Wednesday, September 27, 2017

2017 Summer Swim reCap

The summer swim season has come to a close. Cra-zee. Here's how it went down:



R gained a ton of confidence in the pool. She's swimming across the shallow end by herself and she really only stops to take a breathe. The breathing in line thing still hasn't happened. : ) 


She had a fun summer and this exemplifies her enthusiasm. We really thought she was going to get moved up to 6 and under from Pup Squad and we even had the racing bathing suits in hand BUT it didn't happen. She really really really wasn't ready. She handled it well. I hope with a few lessons over the winter she'll be good to go. 


E had a good season. She was swimming 7-8 which is tough because she turned 7 right before the cut off but it is what it is, you know. 


She rocked out her diving. She finally got it down. She still dives a bit deep but diving is better than flopping. I was really hoping breaststroke would be the same. She's improved but still very much DQ-able if she isn't 100% focused on the kick (it doesn't help her feet turn in a bit when she walks so having to have feet turned OUT for breaststroke doesn't come naturally). E still loves doing IM. And it that even this year was the thing I want to remember the most about her swim season. It was the last swim meet of the season (before conference) and she has practiced breaststroke a lot that week as to not DQ in the breaststroke portion. She did well in her butterfly length and then came backstroke. 

She was in lane one right next to the shallow end - and I was standing right at the corner to cheer her on. E veered toward the shallow end when she pushed off the wall and she keep going into the buoy line and then hit her head on the wall. She was crying. I kept cheering - you are doing great! Don't stop. Don't stop. And I could see her face and her eyes and she wanted to stop so bad. I felt for her; she needed a mama bear hug in the pool but fortunately I retrained myself 

She recovered and swam breast and free and didn't DQ! It was a 'rough' meet for her she said but to me that was the most defining race of the season. 

At conference she got two 3rds and a 7th. 

She didn't care too much but she might have her eyes and heart and mind set on winning a medal at conference for most points at that meet. 



Nash Rec Swim Team 2020 or bust


M has gotten tons of confidence in the water and I'm excited to see what next year will hold for her. She might be able to get to 6 and under if we go to the pool often over the winter : ) 


Here's to an A+ summer pool season 

Saturday, September 23, 2017

7QTs - Injuries, Sports, Leaks

---1---

Our injury report for the week: 



E got some sort of bite or sting last Friday - nothing a little baking soda paste didn't take care of. She came home from school yesterday with a splinter but that took care of itself.


R still had her splinter in from the pre-tee ball antics. I read clove oil can help draw the splinter out so we did a few rounds of that and it seems to be gone!


This is A's foot from last Friday, covered in ant bites. Put some lavender on those and that helped. I had to take him to the doctor this week because I was 100% sure he had a ear infection - but it wasn't. I wasn't sure if I should be happy that he didn't need tubes (okay seriously thrilled) or disappointed because I was THAT sure it was his ears. 

During that appointment of having to hold him and C, I discovered he had a splinter on his hand. Of course since he's going a million miles a minute I have no idea when and where he got it. 


---2---

Saturday we went to the pregnancy care center walk with E and R's AHG troop


Not thrilled about early morning pics



It was a 2 mile walk and I think M and R were exhausted afterwards


C decorated the road with spit up but none got on me!


Overall a success!

---3---

Sunday we convinced Papa it'd be a great idea to do s'mores after dinner... 


He was the reluctant mellow griller... There are flat marshmallows made just for s'mores which I highly recommend





A didn't know what he was missing because he just ate grahams and was content with those


I think she likes it


Letting A in on the secret : ) 


---4---

In Sports News... 


M scored 2.5 goals in her first game of the season! The game itself was just ridiculous because of me misreading the schedule (or not reading it at all and just making an assumption) but other than that it was fun. 


R had a tee ball game this week and there was way less playing in the dirt on her part. A made up for it by laying himself out on the sidewalk and digging dirt out of the sidewalk crack - it was gross but I cannot stop him. 

I took this picture because R shared her snack with A after the game (E and M were at AHG) and R gave A the very last cookie without even thinking about it. It does my mama-heart well to see that. 


---5---

In school news... 


I've determined, I still despise homework, though E's amount has been adjusted a little so that is helpful. It is nearly impossible for E and R to do their homework at the same time so divided and conquered. Sometimes I think it would be better if E just did it at 7:45 when everyone else is in bed but the nightly schedule has been weird.


M had a tea party with her Teddy bear at school this week. $10 if you can guess the letter of the week

---6---

Weekly randoms: 


A and Papa moving his truck


R finished her summer workbook! and opted for Wonder Woman Legos for her prize. That's been a huge topic of discussion - what to be for Halloween. R wants to be Wonder Woman and E wanted to be an angel but I think she's leaning toward Poison Ivy because E wants to have a family theme. Papa said he was going to be Batman and A could be Robin. M is going to be Batgirl and C will be stuck as a pumpkin for now. 


Speaking of which... C is still super cute and she's taken to squirming around more so I had to get out her mat so maybe she can start rolling over? Also she is loving her thumb these days 


We visited Papa's latest and greatest project before lunch one day. He was working just around the corner from the house so we detoured there for a few minutes to catch a glimpse of him :  )

---7---

In house news...  



Houston we have a plumbing problem... $260 later we have that nice piece of Pex? pipe in place of the high dollar copper. We clearly need to replace our plumbing to avoid these spring leaks. 


Meet the mother of the one that was just repaired... Not to be confused with the original one from a while ago. 

The problem is we want to add onto our house...

1. Microbus garage, downstairs chapel, library, study, 

2. designated dining room, larger kitchen, outside patio (in 2 parts), 

3. expand downstairs kid bathroom, nix master garden tub, move Lee's office downstairs, make a designated nursery on the back side of the house without noise access, Mama office/nook, make AMAZING master closet using scheme of some friends of ours. 

Basically we have big plans (that include moving plumbing) but I things should happen in parts 1-3 and Lee thinks they should got 3-1. But first we need a plan and I need an architect. 

For now we'll stick with the annoying plumbing repairs and call it a week. 

Friday, September 15, 2017

7QTs - Spartan Races, Moving Friends, Filthy Brother

---1---

Our neighbors officially moved : ( 


It's been a tough week in that department and I half expect them to just come back home. 


---2---

R had a art project for school to work on  



I think she only got hit a with a few hot glue daps in the process... 


A continues his super neediness unless he is outdoors. 


And of course on the day she brought it in I couldn't find my phone - only to find it stuck in the driver side door of the van AFTER she went into class. 

---3---

The big girls had a dress down day yesterday 


And if there was any question this girl's favorite color is pink... Not pictured are her pink socks. 


---4---

A had an immune building jaunt in the dirt of the school parking lot yesterday morning


He didn't even make it over to prayer line as he patronized the dirt that had settled brought that the rain brought in the night before 


My girls would NEVER have done that. I'm finding myself saying that more often


Ever so filthy 


Yet ever so pleased with himself and genuinely happy (to make up for all the crying and whining that he does inside)


---5---

C is great:


She is still chattering up a storm if you can get her 'talking' and still spitting up like a champ


And is generally quite happy unless she thinks you are ignoring her

---6---

Last night was R's first tee ball game of the season... 


But that was not without drama because right as we were leaving our neighbors (who we are cementing them in the neighborhood FOREVER! : ) house R got a splinter in her finger. INSERT FREAK OUT. She screamed most of the way home - even M got tired of listening to her screeches. Well by the time we got home and she had held her finger, I think she pushed it further in. She was losing it the whole time I tried to get it out but we had to leave for the game because I had the hats for the kids so we couldn't be late and Papa was at swim practice with E. 

My life. 

A comedy of comedies. 

I could write a book.

But I'll blog for the time being


Lee tried to get the splinter out but that didn't happen so this was R before the game. Unhappy with the entire situation. 


They started doing 5 pitches of coach pitch and then using the tee. I cannot say she's improved in the offseason but there was loads of fun to be had in the dirt


And when you're five, I suppose that's just fine. 

---7---

My own post week notes: 

1. I really need to get all the laundry folded and put away before Monday starts. 

2. I missed the pool this week since I had a bit of a head cold so maybe I'll shoot back next week?

3. WE REALLY MISS OUR NEIGHBORS

4. In the afternoons I really have to have my game face on for homework. Table needs to be cleared and younger kids need to be occupied to give E and R my attention. If we ever add on to this house, I'd add on a wing with a garage big enough for the bus, a wet/dry outside-ish shower and bathroom, a downstairs chapel room and a dedicated study/library with each kid having their own desk. This is my inspiration

5. I think I could write a book on navigating healthcare as a self payer. 

6. We ended up at church 45 minutes before services began this week - instead of 15. Which super annoyed me that Lee and I both did not read the email thoroughly but ended up working in our favor since E and R had time to get their homework done BEFORE. 

7. Have you ever heard of Spartan races? I am toying with the idea of signing the girls up for one next weekend because it looks like loads of fun and it's only an hour or so from our house and we don't have any sporting events. Thoughts? 

Thursday, September 7, 2017

First Days of Schools

We are now into week three of school but here how the first few days looked:



Welcome to 2nd grade




Probably the best group pic to date


Proof I was there


Welcome to K


Gracious she looks older!


She went a day later than E for orientation and was nervous about not knowing anyone in her class


The girls behaving for a group pic


Good old little bro added to the mix


E's expression say it all when it comes to my 'now please smile and take a nice picture request' 


A mom + a kindergartener + her sibs + microbus


Welcome to 3 yr old class 


M's hair looks really thin... I cannot figure out why



Again the required group pic


Preschool friends meeting up for a first I survived the first week of school pic


Yay Mass Day with jumpers and flag - E wanted her pic with the flag and she's been singing the National Anthem a lot these days