Last week at the pool I found out that a lovely family who bring their severely disabled child for swimming lessons just lost their new baby.
The sadness of this is heartbreaking.
This week I looked across at the couple and saw them laughing. Intrigued, I went to see what had amused them so, and found them entertained by the antics of one of our most difficult clients. A teenage Downe Syndrome boy who has made a fine art out of procrastination. The frustration of Swim 4 All staff in trying to get this able bodied boy to cease with his endless excuses and just get on with swimming at least provided some light relief to someone who desperately needed it.
There is a place for everything!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Memorable Moment at Swim 4 All 1 - 2009
A normally reserved mum of a Autistic child standing up on her chair yelling, "Look everyone, my child is swimming," as her child dogpaddles from the teacher towards her. Then she turns to me and says, "I never actually thought she would be able to learn to swim."
Funny, being the swim school owner it was always my intent to have the child swim, but the expectations of parents of children with a disability are not like those of neurotypical children, and the joy of seeing them celebrate any success is truely wonderful."
Funny, being the swim school owner it was always my intent to have the child swim, but the expectations of parents of children with a disability are not like those of neurotypical children, and the joy of seeing them celebrate any success is truely wonderful."
Monday, June 14, 2010
Friday 11th June... thanks to the wind for waiting for me
After being a good samaritain all day and on a windy day too... the wind held out so I could have a kite before work!
Rushing around shopping for mum whose going into hospital, donating goods to various places picking up kids from school... got to beach for sun and lovely WSW wind. Not too gusty but strong with big smooth waves hmmmm. Then a front or some such weather thing happened and it got crazy. For a split second I thought ... oh unpredictable big wind on 9m kite, should be careful, and then I came to my senses and made the most of the big gusts and got some huge elevators. Nearly landed on the beach with one! Ah what fun!!! There wre a few guys out on 7m kites and one on 10m. When the gust came a guy on a 10m left his board and did a running on water thing all the way to shore... very funny to see.
Rushing around shopping for mum whose going into hospital, donating goods to various places picking up kids from school... got to beach for sun and lovely WSW wind. Not too gusty but strong with big smooth waves hmmmm. Then a front or some such weather thing happened and it got crazy. For a split second I thought ... oh unpredictable big wind on 9m kite, should be careful, and then I came to my senses and made the most of the big gusts and got some huge elevators. Nearly landed on the beach with one! Ah what fun!!! There wre a few guys out on 7m kites and one on 10m. When the gust came a guy on a 10m left his board and did a running on water thing all the way to shore... very funny to see.
Tuesday 8th June - kiting in cold wind with rain = icecream headache... without the calories!
Nice little kite today. The difference between summer and winter kiting. A good summer session is long and you learn something. A good winter session is short and you stay dry as long as possible. Once your head hits the water, time on the water is limited. I cut my foot on the way back to the car and didnt notice until it defrosted after my hot shower at home!!! I love my heated wetsuit, it totally rocks, didnt really need it on the crossing, it wasnt that cold a day and I was working it all the time, but at brighton in winter it is soooo sweeeet! My hands and feet and eventually my head freezes, but I could always wear my booties, gloves and hat ... if it was that important to feel my extremities!
Too scared to try any tricks that might cause excess splash or even worse a crash and full submersion!!! But still love to get out and ride. Feels great when the sun is shining and my tunes are playing on my iphone.
Too scared to try any tricks that might cause excess splash or even worse a crash and full submersion!!! But still love to get out and ride. Feels great when the sun is shining and my tunes are playing on my iphone.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
May 20th Swim 4 All Foundation Not For Profit Committee meet
1st meeting for the Swim 4 All Foundation Not For Profit Committee was held Thursday Night at the Rosstown Hotel.
All psositions were verified and ideas on how to move forward documented. A great bunch of people with a vast amount of knowledge and skills to make the most our joint committment to expand the services Swim 4 All provides.
All psositions were verified and ideas on how to move forward documented. A great bunch of people with a vast amount of knowledge and skills to make the most our joint committment to expand the services Swim 4 All provides.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
May 26th - bless the sun and wind
After days of getting back in the swing of things, loving work and catching up on everyone's progress, but hating the paperwork I am contantly behind in, god granted me some wind.
I rode my bike to a morning meeting to Berendale special school to check out the facilities to plan next terms classes there. It also has a gym attached which opens up great possiblities for combined programs and holiday programs as well. Very exciting. The staff are so pleased we will be using the facility for its intended purpose so its a win win.
On the way home I put in a request for wind so I could delay an afternoon of paperwork, or I should say computer work.
And it came, thank goodness for the unusual direction of Mentone beach so I could kite in the Easterly. It was a sweet little ride. Whooo hooooing in the lovely sunshine.
Melbourne put ont similar weather to Canada when I returned, cold and wind free and I was worried that winter had arrived early, but in true Melbourne style we had a lovely autum afternoon with 20K to keep me happy.
I rode my bike to a morning meeting to Berendale special school to check out the facilities to plan next terms classes there. It also has a gym attached which opens up great possiblities for combined programs and holiday programs as well. Very exciting. The staff are so pleased we will be using the facility for its intended purpose so its a win win.
On the way home I put in a request for wind so I could delay an afternoon of paperwork, or I should say computer work.
And it came, thank goodness for the unusual direction of Mentone beach so I could kite in the Easterly. It was a sweet little ride. Whooo hooooing in the lovely sunshine.
Melbourne put ont similar weather to Canada when I returned, cold and wind free and I was worried that winter had arrived early, but in true Melbourne style we had a lovely autum afternoon with 20K to keep me happy.
End of Trip - May Canada
Toronto Island and the inpromtu lighthouse tour was cool. The oldstyle houses with the city in the background were amazing.
Onto Ottawa and slightly warmer weather enabled a lovely bike ride along the cannal to visit the tulip festival. Felt like I was in the Netherlands.
Finished the visit with a horse ride seeking an a moose sighting, but had to settle for deer and beaver damns. No helmet required for the ride made me happy to start with... gotta love wind in your hair, but when the trainee fell off for the 3rd time I began to question my lack of hat. It was a very hairy ride going through rivers and up and down steep rock faces that frekked out the horsees. And i forgot how sore you get after hours on a horse, lucky the hotel had a spa!
The best part of the trip was feeding the squirrels and chipmunks in the park. They are sooo adorable. Would have smuggled a chipmunk home if I could have caught one.
Although I had more than enough trouble at the airports without smuggling anything.
Do I really look like a drug smuggling terrorist? I was checked for everything, had all my stuff emptied out and felt up way to many times by chicks. One of my planes broke and I had to try and find another way to get out of LA and twice I was given the same seat as someone else. I do love to fly and be up in the clouds but I dont think I'll take a plane trip that far again soon, and no more connections in LA!
I think getting my skydiving licence would be a more fun way to spend time in the clouds!
Onto Ottawa and slightly warmer weather enabled a lovely bike ride along the cannal to visit the tulip festival. Felt like I was in the Netherlands.
Finished the visit with a horse ride seeking an a moose sighting, but had to settle for deer and beaver damns. No helmet required for the ride made me happy to start with... gotta love wind in your hair, but when the trainee fell off for the 3rd time I began to question my lack of hat. It was a very hairy ride going through rivers and up and down steep rock faces that frekked out the horsees. And i forgot how sore you get after hours on a horse, lucky the hotel had a spa!
The best part of the trip was feeding the squirrels and chipmunks in the park. They are sooo adorable. Would have smuggled a chipmunk home if I could have caught one.
Although I had more than enough trouble at the airports without smuggling anything.
Do I really look like a drug smuggling terrorist? I was checked for everything, had all my stuff emptied out and felt up way to many times by chicks. One of my planes broke and I had to try and find another way to get out of LA and twice I was given the same seat as someone else. I do love to fly and be up in the clouds but I dont think I'll take a plane trip that far again soon, and no more connections in LA!
I think getting my skydiving licence would be a more fun way to spend time in the clouds!
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