Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Little Fish

Our kids have been little fish since they were very small. Not one of them has ever been afraid of water. Macie was a water bug from the beginning and learned to swim in the deep water without flotation from the time she was 4. Chase was 3 and Owen was 2!! At this rate, Avery should be swimming by the end of the summer!!:)

Macie and Chase did the swim team last year. It came easier for Chase because he was in the younger age bracket with kids who were also first time swim teamers. Macie, who is used to succeeding at everything, was humbled when Chase began placing in meets and she did not. By the end of the season she had improved enough that she also began receiving ribbons. More importantly though, she handled it with grace and was able to be happy for her brothers' success. I'm not sure Chase would have been as graceful about it had it been the other way around.

Since they enjoyed it so much, we took lessons all winter to improve their strokes. Owen was in the highest level he can be in until he is 6. Chase was a Minnow which requires all lap swimming of back, breast and free. Macie was in the pre-competetive swim team class.

Monday was our first swim meet of the season. Owen is on the team this year. He is by far the youngest swimmer at 4 years old(5 next month!). He is swimming in the 6 and under group. They are not penalized for their strokes. As long as they can swim 25 yards safely across the pool, they can compete. Once you get to the 7/8 or 9/10 level, you are judged on your strokes, kicks, proper turns, touches etc...

I guess our lessons paid off because Macie took 2nd in the medley relay where she swam backstroke and 4th in the free relay. Chase took 3rd in the 25 backstroke, 1st in the free relay and 1st in the medley relay where he also swam backstroke. Macie and Chase also swam the 25 butterfly. A new stroke for both of them. Owen swam 2 events, the 25 backstroke and the 25 free. He struggled with the backstroke but made it across the pool. He did great in the 25 free and swam with all his heart. He made it the entire way without stopping or holding on! I think the biggest feat was that he didn't pee while he was on the block! He drank several waters while waiting for his turn and was dancing around like a crazy man before he dove in! It was the funniest thing I have seen in a long time.

Even though swim meets are longer than any sporting event known to man, I am glad they chose to do it. It is so good for their bodies and their minds. It is a competitive sport for the individual as well as the team. Also, a great way to learn sportsmanship and teamwork. Bottom line though, they had fun.

ps-thanks to mimi and pop for enduring the meet with us. i know it meant a lot to the kids to have you cheering them on.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

It's Official!



It's official! We adopted Bogey, our new shepherd mix puppy lastnight! We were all so excited for him to arrive and couldn't wait for his foster mom, Adrianne, to bring him. All I can say is he is the most chill puppy I have ever seen. He did fairly well for his first night in a crate away from the comfort of his sister. No accidents. He seems to prefer me more than anyone else right now. Maybe he recognizes that I am the one who will be doing most of the caring for him.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Forever Friends

I am not one that has many friends. That is not to say that I don't know a lot of people, but true friends who get to know me deep down are hard to come by for me. Nancy is one of those friends. We met the first day of high school in our freshman chorus class. She is just one of those people that you automatically feel comfortable and safe with. She has stood by me through thick and thin--trust me I wasn't always the best friend. She has seen me at my best and comforted me through my worst. She is someone that I can go for months without talking to and then call her and start giggling like we did back in high school.

Nancy is married to a great guy. Jim has fit in since day one. Always quick with his wit, great with the kids and eager to lend a hand. So much like Stew, I'm sure that's why I liked him right off the bat. They traveled from Chicago for their first visit to St Louis since our wedding almost 12 years ago!!!!! They have 3 kids, Ashley(7), Jimmy and Jessica(3 1/2).

We all had such a great time. Macie and Ashley hit it off and they allowed Owen to tag along with them most of the time. Jimmy found his new best friend in Chase. He literally wanted to know where Chase was at every moment. Chase gladly obliged and took him under his wing. Jessica just goes with the flow. She is sweet, cuddly and gentle(unless she's punching her brother!!) It was a whirlwind weekend of swimming indoors and out, going to "Monkey Joe's" bounce place, Red Robin, the top of the Gateway Arch(Nancy, Avery and I stayed firmly on the ground), eating on The Landing, and playing at our house. We really couldn't have asked for a better weekend together and can't wait to do it again!

Next time we are hoping to get our friends, Tina and Natalie and their families together too. As the kids get older it becomes more difficult to coordinate everyone's schedules. I am so glad we finally did. I know it was a long drive, but so well worth it to see our kids enjoying the fruits of our friendship.