ISR Swimming Lessons

Happy Monday!

I've been getting A LOT of questions about Graham's swim lessons over on my Instagram (@SarahTuckerUp), so, after tons of you requesting a post, here I am finally cranking one out!

We knew we wanted G to be in swim lessons this summer. My parents just sold their house and are moving to the lake permanently and my in-laws back up to a HUGE pond on a golf course, so the chances of Graham being around water are very high. We hope to one day have a pool and water safety is just something you can't put a price on.

I'd seen videos on Instagram and Facebook of these babies, BABIES, being dunked into the water and then floating and I would get hooked on the ISR hashtag. When it came time to enroll Graham in swim lessons, I started to do some real research on ISR.

ISR stands for Infant Swimming Resource. The ISR technique is designed to teach children how to survive (and swim!) in the water if they so happen to fall in accidentally.

I'll let you all research on your own, but after realizing that blowing bubble and learning to "kick, kick, kick" wouldn't save him, I was 100% on board with ISR.

The swim lessons are one on one, five days a week, and only last 10 minutes. Swimming is exhausting and these little ones are working HARD for the whole 10 minutes.

I will admit that the first few days/weeks are hard because your child cries the whole time during the lesson. They are learning to hold their breath and it is really hard to watch. BUT, BUT all I thought about is how THIS COULD SAVE HIS LIFE!!! By the second week, the crying didn't phase me. After about three weeks, Graham hardly ever cried and would lunge to get into his instructor's arms.

I was truly amazed at each lesson how much he learned and retained. It is crazy how a little one can truly SWIM!

In 6 weeks, Graham has successfully completed ISR. His final test was to be 'flipped' into the water fully clothed and he had to float for a whole minute. His diaper probably weighed 5 pounds when he got out!! You can see the video of his float on my Instagram (@SarahTuckerUp).

As far as the financial investment, it honestly was something we talked about as an investment. It is $95-100 per week and your child typically needs 6 weeks. When I compared the price to a swim school close by (where G wouldn't have learned to float and SURVIVE!), it was worth the additional couple hundred dollars in our eyes.

He will need refresher lessons later this fall (Texas is HOT until about November) and then in the spring. Next summer he will probably need about three weeks of lessons to remember all he was taught and learn a few new skills.

For his age, 16 months, he was taught to swim and then float. Next summer he will be taught to roll back over from his float and swim toward the edge of the pool and then float when he needs to rest.

The whole experience was truly amazing! I'm in awe of the little babies I witnessed float for minutes! And, I'm in awe that my own child can float for longer than I can!

If you have any comments or questions, I'd love to give you all the information I have. I really encourage you to research ISR and, if you're going to be around water, think about this as an investment! It is so worth it!!

Recent Finds + Link Up

Recently, I haven't been getting out of my favorite Nike running shorts and workout tanks. Graham has ISR swim lessons every. single. morning. and from there we always run errands or go play with a friend.

Yesterday I told y'all a secret I've been keeping, so that took up much of my time the last week or so interviewing and whatnot. By the end of the night, when I have someone around to take my pictures, I'm already a hot, sweaty mess from the day's activities that the last thing I want to do is change to go take pictures!

But, I didn't want to miss out on telling y'all about some of my recent favorite finds!!

This dress has become a weekly wear. For only $19.99, I can't believe it has pockets! It is really stretchy, so soft and comfy,  and really long! I'm 5'3" and typically wear a S/M (more medium!) because I love things to have some room. I read the reviews and everything said size down, so I went with the small and I probably should have gone with the extra small because the neck scoops down pretty low and it is really long on my short body!! But, I've already spilled a martini on it and, if you're wondering, it washes great! Wash and hang dry/lay flat to dry and you're good to go!

I posted the top picture on my instagram a few days ago and y'all were going nuts over my cactus tee! I've worn it so much and feel like I've posted about it so much, but there were still quite a few of you dying to know where I got it! It is only $14.99! Once again, it is super soft and stretchy! I am wearing a medium, but should have got the small because it goes down really low under the arms! I just love my mediums because they're so roomy :)

AND, we have to talk about these Spanx leggings everyone is raving about. I went to Nordstrom because I haven't had a real bra that fits since before G was born and, with me starting back to school, I figured I needed to get that situation taken care of. I successfully fell in LOVE with these Spanx bras (I bought two!) and then noticed right outside the dressing room were these raved about Spanx leggings, so I thought I'd try them on. 

And, now I get it. They're amazing. They're so well made and I felt like I could go in public with these on without having to worry if anything was showing through. I'm wearing a medium and was not about to stuff my body into a small. They are high wasted, so they really suck it all in!

An InLinkz Link-up

I Quit Being A Stay At Home Mom

Hi, friends! I'm coming at you today with another turn in this crazy adventure we call life!

As my post title says, I quit being a stay at home mom! Yup! Only two months ago I wrote out how we felt it was right for me to stay home with Graham and here I am telling you that job wasn't for me. Let me explain.

Last summer I ultimately decided to go back to teaching because I knew, at that time, I wasn't cut out to stay at home with a baby all day, everyday. Yes, I LOVE my child and would literally do ANYTHING in the world for him, but I needed adults.

Fast forward to the end of this school year and G is a totally different kid. Chris and I talked and we decided it would be fun for me to stay home this coming year. 

So, I happily resigned and assumed my new role under Graham's leadership.

And, after two months I started panicking because I realized that this was my new normal. Everyone got to go to work and talk with adults and sip coffee and go to the restroom alone, and I couldn't. Then, I started realizing that, now that I'm home, I'm now the primary cook and cleaner. Then I really started to panic!! I can stay home with G, but being a 'homemaker' is NOT my jam!! 

I resigned in hopes to get a position the district was implementing that was three days a week. It was a new program and I applied to get more information about it at the end of the school year. After contacting my old principal and asking if there were any updates about that position, he let me know that the district had decided to no go with that 'plan.'

That was my plan!! I was so in love with the thought of working three days a week! Now, here I was in July thinking how I did not feel "ready" to be home with G full time!

So, I sent out a desperate plea to my old principal whom graciously told me that, sadly, all the spots were full at my old school, but he would pass my name along.

Bing, bang, boom and I'm now going to be an instructional coach at a school just a few miles away from my old one!! 

I AM SO EXCITED!! 

This position is different than a homeroom teacher position. I will be going in to classrooms and pulling very small groups of students to target instruction. 

As always, thanks for supporting me on this journey! I feel like this is the perfect job for me and I'm really excited to get back into the swing of the school year!