions!

Fall/ Winter session

We will be having a fall/ winter session. The times will be October 15-30. A Friday/Saturday combo for 3 weeks. The times will be Fridays at 5:15 and Saturdays at 1:15.

In an effort to keep this session small-ish, there will be limited spaces. In keeping with the first come, first served, I will be contacting those who have shown an interest earlier this summer. I will then move down the list to those I hear from starting today. Thank you for understanding.

There will also be a payment deadline. If you will be signing up, I MUST have your fee by FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1st.

I will post again soon on the amount of availability. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, or E-MAIL ME. This will be the easiest way to get a hold of me, and probably get the quickest response.

What you can do, part 1

I am still waiting on a response about dates for the fall session, and I promise to post as soon as I find out anything. Until then, I will finally begin a series that I had tried to start a while back....

This may sounds very counterproductive to a parent who wants their child to learn, but let them play. Get them to a body of water (where you are comfortable of course), and let them splash around and just have fun.

If a child isn't comfortable in the water, he will not be successful in swim lessons. Sometimes private lessons are best for those who do have fears of the water. On the bright side, if a child is scared, you don;t need to fork out the money for lessons, if you are an able bodied swimmer. You can get your child acclimated to the water. Just go slowly and let them get used to it at their speed.

Is your child not afraid? Try to let them play in water they can barely touch in. They will be comfortable with the ground so close, but will also be challenged while playing & having fun.

Business as Usual

I first would like to apologize for neglecting (again) posting here. I have no real reason, but some of my excuses include VBS at our church, an upcoming family wedding for which I am doing the cake, and just plain old business.

OK. I realized that most places of business have hours. This is nice so you can know when to expect someone to answer the phone, when you can stop by, etc.

I have no such hours.

However, I thought I would let you know when you would be most likely to get a hold of me, and when you would definitely not. That being said, I do always check my messages, and try to return calls within 3-4 days at the most.

I do as much as I can to not work on Sundays. Yes, we can debate the actual 7th day of the week, the day of rest, blah, blah, blah. However, Sundays we go to church as a family, and it is the one day I count on my husband not being at work for any length of time. I started working when I was 17. From the beginning, I have not worked Sundays. I know I have missed out on employment because of this. I do not mind. I believe that my decision has been honored and I have been blessed for it.

So, enough of that.

My children usually nap (ha.ha.) around 1-3, so it is easier for me to answer my phone, then, or to return calls during that time.

I try very hard not to call people after 9pm, so there is a good chance I will not answer the phone after that hour.

I do not guard regularly at the pool, so I cannot give you a time you can find me there, unless it is during the hours of lessons.

I hope this has helped a little bit. I will try to get a page done on 'business hours' and have it posted to the right so you can easily find in the future. But for now....

What you can do...

If you are anything like me, you will try to figure out a way to do something for yourself, before paying somebody else to do it. I do a lot of homemade items, such as household cleaner, body scrub, bread. Not all at the same time, but I can save a good chunk of change when I want to.

I was thinking about swimming. I am incredibly blessed that I have a daughter who LOVES to swim. Teaching her has been such a joy. She will soak up anything I tell her (in regards to swimming), and just take off. I cannot describe the peace I feel knowing that I do not have to worry about her around water. Which is not to say I let her swim alone, but I don't need to watch her every second like a hawk.

This little freedom allows me to focus on my son. He is not a water bug like his sister. He loves to swim, but he needs to either be able to touch, or hold onto an adult. And splashing is a huge offense. It will not be a walk in the park to teach him, but it will be a challenge.

Why am I telling you all of this? Because I think that a good deal of parents can teach their children how to swim. Maybe not at an Olympic training level, but a basic survival/able to have fun in the water level.

I have decided to try to pass along some of the tips and techniques I use for my private lessons, as well as my own children.

Please let me know if you have specific questions, and if you are finding any of my posts helpful. Feedback my not always be fun, but I am sure it can be helpful most of the time.

July Session Update

Registration is closed for July.

I am still taking names & numbers for those who are interested in a fall/winter session. I am thinking towards the beginning of October, and probably 2 days a week for three weeks. It may get tweaked a bit, nothing has been set in wet sand just yet.

The plan will then be to offer an early spring session and 1 summer session.

I have loved doing this program this summer, and loved trying to provide outstanding lessons. If you have participated and would like to share your experience, please feel free to leave a comment.

While I did enjoy this summer, it has been a bit stressful and just plain crazy at times. The goal behind the three times a year session (other than the obvious), is to be able to relax between sessions, and be fully ready for the next one. I have barely had time to breathe since the sessions were so close together. But it wasn't a bad thing.... usually.

So if you have missed lessons this year, are looking for an activity during the school year, or just want your kids to learn to swim, please let me know. Send me an e-mail and tell me if you would be interested in a fall session, the early spring session, or both. I will get in touch with you, and I will also be sure to post any developments regarding future sessions.

Happy Independence Day!

Enjoy your freedoms & don't forget where they came from.

July is Here

I have been neglecting posts here for a while. I had a migraine get the better of me two days in a row, then I am trying to prepare for a wedding shower this weekend, and the wedding only a few weeks from now!

So, as of right now, there are NO more beginner spots. There are only a FEW intermediate places, and several advanced openings.

There is one week left until registration is closed. JULY 10 is the last day.

I will get to some comments/suggestions from this previous session in a day or two. Until then, enjoy your summer and have a great holiday weekend!