Piper's First USS Meet

Ready to go in her
Potomac Marlins gear!

It is no secret to anyone who knows me that I love to swim and have always hoped to pass this passion onto Piper.  Today was a big day for me (I don't think she realized it or thought it was quite that monumental but no matter) as Piper swam in her first USS swim meet.  Not only that but she acted like she had been going off the starting blocks all along instead of just once over the summer at Aqua Club in Seattle. 

I could tell by the time we got to the pool that she was nervous and a bit excited.  I was too, thank goodness Brad was calm and steady and carrying on, just like a good Sherpa should. 

waiting to swim and making
friends.

We got her all set and left her on deck with a coach she had just met, teammates that all train at different pools and went up to the balcony to sit and watch.  Then Brad suggested I go see about timing, probably for his peace, my peace of mind (since I could see and talk to her on deck) and to reassure Piper we were around.  I love that she is still young enough to want that, I know my time will come, sooner than I want, where she won't want me within eye sight, just calling distance!

Piper did great for her first meet, she took 6th in the 25 breast, 14th in the 50 free and 26th in the 25 back.  It's funny because I think her backstroke is good but she hasn't raced it much this year and needs to work on a few fundamentals that my good friend and technique expert, Beth O'Connor Baker, has instructed her to do.   Next weekend she will compete in an intersquad meet and the next day I will swim in my first masters meet post shoulder surgery.  Lots of pool time for Brad these days!

Diving in for 50 free



 

A New 'hood For Us

We spent 4 months looking at houses on side by side iPad's, then another year looking at A LOT of houses in literally a 2 mile square.  Finally, we made an offer on a house off of Telegraph Rd.  the neighborhood was beautiful and the house sat on a little over .5 acre but as we did it I said to Brad, "if this offer isn't accepted, let's start looking up Valley View Drive again."  The next day the update email from our realtor came and there it was, the house we were meant to own.  It had just about everything we were looking for a few bonus items too.  (A deck that only had 3 steps to the grassy yard, a beautiful fence we didn't have to replace any time soon).  So we did what any sane house hunters would do after just putting down an offer on another house 24 hours ago, we called our realtor and said we had to see this new house up Valley View.

Signing the papers in August

Two days later we walked around with the 7 year old for 45 minutes and said we want this one, pull the other offer.  A week later they accepted our offer and we were all of a sudden, after talking about it for so long, buying a house and moving from our beloved Manchester Crossings neighborhood and the -friends we had made there.  Granted it was only 2.2 miles away and we still see them, talk to them and plan to hang with them for the annual get togethers, but we don't see them every day while walking Myles anymore.  Piper doesn't seem Kamryn on a daily basis and I don't get to see Jeannine or Christine, Betsy or Carrie every day just because I am outside with Myles or Piper.  On the other hand, I don't see Matt at 6 am while in my PJ's and coffee cup in hand standing on the front stoop with Myles either. 

Brad 'carrying' us over the
threshold!

We've been here now for about 6 weeks and hosted our first party the other night.  It was to celebrate Brad's birthday and a little house warming too.  I am hosting Bunco next week and am so excited, I will finally have the room to host my friends and at the same time the rest of my family won't be inconvenienced .  After spending the past 11 years in a two bedroom townhouse moving to this single family home is such a treat.  We loved our little townhouse and miss it every day, we made the most of every bit of space and I had such a great set up in my kitchen. Now I sometimes feel like we are starting over with somethings and yet I know that they are little and can be changed in time.  I guess this entry will be ongoing as we go about making those changes.  The only major one so far was updating the hardwood floors and staircase. 

Now, everyone is happy, even Myles.  He has a ramp he can use to go down to the grass (proving that even old dogs can learn new tricks), he has made some new friends with the three Weimaraner dogs next door.  He even goes out front whenever, Max the other black lab in the neighborhood wanders up to our front door. 

Last time at our little
townhouse in the old 'hood.