Last meet of the season...

It's like saying goodbye to an old friend.  Here are some great pictures of my baby boy - and a video of his fantastic run at the 100 butterfly.  (Notice how far behind he was from the guy to the right - and how he caught up with him after being under water about 1/2 of the pool distance!) You hear me at the end "Did he break a minute?" and then I saw the final time & then you'll hear some squealing...yah, that was me.  He was so pleased with himself after that race, and he should have been!  It was a fantastic race.  59:58.  His previous time was 1:02.12

Now here are some other photos of him swimming throughout the season.

 I have to look at those shoulders and think DANG! Is it just me - or can you actually see those muscle fibers?

I'll spare you the play-by-play details

Because OBVIOUSLY some people don't find swim meets as exciting as perhaps the participants and parents - I mean - poor Coby - she tried her hardest to keep interest, but fell short by about an hour!!!

But I have to say I'm so proud of my kids! Last night was the LAST {insert fanfare music here /TA\/DA\ lots of symbols crashing and other chaotic merriment} swim meet of the season! It was divisionals - 8 lanes open - Gold, Silver & Bronze metals along w/ 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th place ribbons to be had for all!

My talented children came home with 9 medals - including 3 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze, along with various other placement ribbons (thank you to the relay teams - ya know, you're only as fast as the kid that swims like a rat on acid) Poor Howie didn't get any medals and because of that he has vowed to never ever ever swim again ever unless, of course, his friend Brendan is there, in which case, he'll make an exception. (I just have to laugh at the expression on his face! It makes it even harder when you miss out on getting a metal by a HAIR!)


I must toot the horns of Kali, who got a GOLD MEDAL in the butterfly - WOAH - (she's never attempted that stroke in a race before!! she did FANTASTIC) Rossi EARNED his medals, the races were all very close down to the photo finish, BUT what's so impressive about him is that he only swam in his division (13-14) for ONE race, the other ones he swam up a level - the 15 and above - he did PHENOMENALLY! Kiersten of course did her best, had to pinch-swim for one of the girls on her relay team who got sick just before the race. Howie also swam butterfly (a new stroke for him) and came in BARELY 4th - just missed that bronze medal by a hair!

Four down, Three to go!

Yah, I'm counting, this summer is kicking my butt! Don't get me wrong, I really do love that the kids are enjoying themselves.

So this weeks swim meets were much better. We did the divisional for syncro - this last Wednesday night...Kiersten thought it more important to go to youth night at the church (the first three meets of the year for syncro are DEAD boring-and YW were scrapbooking their pictures from camp - so TOUGH decision there!! haa!) BUT, since it was divisional, all the pools in the division were there - I'm going to say there was 10 pools, I actually didn't count, but there were over 300 girls.

Because of the particular flavor of that meet, they handed out metals instead of ribbons, and Kali got a silver. woot woot to her - great job!

The swim meet was the next night and the kids did SO much better! Kali really must have regressed since last year because after my threat of telling her to swim correctly, she did 100 times better, BUT still not the quality she had last year - it's so hard for me to fathom that, however, she did do very well! She got 1st in freestyle and butterfly - although her ribbon for butterfly was a second place one, it was a very close race, but I got it on video and we paused the last few seconds, yep, she hit the wall first...she thought it was fine to get the red ribbon, because she ended up with one of each, a 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place (the 3rd & 4th were relays)


Howie, well, he's sort of competitive, but doesn't really care what place he gets, one race, he was watching his friend next to him warm up - it was SO funny, Grant, his friend, swings his arms all over, does this hysterical little dance and we all sort of got caught up watching Grant warm up, before the parents - even the coach - noticed the race had already started - and well, the kids were 1/2 way finished with the race before Grant & Howie jumped in! It honestly was quite entertaining...

In a separate race, (why doesn't this kid wear his goggles, he can't see a THING) he barely placed first, but they disqualified him for touching the rope, I mean - yah - rules are rules & all, but really - he just touched the rope...until we watched the film, and yep, he grabbed the rope and pulled himself forward! HA! He didn't think anyone noticed, but I caught it on tape and the DQ judge pulled him and just gave him a participation ribbon! GOOD!

Here's Kiersten's relay team - they finally put her on the same team she was on last year - and they continue to slaughter the competition, beat the 2nd place team by almost an entire lap. They may break up their relay team just because it's discouraging to the other racers. It's almost embarrassing to cheer for them when they're so far ahead!


Ross - he did PHENOMENAL again - his butterfly has improved so much - I'd have to say its a flawless stroke for him, he got FIRST PLACE in the individual medly. It really was a boost for his ego, since last IM, he got second place and came to me with his ribbon and said something about how he couldn't feel his arms and his legs felt like rubber, well, this week, he got first (I know - I already said this - but it was my favorite race of the whole meet, I LOVE butterfly - and he looks SO good doing it! A mom came up to me afterwords and just told me how much she and her kids love to watch him race - awe! How cool is that?!) Anyway - I'm sort of giggling to myself for two reasons - the pool was only about 15m across instead of 25m, so it was MUCH easier for him - and secondly - he was the only one in his division to enter that race...so yah - first place! haa! But I'm sure that if he was against someone, he would have still done first! I'm so proud of him! He really did an incredible job! I only have a video of his race, but I'm not going to post it because about 1/2 way through it this ridiculous lady stood up right in front of me...and blocked the WHOLE video - I mean - REALLY LADY - who were you watching, the invisible man next to him? ugh!

Then here's a really cute picture of the girls in the back yard sprinklers dancing to Kung Fu Fighting.

Quick picture update!

I put Kali's hair in corn rows last week. Her other friend from swim team has braids all over her curly locks - so we had to do the same thing (we generally do this once a year anyway.)

And then, of course, the little mirror, Brynn wanted braids in her hair, too! Yah - imagine that, the best picture I could get from her! Snoozing, something she NEVAH does!

I put Coby in a parent child swim class - mostly just to keep her cool from being in the heat for so long, and ended up taking her out because when I dipped her feet in the pool, she didn't like it...apparently, it's a feet only issue, because once her whole body is immersed, she LOVES IT!

Of course, it looks like she's sleeping, but that's because it's so bright outside!

She was giggling and kicking and splashing it up! So I signed her back up again!

Also here are a few pictures from Ross' San Diego scuba trip. These pictures include those blue fish - whatever they're called...there's a bat ray in there, (you can see the little bat-like ears) and him sitting on the boat, not sure if this was taken before or after he lost his sea biscuits - yep, motion sickness found him.




Mostly he enjoyed himself, they saw a whale in the distance - blowing out of it's blow hole - and coming out of the water quite a bit - also dolphins surfed the boat's wake! He really enjoyed himself with his friend (the photographer!)

Three down - Four to go!

We had an unusual swim meet today - normally they're Thursday nights - but apparently three people complained about it - and they decided to punish all the other parents by catering to the whiney ones - but it won't happen again - cause we all melted and quite frankly - no one is left to go to swim meets.

Anyway - Ross did us proud today! He swam his first individual medley relay today! WOW! That's a tiring race. First 25m is Butterfly, then 25m of backstroke, followed by 25m of breast stroke - and completed by 25m of freestyle! All 6 lanes were open and Ross was neck & neck with another guy - leaving the other 4 lanes in their wake! He finished a close second!


We think it was because Ross was in lane 1 and the other guy was in lane 6 - so he thought all the other kids were so far behind, he could let up a bit toward the end! Shame on him! LOL! Not really - he said he pushed as hard as he could, but couldn't feel his arms those last 10 meters! While multi-tasking is my forte, I was unable to nurse, cheer AND take pictures, so I had a friend do some butterfly pictures of Rossi - as soon as she sends them to me, I'll post them! (and I just got pictures from my friends camera, so now I'm editing my post to add these pictures) I did get this one of his freestyle, which he also placed first in...

and a video of his first place finish in the 50m stroke.



Kiersten did fairly well, too, she's not on the same relay team she was on last year - she's one of 6 fast swimmers - 4 are on one team & she and another girl are on another team with two other kids who don't swim as fast, either. It's SO hard for her to not get first, she's just very competitive...(hmmm, where's she get THAT from?) so she was disappointed, I think they got fourth in one of her relay teams and just a participation ribbon in the other race, but in the individual 50m freestyle, she placed first! Which is wonderful, considering she felt like a loser slow polk when she got the participation ribbon on her relay team.

Here's Kali singing the Dory song "Just keep swimming, swima-swimma swimming, what do you do? you SWIIIIIM" Why does she frustrate me so? She swam like a hot knife slicing through butter last year, and this year, she has a friend that swims like a rat on acid, so she looks very much like a swimmer whose trying out her hoola-hoop skills...but here's a good picture, anyway!


And Howie after completing one of his relays - He was playing with some friends and missed two other races, so this was his only picture (I swear I'm gonna flog these kids!)

Two down; five to go!

(Weeks of swim team) We had our first season swim meet last night. Gaggles & gaggles of fun there. They last forever, but most nights, go by quickly - since the kids are most of the races, except last night - Kiersten wasn't there, so we were "shorted" 4 races. She's at girls camp this week. {{Sigh}} We miss her.

Ross met w/ some employees from our city about potential eagle projects and came up with a few. They want a "greenbelt" type walkway/trail marked with mileage markers every 1/8 mile. They also suggested that he could put at the head of the trail a marker that suggested it was an eagle project by xx troop managed by HIM (insert name) and I'm sort of torn, it's like the only reason to do this "service" type project would be the incentive to have a marker at the head of our city park (Friendship park) would be to have your name eternalized at the head of the trail.

My husband understands my concern, BUT, also says the only reason for him to do the project is to get an award (eagle scout) so there's no problem with our son eternalizing his name on a marker at the head of the trail. Any thoughts on that?


Separately, look at this adorable picture of my itty bitty baby! She never smiles for a camera like that when I'M holding it! My itty bitty Bedie friend took this picture with her fancy schmancy camera (I won't lament any longer about my camera loss & search for a better one...I've accepted the fact that I'll be in my eternal camera search and never find the perfect one) Yet, here she is with her Cannon Rebel using her fancy schmancy new lense! And my gorgeous baby. If Bedie is reading this blog, perhaps she can offer the web site to her photography blog so I can show my friends her work?! (Bedie - Email me or leave a comment with your photography blog so my friends can see what a great picture taker you are!) Thanks for the picture, I shall cherish it for-evah! MUAH!

Various ramblings

One down - six to go...weeks of swim team! The time of year I have all my kids in the car dressed fed and out the door by 6:45 in the morning. This year, we get a little break, though - instead of staying at the pool until 2, we get to leave at 11!!! Yes, indeed! Except starting next week, Rossi will be doing lifeguarding again - and I'll have to figure out a way to get him home at 1:00. Can't WAIT until he has a license!

Mopping the kitchen floor. I know I'm not the only one...but mopping is so dissatisfying - because regardless of the frequency of mopping, inevitably before it dries, something will be magnetically attracted to the clean spot.

I was determined to stay on top of keeping my kitchen floor clean. I mopped it and forbade the kids access. As I was chilling lemonade for dinner that night - (yah - go ahead - complete the sentence - yep, you're right...) I spilled it on the ground. Not just a little spill, it was very wet, very ALL over the place, and very sticky - so I remopped it - again forbidding the children access.

Brynn was cleaning her room and wanted to put the cups that she found there into the sink...but before going into the kitchen, she asked if she could do it (what a good child, huh?)

"Yes, but put them in the sink and then come right out."

Previous to cleaning her room, she was riding her three-wheeler barefoot in the driveway - so her barefoot dirty feet tracked through my almost dry floor leaving little footprints. Indeed.

I'm never going to mop again - I think it's better to just have dirt on top of dirt...why do I need a clean floor? I don't...it's not like if I drop food, I'd pick it up and eat it if it were a clean floor - nope, it all goes in the trash, right? Why mop?

I think it would be cool to make some kind of kitchen floor liner - you know how you line your cookie sheets w/ aluminum foil so you don't have to wash them when you're done baking - just toss the aluminum foil...we should make something like that for floors. When you spill lemonade on it - just peel it up & throw it out.