7QTs - Soccer, birthdays, & other grateful things

Linking up with Kelly ... It only took a month to finish my seven summer updates. Here's to some more of the latest and greatest. 

---1---

I think I left off the weekend of Js bday which was action packed with soccer, a flat tire 

After choir practice, while Lee was in Raleigh for church. Very thankful for the boy who stopped me before leaving the parking lot - because I had no idea - before we were heading 20 min down the road for Mass. It could have been a disaster because I would not have known who to call. A friend whose daughter is in choir happened to be picking up her kids and was like - oh my husband can fix that! Insert all the praise. He came and was better and faster than AAA - which we don't have. He was telling the kids all the stuff he was moving around and super patient with the flurry of questions. God was watching out for us because we were rolling a zillion miles a minute that day. 

The next day was As bday but not without a swim meet first 

It was the first home meet we had since January 2020. 

It was a fun, fast and close by meet which are all PLUSES in our book. 

A swam and did well. He almost didn't DQ in backstroke - he flipped over on the last stroke and his 50 free was funny to watch because everytime the coach said something to him, he stopped and looked at her and took FOREVER to get down the lane. 

Then it was As bday celebration!

---2---

Last week was blessing of the pets... 

aka Es least favorite day of school because... dogs. But the Tortuga came and got blessed. E threw some fresh grass and leaves in his cage before - so it 'looked better'. 

Speaking of animals

See that hump in the roof - yes? 

Wasps were building a nest up there and separated the gutter away from the roof/house?!?!?! So random! I thought there were going to be hundreds but when Lee sprayed them there were maybe twenty or so? 

---3---

Lots of soccering without many pictures... Papa needs to step up his game!

I was conned into Italian Ice after one of M's games

But it was hot and she played hard. I took A and R out that night much to the other two's chagrin. C did not get the nod because she has basically gotten on the field and started crying. 

But this week Lady C held it together and played and got her post game refreshments for the first time this season! and scored a goal or two. Proving to me (and hopefully herself) she can do it but I think I'm going to hang up my C coaching hat in the spring : ) 

A celebrated his 6th! bday with his soccer team in a late night (for 5 and 6 yr olds) games. I brought cupcakes - in addition to the snacks - and his team sung him Happy Birthday! It was late but it was fun. 

These girls are so intense playing and super fun to watch

Ms friend from school is on another team but are all smiles when the game is over. There's alot of good action and games in Ms age group at the moment. I don't know if it is the energy of the coaches or the quality of the players but it has been a really fun season of games to watch - and there's still a few more games left!

 

---4---

H is embracing her role at the office... 

I think she much prefers hanging out in the bouncy seat or on the floor with toys and plants to look at than this swinging chair BUT it was cute while it lasted. I think she'll warm up to this and get some good exercise soon. 

---5---

I made a discovery recently while giving blood (I give for the cookies : ) ...

 

I'd never heard of it and neither had the other donors who were at the blood drive. Alkaline water. Apparently the pH is supposed to help your body hydrate better? I guess it has been around for a while and I'm late to the party (shocker) - more investigation required. It does a little bit different than 'regular' water. 

---6---

With all the time and energy going to carting kids to and fro and soccer coaching (which I do like but man it can get stressful), a friend's bday was an excuse for some me time

We went to a wine tasting and apparently they are every month so we might need to carve out friend more often. We had a fun time and tasted some interesting wine - some we liked and one really earthy cava that I thought tasted kind of like dirt. H behaved and Lee held down the fort and all its dinnering, showering, homeworking and go to bed glory. 

---7---

Despite all the busyness, I can't help but think of this family and how their world was turned upside down; pray for them. Their daughter was two days older than H. Between them and my niece who is still in the NICU - but doing great! - it causes Lee and I to pause and be grateful for our wild routine because every day is a gift. 

7QTs - Camp, Swim, B-DAY

Linking up with Kelly ... SUMMER!

---1---

E was dropped off at the happiest place on earth on Sunday - and no it was not Disney. Week long sleep away camp that she’s been talking about since last year when it was broken into half week covid friendly sessions. I think she would stay all summer if we could afford it. I’m sure we’ll get tons of details when she gets back because it has been device free and contact free week - not that she has a device of her own to bring anyways…

This will be her last summer at CWS and will be able to go to CWR next summer 

She'll be back in July for another session because she eeked into two weeks of camp that fills of almost instantaneously upon registration opening - I literally told everyone in my office to not expect me to do anything from 9:58 to about 10:05 the day the camp opened.  

---2---

R and M got to go to horse camp for a few mornings this week. M wasn’t thrilled with her group because she wanted to be with her a friend but she did like her horse and I kept telling her she didn’t have to go back if it was THAT bad.

I had to dig out jeans from the fall/winter clothes that I still have not completely sorted from the clothes switch!

---3---

We celebrated family Fathers Day a whole week early this year because yours truly doesn’t cook for sport or attempt to out cook the man of the house so we always go out for brunch. On the actual day, my parents and brother will be here and we have two campers jet setting next week so early it was. Lobster Benedict. Check. Loads of chocolate chip pancakes and tea and one tummy ache later - we did quite well. Mostly because Papa tolerated holding J the entire time. J is a frequent visitor to Papas lap when he is eating. It is a terrible habit but J is so stinking cute so he tolerates it.

The girls wanted to wear shorts and their new shirts but I reminded them we rarely go out and this was for Father's Day and they change into more dressy clothes WITHOUT a whine or complaint - insert all the shocked faces. 

---4---

Last weekend we finally got R a new bike. Hers may have gotten run over by construction traffic so she’s been without a bike for a few months plus she legit needed a new one. Have you bike shopped recently? I don’t think it is as Hunger Games ish as a year ago but bikes and good deals are few and far between. R and M have stayed out riding bikes until dark this week and one night they caught quite a few fireflies. 

The evening weather was amazing this week and Lee and I sat on the porch several nights enjoying the non-humidity. I can't say this week will provide similar opportunities. I think the humidity is coming. Plus he's got 5 evening pool appointments in 3 nights and 2 more to schedule so M and I will be wallowing in evening loneliness next week - E and R won't be home so it could be an epically fun week for M or the worst week of the summer for her. 

---5---

The first summer swim meet of the year was this week. A and C swam pup squad though after night I’m hopeful A will get bumped to 6 and under in the next week or so - he can do it he just isn't confident that he can actually swim. Lady C was happily whisked down the lane and content with copious amounts of snacks. R swam with the usual suspects and finished in her usual suspect type manner. M rocked out her events and nearly got outtouched in back. I’m hoping they’ll throw her in IM next meet. With only 4 meets and an action packed summer schedule I don’t think all five Kibbes will be at one meet together : (

A little nervous

The reluctant cap wearer 

Ready to roll 

Miss Pink 

C refused to jump off the blocks even though I'm pretty sure she would have absolutely love it

She is such a fun swimmer to watch and smoked everyone in fly. She is missing her BFF competitor in crime this year. 

I didn't even notice M in the background! Cheering on her big sister. R has got great competition just in her age group on our team. I hope for her sake she can snag a blue ribbon but it will be tough. 

---6---

Lady C had a bday this week. Actually the night of the swim meet which was hilarious because she waffled on wanting to swim all week. E was still at camp and Papa was out of town for work - insert all the laughs - so we settled for post meet popsicles and a party the next day.

 

Everyone say Happy Birthday C!
 

---7---

Addition construction seems to have an end in sight. I’ve been able to hold it together a lot in regards to the stress of the disruption and disarray and everything but last weekend it really got to me. I think I just want my house back. I don’t keep the tidiest or cleanest house - I like to think we go for the more lived in style - but I do like order and when stuff has a spot even if it doesn’t always get there - there’s at least a place for it. I was hopeful the painters might finish this week but that’s not in the cards. We did get a firm date of 6/29 for floor finishing so I’m thrilled. 

Moms Swim 2018

Gosh this seems like a long time ago but I suppose it was only about 6 weeks ago yet I am finally getting around to it...

Back in October the girls had an evening swim meet. It is definitely a fun meet for them so to add to the fun I thought it would be even more fun to get some moms involved in a moms vs coaches relay. 

Let's just say it was loads of fun and even though we lost and it taught our kids a thing or two about what their mamas can do. 

I must admit I'd been hatching this idea probably since the end of summer because I knew I need so swim savvy moms if we were to even have a shot at this. After pitching the idea and a little bit of pleading we were in. 

Next thing we needed was a team cap. Well apparently #swimmoms or anything related to moms swimming cannot be found printed on a silicone swim cap (though there is an array of nice shirts). So the next best thing is... typing 'swim mom cap' into Google and seeing what appears. Wouldn't you know these were the caps that came up.

I mean they had flowers and hearts on them and they seemed fierce enough and the name of them is La Vengadora - Lady Avengers so here we were. 

Then it came to the morning before the race. We assembled at 5:30 (in the morning because everyone knows that's when moms really have quality time for themselves) to practice diving off the blocks. Ummm.... let's just say having not dove off one of those blocks in 20 years - they were really high. And here we moms are telling our kids they have nothing to worry about and get up there and just do it. 

Riiiiiiiiight. 

Well then it was race day - which was kind of hilarious because there was this series of serious texts about our order but also included who was going to be in our cheering section because word had gotten out about the #swimmoms and even non swim friends were wishing us luck and then dying to see the video of it after the fact. 

I mean Lee and my mother in law even stuck around until 7:30 with all the kids - hello past your bedtime A and C - to watch. 

Anyhow we lost and it wasn't even close which was a bummer because none of us wanted to lose because we are all THOSE kind of mamas. For me personally, I can tell you that the take homes for me and my swimming girls are this:

A. I probably can and should swim (when I get around to it) faster - because I can and I just don't push myself. That in and of itself was worth all this 

B. R couldn't believe that I was ACTUALLY going to swim. So I am glad that I publicly showed her that her mother can, in fact, swim even though diving off the blocks is not as easy as you kids make it out to be

C. E saw how we lost. We were good sports. Disappointed but still having fun as a team of moms. It is fun to win but sometimes it is not about winning and losing - it is about just doing something for the fun of it (and winning next time)

D. One of teammates rang in her birthday swimming on the relay team - which was AWESOME!

On that note, I cannot speak for all the #swimmoms but I hope that we can have a rematch next year. Hopefully next year the coaches team will have a closer median age to our as they were about 7 years younger than us on average OR we need a handicap based on the number of kids we have. Once the race was over, we looked around at each other and determined that there are 15 kids between the four of us! 

#swimmoms

Humidity and Humility... Highs, Lows and Life Lessons Learned on Our Summer Swim Team

The summer swim season has come to a close so I'll ceremoniously give my thought on why the heck we spent the last 8 or 9 or 10? weeks pool side for countless practices and a handful of meets and coolers full of snacks and the occasional popsicle afterward. 

I was pretty on the fence about bringing M to the conference meet because this year it was a bit further than the regular 15 min drive to the Y. She can swim the length of the pool by herself and was supposed to do it at the conference meet even though she was still swimming pup squad. It was an early start at 6:15 but she came bounding out of her room and I couldn't say no. 

E had her heart set and her mind made up about getting high point winner for the meet. When she found out the girl she thought stood in her way wasn't at the meet, she was pumped. I kept reminding her it was not a done deal and she had to get through each stroke. 

They were really cute cheering each other and their friends on. 

R had a great meet. I'm so proud of her for doing three strokes this season. She has got some fierce competition in her age group and considering she really has only been swimming for 10 weeks it is quite remarkable how well she has done. At this meet she got a red ribbon in freestyle, she got her stroke/breathe count synced for breaststroke and stayed on her back the whole time of backstroke - but honestly R is not overly concerned about the colors of ribbons. She did ask a few times if she could get the high points medal for 6 and under and I quickly reminded her that she swims against girls who swim year round and maybe that would be in the cards next year. 

E swam a great IM (minus the crazy, crazy, crazy breathes she takes during freestyle) and backstroke at the meet so she was psyched with two first places. We talked about doing a shallower dive and quicker strokes for breaststroke (which was questionably legal last summer). Breaststroke was the weakest link and it was the stroke that the other girl who was vying for the high points medal was swimming. 

Before the race, she knew she had it. I told her if she got first she'd get the medal. If she didn't, then she'd have to wait and see how this girl did in free. I don't think she was listening. 

E swam one of the quickest breaststrokes I think I've since her swim but she came up a few seconds short and very much in second place. 

She kept her goggles on and let the tears flow and the frustration out at the tent away from her team. She was crushed. As in, I never want to swim again - upset. 

She perked up enough to cheer on R in her last race - free and I told her she'd better be cheering hard for her teammate (who was swimming against the girl who beat her in breaststroke). The race was insanely close. I couldn't see who won

I love R's expression

The girl who beat her in breaststroke ended up 3rd in free (she was .2 seconds away from 1st) 

so E brought home the high points medal after all, not without a little drama and some major help from a teammate (the one who is patting her back is the one who won freestyle) and another swimmer

So overall the day was a long, hot one with a major low but an even higher high. There were lessons in practicing humility because maybe we aren't the best - and that's okay, there were lessons in practicing hard really, in fact, can pay off, there were lessons in let's do things over the winter so we can be better in the summer and there were lessons in just plain old - go out there and have fun! We also learned that going to Chik-Fil-A off I-95 at 12:45 is not the best of ideas for lunch but we waited it out because that's what we were ALL craving and we ended up having a nice lunch with some swim friends - we learned we can fit 2 moms and 5 kids in a CFA booth made for 4 people. 

I'm proud of E for earning the medal but I'm also glad it it didn't come easy. 

A was carrying around the shark mascot after the swim team end of year gathering. #futureshark

Swim season coming to a close is hard because in some ways it seems like we just started. It also makes summer feel like it is over (even though it's not). I can't say I'll miss shlepping all the kids to practice in the evening (because Lee's rarely home in time for me to leave the non swimmers) and our summer sitter is probably glad to not be tied to the practice schedule. Maybe we'll still make it to the pool over the next month or so. 

The season has been filled with so much progress and many successes. 

We came.

They swam. 

We conquered summer swim 2018. 

And it was worth it. It would not have been possible without the dedication of the coaches and parent volunteers who make the swim team go around. We are so grateful to be part of our pool. It is a gift. 

She wanted a pic with awards - she won high points award for the team for the season. 

I handed her the bag of PB M&Ms I promised her if she won high points at the conference meet - she was expecting them but surprised. I told her she owes her friend a few of them for helping her out in freestyle. I think she's definitely ready to share :  )

Hasta la vista Nash Rec 2018. We'll be ready to swim hard next summa!

7QTs - Snow, Christmas and Advent

Linking up with Kelly and co... Going from newest to oldest...

---1---

My snowy bear

The snow is gone... We had our fun but it was up to 70 today and is headed back into the 30s tomorrow : ( 

---2---

M reminds me so much of E in so many ways and putting together puzzles is one of them...

50 piece puzzle for the 4 yr old in the books... except E just would have done it and moved on. M wants me to see it and know if she gets extra dessert because she did something good. riiiiiiight!

---3---

C is FINALLY on team bottle... 

Which is insanely helpful because I have a quick work trip that she is not privileged to. More on that later 

---4---

All the Christmas presents have been absorbed for the most part...

I haven't tried out my new goggles yet but I did manage a trip to the elliptical this week which was great

Working on Christmas Thank You notes... I still need to get a few out!

The tree is still up. I think A is really going to miss it. He keeps on saying lite treeeeee. lite treeeeeee. I cannot find his baby ornament which is of some concern so maybe it will turn up in clean up?

---5---

These 2 were ready to go back to school.

They were totally at each other's necks the last week of break and nit picking (now that I know that actually has to do with lice) each other and just generally being really an

---6---

A-isms of recent... 

He will grab the stool from the bathroom and attempt to get involved with whatever is going on

He rarely gets dessert these days because he doesn't eat much dinner unless it is steak or ham but when he does he loves it

He looks really cute in this hat

His hair can get really wild with static

He LOVES going with Papa in the truck. He saw E and Papa go to swim practice and fitfully watched them leave because he didn't get the nod to go too

---7---

Just to round out the Advent season a few weeks late...

We did make it to the graveyards to pray on 12/23... nothing like the late minute

And we continued the neighborhood tradition of passing out Christmas goodies and added a note with a plea for people in our neighborhood to SLOW THE HECK DOWN ... I'll keep you posted on that progress