Building character? But I thought we were swimming!

The kids had another swim meet yesterday.  They each swam in 5 events.

Sarah was doing the first 25 meters of her 50 meter freestyle (an event she usually does okay in even though there are several year round swimmers on our team that beat her every time) and was about 3 quarters of the way down the pool.

I noticed that she was rolling over way to far.  I could tell she was struggling to get her breath.  As she approached where I was standing, I could see a pained look on her face.

She finally made it to the wall and instead of touching it and going back down to the other end of the pool to complete her 50 meters, she stopped.  The swim coach was telling her to breathe, catch her breath, calm down and GO!  I was standing on the side poised and ready to step in and pull her out.  That's what moms do, right? 

Sarah took some deep breaths and headed down the pool to finish her event.

I have never been more proud of this girl in my life.

When she was done, she hopped out of the pool, and came running over to me.  Her face was crumpled up in the beginnings of a cry.

I took a breath and hoped that the right words came out.

"Sarah!  That was awesome!  I am so proud of you. It looked like you were choking on water and couldn't get your breath but you did not quit.  You kept right on going and I am more proud of you at this moment than if you had won!"  And I meant that too.

"Really, Mama?"  She asked looking up at me.  Her face began to break out into a smile.  She finished the rest of her events and  at bedtime, asked me to tell her again what I said at the pool.  So I went through it all again and she said, "I'm going to remember this for when I'm a mom and have a kid that wants to quit! That will be a great story won't it?"

"Yes, baby.  Yes it will."

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Peter has such pretty strokes.  He always looks nice and calm when he's swimming - he doesn't splash around wildly. He just looks nice.  Even his butterfly. 

Unfortunately, Peter has two speeds - slow and slower.  But that's just my sweet Peter.  He swims like he lives.  On his own schedule and at his own pace.  He says he thinks he's going fast, but it just never translates that way in a race.

He swam his butterfly beautifully last night but came in 5th out of 5 swimmers.  He was dejected because he was hoping that the butterfly was going to be his stroke.  The stroke he might actually be able to win a ribbon with. 

Before bed he dejectedly said, "I was horrible in the swim meet."

"Did you work as hard as you could practices we have been to since the last meet all week?"

"Yes."

"Did you swim as hard as you could?

"Yes."

"Did you have fun at the swim meet?"

"Yes."

"Then you had a great swim meet and I am proud of you!  You just started doing the butterfly so you just need to work harder on it."

"Okay Mama. I will."

And I am proud of Peter. Because I know from experience, how hard it is to keep doing something when you know you aren't very good at it or when you know your friends are really good at it. 

I just hope he sticks with it and doesn't quit.  I would love for him to have a great story to tell his kids too!

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Quack! Quack! Quack!

Last Tuesday the kids had another swim meet. Their team, the Ducks, won again!

Sarah did well in freestyle and back stroke and tried breast stroke for the first time. She got DQ'd for messing up her kicking but that's okay because she was thrilled just to get a chance to try it at a meet.

Peter did a good job in freestyle and back stroke also but he is slow. He approaches swimming just like he does everything else in life - at his own speed. BUT - he swam butterfly and DID NOT get DQ'd like last year and came in 3rd! We were so excited for him! Since he is not a fast swimmer in the other strokes, he rarely places so high.

It was a great meet and we are looking forward to tomorrow's meet.Here are a few shots I took:

Sarah waiting her turn.

Sarah and Cheyanne waiting and cheering.

My BFF Jennifer drew the Duck logo on the kids backs.  Aren't they cute?

Peter doing freestyle.

Sarah doing back stroke.

Peter doing butterfly.

Sarah doing freestyle.

There's always tomorrow. Or maybe September.

I had great expectations for my blog this summer.  I was going to post every day without fail whether or not I had adorable pictures or interesting topics or quirky quotes from my kids. 

I was going to write just to write.  Because somewhere, deep inside, I feel like I'm a writer with words that need to escape, with phrases that need to be turned, with stories that want to be told.

I may feel this way, but unfortunately I am without the one most important thing that is needed for all writers- - novelists, bloggers or even Facebook status updaters - and that's time.

I'm up by 6:00 every  morning.  I head out for a run and because I'm so slow, even three miles takes me around 45 minutes.  Then it's in the shower because here in the south, even at 6:15 AM, it's hot and muggy and even a slow runner like me ends up a sweaty mess.

Then I sit down at my desk and I read the Bible.  And then I log onto Facebook and usually right in the middle of checking to see who has posted a picture of their cat sleeping or their kid winning a ribbon or the gorgeous view from their vacation rental, Peter comes down from his room with a quiet "Good morning, Mama."  And then impatiently says, "Can I have computer now?"  And because I'm a sucker for a sweet hug at 7:30 in the morning from my little one who is quickly becoming a big one, I oblige and head to the rickety laptop in the kitchen. (It is an ancient model that is dieing a slow and painful death.)

And it is from there that I decide I don't really care who's doing what on Facebook and pick up my cell phone because it's buzzing with activity.  I have lots of words to play on Words With Friends.

Then, I look up at the clock and realize that we need to be at swim practice in 45 mintues.  I rush upstairs to wake Sleeping Beauty.  My sweet Sarah will sleep till noon if you let her.  I shovel cereal into the kids, rush them into their swim suits and out the door and then next thing I know, it's bedtime.

And the awarding winning post that was swirling around in my head has vanished.  What was I going to write about this morning,  I think to myself at 9:00 PM. Oh well.  Maybe tomorrow.

A little pampering, a little Chick-Fil-A and a lot of girl time.

All Sarah wanted for her friend birthday party was to "have a long play date with just Brooke".

Brooke is a friend from Sarah's school.  Sarah and Brooke have become good friends through the school year.

I treated the girls to manicures and pedicures.  Their favorite part of the pampering?  The vibrating chairs.  I think they would have been happy to sit in the chairs all day long.

After the mani/pedis we went to lunch at Chick-Fil-A and then the girls spent the rest of the day swinging on the play set, bouncing on the trampoline and playing upstairs.

At the end of the day, the girls hugged and decided they needed another play date very soon.

I think we can make that happen!

7 Quick Takes Friday

Is it really Friday?  Feels more like a Tuesday or a Sunday but not a Friday.  As a stay-at-home mom, during the school year I have a really hard time during the week remembering what day it is.  But during summer vacation? Forget about it.

Since I think it's Friday, that means it's time for 7 Quick Takes:

1.  Sarah had her first swim meet yesterday.  Here's the one picture that I took:

It's Sarah and Cheyanne after they completed all of their events.  They both did a great job and it was just the best afternoon.  There was a breeze blowing and I got to spend 7 hours with my BFF!  That hasn't happened in ages - it felt just like old times before she decided to go and open a Vet practice with her husband. 

2. Dan and Peter are camping with the Cub Scouts and I am assuming they are having a great time.  I haven't heard from them since Wednesday night.  Dan's cell phone gets horrible reception under the best of conditions (like in our house) so out in the wilderness he gets none.

3.  Sarah is playing with her best friend from school right now and we are about to leave for pedicures and manicures.  There has been nonstop squealing and giggling since 9:00 am.  Sort of reminds me of me and Jennifer yesterday afternoon!  heehee

4. Since the kids are out of school, I get to do my running at 6:30 am. I want to do a 10k in the fall.  I think I better start looking for one to do and sign up for it.  I find that I run better with a goal.

5. I guess my Quick Takes are really quick today because I'm not going to make it to number 7.

Check out Jennifer at Conversion Diary.  She always has 7.

If at first you don't succeed...try again four years later!

After this fiasco 4 years ago, we thought we would try again.

We got Sarah a trampoline for her birthday and so far, so good.

Here are a few pictures:

This was right after Dan got it all set up.

Doing flips...

And another flip...

And splits...

And another split...

Look at all that hair!  I think it might be time for a trim!

Look at these pictures of my babies 4 years ago after Dan set up the trampoline.  They look so big now!

We've made it half-way through unscathed! (The first week that is.)

Well, we are officially half-way through the first week of summer vacation.

Morning swim practices don't start until next week so we've been waiting until the evenings to go to the pool and since it's been rainy we've  been getting there right in time for evening practice.

I'm looking forward to next week when we can get there early, eat lunch there and stay for a while.  These pale legs need some sun!

Peter and Dan are heading to Cub Scout camp this evening so Peter will miss the first swim meet of the season tomorrow.  But don't feel bad for him - he would much rather be camping with Daddy.  And don't feel bad for me - I would much rather  be sleeping in my bed, with sheets and mattresses and pillows and air conditioning and a toilet within a few feet of my bed.

Sarah has lots of things planned for me while the boys are gone.  She wants to go out to eat with just me.  And she wants to have a movie night.  I think I can handle these items! 

Her friend from school, Brooke, is coming for an all day play date on Friday and as a special treat, I'm taking them to get their nails done.  This was Sarah's exact request last year for her friend birthday party.  The only difference this year is that it is a a different friend.  Even with mani/pedi's for the girls it is still a very, very cheap birthday party!  (And the best part?  The mani/pedi is the favor!) 

Well, here' hoping the second half of the first week of summer vacation goes as smoothly as the first!  

Let them eat cake!

Sarah turned 8 on June 4th and my Dad turned 70 on June 7th.  And my parents had their 50th wedding anniversary on June 9th.  Needless to say, we've eaten a lot of cake around here lately!

Here is a picture of my sweet father and his cake:

And here's a picture of Sarah's cake.  When I asked her what kind of cake she wanted she told me white with white frosting and that she wanted to decorate it.  I made the cake from a mix but I did make homemade butter cream frosting.  I bought a bunch of icing gel pens and she went to work and created a very cute and sparkly angel.  I think it turned out great!

(You can't see it very well in the picture but the angel's wings are a sparkly white gel and the writing says Happy Birthday to Sarah.)

 Sarah got some new roller skates from my mom and dad!

 My mom gave Peter a Rubik's Cube so he would have something to open too.  She's so sweet!

My sister-in-law gave Sarah a pogo stick.  It's going to take some practice but I think she will get the hang of it!

A nice way to celebrate the end of a great school year.

We made it through the end of the school year and now we can focus on summer.

To celebrate great report cards and all the hard work my kids did this year, we took them to a special dinner on Friday night.

We went to a Japanese steak house.  The kids have been to one only once before (and it was so long ago that they really don't even remember it) so we thought this would be a special way to mark the end of the school year.  Plus this particular restaurant was near their school so it seemed very fitting.

Here is a quick picture I snapped with my cell phone of Dan and the kids:

The kids asked if we could do this again next year if they had another good year.  I think we can handle that!

I just love these little people (and the big one too) and I'm looking forward to spending  summer vacation with them.    ...she says on day one of a 74 day summer vacation...  :)