STAYING COOL IN THE POOL

Although Laci and Caleb have thoroughly enjoyed playing in the sprinklers, and our creek ...

... and occasionally the bathtub, I did want them to learn how to swim, so this year we joined the pool. We have really been enjoying it SO MUCH! There are many community pools in our area and the one we joined has many of Caleb and Laci's friends, so that's made it all the more fun.

We've also decided to join the swim team this year, along with all of our friends, and it has been great fun, and great exercise too. 45 minutes of action-packed exercise Monday-Friday, with our swim meets being on Tuesday afternoons. What great exercise this has been for my troops. They're actually pooped come Friday afternoon. But last Tuesday Laci and Caleb attended their first, ever, swim meet. Swim meets are so chaotic, and so much fun! People everywhere.





Laci got to swim in three different competitions; the backstroke, freestyle, and 50m relay. She placed first in the 6-year-old girl's freestyle ~
She's coming in for the home stretch and not another soul in sight!



Alas, we've finally found something to do with all of that energy!! She didn't even realize she was in the lead until she got to the end. She also placed in the 50m relay, although I never got the final score on that one.

And my little Caleb, he got to swim last in the little boys freestyle. He was so cute, I wish you could have seen him, he doggie paddled just as fast as he could go across that pool (floaties attached, of course), and grinning from ear to ear all the way. But he made it all the way across, and he was so proud of himself.



When we got in the car and was on our way home, he said to me, "Mama, I got so tired swimming across that pool, but I just kept on going!" That's the spirit, and that's what our team is all about, finishing! Our instructor is an awesome teacher, and she wants to teach them about team spirit, good sportsmanship, and the importance of finishing (and not necessarily what place you finish). Isn't that awesome? That's what I want my children to learn. And we just have so much fun cheering our friends on, and each other. It was a great first swim meet.

The swim team practices and meets only last about a month and then we are finished for the summer, except for the county meet, which will be in a couple of weeks. But it's fun watching them learn how to swim and improving with each practice. They so, so love it!