First Swim Meet

We are now in go mode with swim meets. Being new to the swim team parenting thing, I have felt like I am always one step behind being in the "know" with how all these things work.
I guess it only means that I will have some experience under my belt for the start of the new season!
The other swim parents have been very helpful however, and because of that, we made it through our first meet successfully!

I wrote the events the kids were competing in on their hands. Now I know that I don't have to include ALL the information listed on the web site. I also know I need to write it with permanent marker! It actually stayed on for the most part! Even after all their events.

Walker is always the support crowd. He was so happy that he had his swim lesson the day after the meet so that he had something to talk about. He gets hauled around a lot, and I feel for him, but I think enjoys some of it. He did tell me "Mom, I sick of Dolphins!"

Gear up little guy! It is just the beginning!

I was very confused when I saw that Wally was entered in the 15 and over 50 Free Relay. When we got to the meet I asked his coach about it, and she told me that they were short a guy for the relay, and rather than forfeit, they decided to see if Wally would be willing to do it!
Her words were that he seems to "be up for about anything," so she figured it may just add to his experience if nothing else. I figured, why not?!
Here is Wally lined up behind one of his team mates! I laughed out loud!

Wally is still working on his dive off the blocks. He was confused, because this was his first race! He dove off with his signature crazy dive, and took off! Everyone laughed in surprise, but they all helped me and Del cheer him on. The team lost, but Wally came away from it real proud that he swam with the big kids.

Del assuring Wally he did great!

The little tiny girls melt your heart at these meets! They are so cute! Here they are headed to the blocks for one of the races. Tomorrow we have another meet, and I am helping with the ten and unders in the bull pen. So I will help them get lined up for their races.

They are all so friendly with the opposing team!

There she goes! I was just excited that the kids all placed in their races! Georgia has a little friend that is even younger than her, and it was her first meet too, and she was taking first in her races! It was awesome!

Georgie is the second youngest, and second tallest on the team. Some of the older girls came up to me and asked if "that little girl" was mine. They told me she is sooo cute! It was sweet how nice to her they were while they helped her get through the crowd to the blocks.

Watching her get all set up on the blocks was killing me, it was so adorable! They sound the start and the little girls just jump in feet first until they get the hang of diving.

Will waiting for the start.

We had far less down time than we were warned to prepare for. That was good because the time was action packed, and passed quickly. Georgia did tell me during one of our twenty minute waits that she spent laughing with her friend, "I like it when we swim, and when we get to sit and hang out!" Ha! Her little friend said they liked to sit and "chat." Dying!

The most frustrating part of this was that those swim suites don't come cheap and Wally left his in the locker room at the away meet! No sign of it yet! Aagg! I was a grumpy Mom after discovering that when we got home! Add that to the Lost List. Which also includes Georgia's retainer! Why do they lose the important, expensive stuff!?

We are excited for the meet tomorrow! I would love if they could place again, just to keep the confidence up! I am also excited to watch our next door neighbors 11 year old daughter swim because she is amazingly fast! So fun!

Urban Dash

Del and I went to Chicago for the night this weekend. I was so excited to go! Del has been traveling a lot lately, and the break from the house, the kids, and some time spent with him were all very welcome!
We went down to run the Urban Dash with some of Del's employees. It is now officially a tradition for him to sign up those who want to run a race together. This one was so cool because it was in and around Soldier Field, and along the lake shore.

Del and I started our night off with a visit to the temple. Always needed.

Then, much to my great frustration, we sat in traffic for 2 1/2 hours on our way to the city. When we finally got checked in to our hotel, I was thrilled with our river view! We were in a perfect location to get up and get to the starting line the next morning.

We walked across the river to Howells and Hood for dinner. The restaurant is named after the architects who designed the Tribune tower in Chicago.

We ate outside on the busy patio. We got seated right away though, and enjoyed the people watching. The burgers and sandwiches were fine, but, the toasted ravioli appetizer... YUM!

We woke up bright and early to catch a cab to Soldier Field, and get checked in.

The race was fun. It included 14 obstacles. Del was off like a shot as soon as they blew the horn, and everyone else got separated, so I ran this thing alone. That was okay actually.
And I just have to say, that I was one sore mama after running this race!
I caught my shoulder blade on a net on one of the obstacles in the second mile, which gave me a mean looking scratch. It drew a lot of attention, and comments from fellow racers as I passed people on the course. I started to just shout over my shoulder that it was my souvenir as I ran by. At one point the course went into the stadium, which was super cool.
The very uncool part though? Running the stairs. In the last mile. I felt it. Plus I had already pulled myself over more walls, and under more wood contraptions than I ever have in my life, in the miles leading up to it. Yes, I'm a wimp.

THIS is a picture of the most aggravating thing ever! After giving it your all, to make good time, and not get held up by the walkers, this was the last obstacle on the course.

Notice how many people are bunched together? We worked all that time to get to this point, and then there was a huge bottle neck, because people had to concentrate, and many hesitated, to walk over a drop to the cement on a 2 x4. That meant that we just had to stand there for almost six minutes to wait our turn. Ruining our times completely, and allowing some who got to that point after us to get ahead, just because they happened to get in a faster line!

Now, I am am not an uber competitive person, but it would be nice to know where I truly fell in the times, without it being so skewed! Especially after all that work, and in my case, a small amount of blood!
Really bad planning on the part of the organizers. Everyone was so mad! I told Del that the event planners must be socialists, because that last obstacle was the "Great Equalizer."

The fake finish line. Ha!

My souvenir. "Ouch, that'll hurt tomorrow!" "Hey! You have a cut, did you know?" "Oh no! We have an injury!"
They were all ready to call an ambulance! It was nice of them to be so concerned though.

Here is most of the group of Del's employees and their guest. We lost a few to the free beer.

Del killed it! He was a man on a mission! He flew! Until the last stop that is.

We had so much fun! I am not a huge runner anymore. Yoga has kind of taken it's place for me. I did have a good time getting ready for this race though! In spite of the fact that I am climbing stairs on my hands and knees because I am so sore!

Indoor Camping

So far, Summer break has just been one big, overcast, wet, day. We are lucky to hit temperatures in the 70's as of late, and it is getting old! Walker's outdoor swim lesson just got cancelled today due to rain and 60 degree temps!
We made a list of Summer activities that we want to do, and we are really hoping to check as many of them off the list before we leave town for three and a half weeks.
We took the kids to the outdoor pool at the health club the other day. After twenty minutes in the water, the lightening started, and we got booted so they could close the pool. I don't think that counts as enough water time to check it off the list. Boo!
Del promised the kids he would take them camping. The weather, again, thought he should not. So he put the tent up in the basement and they all camped out down there! They were thrilled!

Walker giving Dad hugs for letting him sleep in the tent.

Will has had these roller blades in for a week straight now. Pretty true. He has event mastered going up and down the stairs in the house in them. Not my favorite, considering shoes are not allowed inside, let alone huge roller blades. He wore them at the indoor campout.
He is sort of getting the hang of actually using them to skate too!  Imagine that?!

Georgia and Walker had fun going through the boys' yearbook and pointing out kids they know from church and the neighborhood.

Del has been doing all kinds of revamping with his business logo, and his website. He was showing me the latest goodies he got embossed with the logo, and forgot he was wearing this nifty backpack thing they sent. It is so light, it is easy to forget. I think it adds very endearing touch to his outfit. 

P.S. I took this photo while he was looking for a movie in the t.v. console. He is not modeling.

Georgia was in a mood.
Trust me, since I have been dealing with the shell shock of all the kids being home on break, I wish I could put a blanket on my head several times a day too. My house is in shock too, as it has not had an hours stretch of cleanliness since school let out.
Next week day camps and morning swim practice start. Can't wait!!

Here she is all sweetened up, and tucked in with her stuffed animal. I have had to hide those pajamas she is wearing, by the way. After days of not wanting to take them off, and shoving her feet in shoes over the sewn in footsies, then running around the neighborhood, I decided June is a good time to put the Winter wear away.

The next morning, Del treated everyone to crepes. I make him to them on the grill because the smell overpowers the house the rest of the day. We ate them on the deck.

I like mine with all the good stuff! Strawberries and whipped cream. Sugar with a side of sugar please!
We are doing our best to force the weather to accommodate our Summer plans!  We will just keep trying!

The Hamster Wheel

We bought this big blow up ball in March. The kids have begged me every day to let them blow it up.
The weather has been not so great, or it has been too busy so far.

But yesterday, a bad case of the "I'm bored" syndrome set in at our house.
Instead of adding more chores to their charts, I decided to be nice and told them to go and blow up the big ball
The best part was that it actually took quit a few minutes to get each section blown up with the little hand pump it came with.
Great time filler.

There was a lot of screaming going on out in the backyard.

When I went to sit up in the parent's section at swim practice that evening, our next door neighbor told me that her daughter saw the kids playing with the ball and was yelling, "The neighbors have a hamster wheel!" I thought was a pretty good description of what was going on!
And very fitting for these little animals!

Will chose his own outfit. Hence the sweater on a nice warm day.