Bébé Nageur

 

Today was the day!  I have been waiting for 6 whole months for today!  The day that Jacob was old enough to go to the bébé nageur (baby swimmers) class!  Technically the class I have been waiting for is a Wednesday morning class at Royatonic, the pool where my aquagym class is.  However, for his first time, I wanted Matthew with me in case it turned out to be a complete failure.  The main pool in Chamalieres has a bébé nageur class on Saturday mornings.  Perfect!  The first step was convincing Matthew to come with me.  In France, guys aren't allowed to wear board short type swim suits.  At Royatonic, there is a sign that shows what suits are acceptable:  the tiny biker short looking ones, the short suit ones I call 'J Crew bathing suits', or the ever popular Speedo.  Matthew agreed to wear the 'J Crew' shorts, which on anyone else wouldn't be that short, but have you seen my husband?  In his 6'4" frame, most of that height is in his legs.  More specifically in his thighs.  So the shorts are really short on him.  he he.

Teeny tiny shorts in hand, we headed to the pool this morning.  I had Jacob already dressed in his swim diaper and swim shorts, and I had my suit under my clothes, so getting ready in the locker room was easy.  Then we went to put our stuff in a locker and realized we needed a euro piece.  Neither one of us had any money.  We were all set to just take Matthew's wallet with us to the pool area and risk leaving the locker unlocked.  As I headed to the women's showers (yeah, you have to take a shower before getting into the pool), I see Matthew head over to ask a janitor about the locker situation.  Jacob and I shower, and walk through the wading pool (to get off any remaining dirt from your feet before you can get into the pools) and wait for Matthew to come out of the guy's shower side.  We wait.  And we wait.  And we wait.

I was starting to think that Matthew went back out to the front desk to ask for a euro piece or the little member card to put in the locker.  After several more minutes, Matthew finally emerges from the showers...
In a Speedo!!!!  I am talking, full-on, banana hammock!!!  Bwah haha!  Apparently at this pool, guys can only wear the little biker shorts or a Speedo (even though all the lifeguards are definitely sporting their Baywatch red swim shorts). The look on Matthew's face was priceless!   (Sorry babe!)  I thought at first Matthew had to buy the Speedo, but no, the janitor guy gave him one to wear.  Ewwww!

So at this point Matthew couldn't get into the water fast enough.  But oops, we forgot to bring the little piece of paper saying we had paid for the baby swim class.  So Matthew had to walk back across the pool area, back through the showers, back to the locker room, and then back to the pool. 

I tried my very best to convince Matthew to let me take a picture, but he refused.  The only pictures allowed were ones where he is completely submerged in water.  Shoot!

I don't think Jacob knew what to think about the whole pool thing.  He had his serious, deep thinking, furrowed brow face on most of the time.  The few times he did crack a smile was when a cute little girl baby in a bikini would "swim" past.  I think he definitely enjoyed himself though.  He got really tired towards the end (at that point it was already 30 minutes past his normal nap time), and the final straw was when a ball Matthew was playing with under the water, popped up, splashing both Jacob and me right in the face.  Other than that, I would consider the baby swim class a success!  I have to get a 'certificate medicale' and proof of vaccinations, before I can go to the Royatonic class.  We don't have that many weeks left here, but I definitely want to take him.  I have only been able to find one class in Greenville that has a class for babies this small.  I don't know why- it is great!