School and Swimming

Margaret and Clara love to swim. We joined the YMCA because they have swim lessons year-round and they have a salt-water pool. It's so cool. When the girls splash in the water, it doesn't burn their eyes. Or mine. I always feel cleaned out and refreshed when I swim there. It's a very good setup. There're a shallow pool for little children, a deep diving pool and the rest of it is four feet deep or so, with a few lanes in the middle for those doing laps. There are skylights so it always seems light.
We go there probably four times a week. Clara can swim under water, or at least move around under water. Margaret can, too, but she doesn't revel in her accomplishment as Clara does. Clara comes up sputtering and smiling, with her hands raised like a gymnast who has just done a flip off the balance beam. They will be enrolled in real classes later in the fall. Margaret knows the swimming motion and splashes around on the surface better than Clara. So we have one underwater creature and one on the water.
When Gene comes, which is often, he kneels in the little pool and the girls climb onto his back and use him as a diving board. He's pretty strong to not be bothered by 35 pounds walking around on his back, I think. I don't do that move. The only kink is that Margaret cries for a bit if I leave them to do some lap swimming. But Gene usually has something fun that occupies her.
I think they are going to really like school. The classroom is bright, with lots of fun things to look at, do and play with. There are all sorts of toys, an area for dress up with princess dresses and fire fighters' hats, and even a filmy corner that simulates a kind of princess castle. So far, my girls aren't into the princess motif, and I hope they will shun it. Right now, Clara says she wants to play football. But back to the class. A table has sand toys in it, but it's filled with rice, not sand. There's a little white mouse in a cozy lair. Tons of art supplies. And the alphabet in various configurations all over the wall, along with a place for photos of family. Have to dig up a picture of all four of us, which may be hard to find.
For their entire lives, Margaret and Clara have been eating a hot lunch, at least since they've been on solid food. Eating a sack lunch will be an adjustment for them, and for me, who has to make it every morning. Any ideas to share? Please do. It was hard for me when I used to pack my own lunch!
As they were heading to bed tonight, Clara said Margaret had been playing on the playground with someone else besides her. Yes! Maybe Clara will realize Margaret is worth befriending and will try to be her friend instead of her manager. La Policia (as we call Clara) may be mellowing a bit! Stay tuned.