snapshots

Risa looks alarmingly comfortable in her new gi, or karate uniform. I think I need to be afraid.

It's a huge time of transition: end of summer, end of one set of programs and beginnings of another, and of, course, kindergarten and a new school. Risa has finished Level 2 Salamander in her swim lessons. The Red Cross preschool swim program comprises 5 levels (Sea Turtle, Salamander, Sunfish, Crocodile, Whale) where kids begin with games in Level 1 Sea Turtle and progress to independent swimming in Level 5 Whale. Even though I used to be an avid swimmer, I know nothing about swimming instruction for little kids. I don't drill her in any particular exercise and have mainly left teaching to the teachers. Risa loves the water so much that we have gone swimming outside of her lessons during the past month. On this day, her last day, her teacher has said that she's ready to enroll in Whale, which means she skyrocketed from a Level 1 swimmer to a Level 5 in only 7 months. However, due to her young age, her teacher agreed that it would be good to take a break from lessons and just swim for fun for a few months. I didn't tell him she's now busy with karate.