Just a Thought...

I'm sitting at my laptop, with my second cup of coffee in hand reading the article below.  I'm icing my knee (that I'm pretty sure I reinjured in the spring training for a 5K and I don't even like to run) and waiting for Target to open.  I want to get that errand out of the way before my 90 minutes of once a week hard core Barre Strength class from Kim happens.  That's because I'm also doing laundry, the carpet cleaners are coming and the list for PTO follow up, subbing tomorrow and tests my daughter needs to study for is growing.  I could go on, but you get it.  This article made me smile and honestly made me rethink what I need to justify too.  While I only have one to worry about and do enjoy the freedom of staying home, I rarely sit down in my family room to 'take a break' during the day.  My new luxury is wireless speakers that pipe the radio through the house so I can listen to Mr. Tony on sports talk radio. 
http://www.babble.com/relationships/being-a-stay-at-home-parent-is-a-luxury-for-your-spouse/

The End of Another Fun and Successful NVSL Swim Season!

It's that time of year again, my now 9 year old has finished another summer of swimming in the Northern Virginia Swim League (NVSL) and we are in the dog days of summer with a new school year in sight. I will be honest I think I love summer more, now that I'm a mom, than I ever did when I was her age.  Many things are different for her, we belong to a summer neighborhood pool where we can spend hours every day playing, swimming, being with friends and eating dinners there.  We also have a vastly different type of summer league than where I grew up.  Our meets were at the minimum 90 minute drives away on a week night and in 50 meter pools.  Hers are maybe 25 minutes away and in 25 meter pools on Saturday mornings or Monday evenings.  Her swim practices are at 8 am, mine were at 6 am for two hours each day in the summer.  But, as a mom and a swimmer I love it all and I love the opportunity to be a part of the NVSL and watch McB's success. 

McB and her pal Ryan

Coach Kim with her 9-10 girls
and Mason, Peter & Nicco behind

This year I spent time as a stroke and turn judge and the hardest part was keeping from yelling when my girlie was swimming.  The funniest moment was during time trials when I did something I never thought I'd do, I disqualified my own daughter in the 50 back! But the reality is, she did it herself I just happened to be the judge that was standing over her and raised my arm.  She was a little miffed at me for a while.  I took a few jabs for DQing my own daughter, but then again I wasn't the first one to take out their own kid. 

One of the things I really love about summer league swimming is that you never know who you will run into, like a college friends brother who was with another swim club in our division.  Or other mom's from school who are team reps or their kids are on the team you're swimming against that week.  A few times during the summer there were many of us that were friends because of masters swimming long before we were parents and now our kids are all competing!


This year we were blessed to have my folks visit in the summer and they saw McB compete in two meets, a B meet and an A meet.  They saw her swim her best 25 fly time up to that point and she didn't go faster until Divisionals!  We were also lucky to have Kaitlyn and Erin see her swim.  Kaitlyn was just a few weeks post jaw and mouth surgery and still not getting out much.  It was one of her first big outings and McB loved having them both there too.  We were just grateful that Kaitlyn could make it for the whole meet and Erin being there to help her made it possible.  I can totally see Erin being a swim team mom some day, she got into it, team hat and everything! Kaitlyn would be more like me and need to be working on the deck or else she'll drive her kids crazy too. 

What was really wonderful this season was seeing my little 9 year old compete like a veteran.  Watching her behind the lane waiting to swim there was a calmness about her and a confidence too.  She had goals and raced to achieve them this year.  She didn't let the fact that some of the girls swimming fly against her were actually 11 (NVSL rules state the age you are June 1 is what age group you swim in all season) she went after them with even more determination. 





The summers also give us a chance to bring many friends in our life to one place, our school, swim, neighbors and gym friends, many of them belong to our little pool.  It is fun for us as adults to spend Friday nights having a glass of wine together and then Saturday mornings coffee at swim meets.  Wednesday night raft nights for dinner and just being at the pool during swim practices or for fun.  It is fun for us and for the kids. 

 I just feel like we are in the right place when it's summer and I think McB does too.  She is going to grow up and have all these fabulous memories and friends from Springboard Pool.   She will have many more swim meets with her friends and as she continues to complete in USA swimming she will know even more of the swimmers she is competing against in the summer league meets as well.  I just love that she has such fun at the pool and I have really loved this summer that she is at the pool and is 100% self sufficient and walks in, drops her bag and has at least one friend to instantly go play with.  I also love that she still wants to play with me and will spend hours diving for rocks in the deep end with me or doing hand stands or jumping off the diving board.   All those things are still fun for me too.  But it is also quite nice to walk onto the pool deck and see where she dropped her bag and I see my friends too and I get to chat in a lounge chair or just hang in the pool. 



Did I mention that some of her friends aren't her age? I get a chuckle over how she can have a full conversation with Mason (who will be a freshman at ODU this year) about the Calgary Stampede Rodeo, or how she totally holds her own when chatting about a variety of things with Francisco (Franny), who will be a senior at Edison High School.  But I really love how she just snuggles up and hangs with Sarah that and the fact they both wear their swim suits the same way.  Sarah, McB and Franny even dress alike at times. 

Record breakers at Championship
Relay Meet

Most of the time she is with her 9-10 crew either in swim practice, a swim meet or playing in the pool.  This summer the girls all really bonded and cemented their friendships.  The four girls on the right, McB, Lisa, Kayla and Paige also put together a pool record 100 free relay and for them it was a pretty sweet victory.  For this mom, as I stood on the corner of the pool, being a relay take off judge, it was all I could do not to jump up and down and cry at the same time.  I was so proud of them all and so happy for their victory.  I know their coach, Kim Case was proud of them too.  They all worked hard for the chance to be on the relay and the chance to get a record and their names on the Springboard wall. 

 Here she is with the coaches, what a fabulous and talented group we had coaching our kids this summer.  They bonded too and I think if they all come back next year our summer season will be one of the best ever.  It was Claire's first year as our assistant coach and she brought experience both from racing and also from coaching. Our intern coaches had double duty as swimmers and coaches and handled it well, really well and a couple also were the head cheerleaders as Cuda Man and Cuda Man's side kicks. 


This blog entry was a little long but this summer was more than just our little 9 year old competing in summer league again.  It was the realization that the pool friends we've made have become our own little family and the times we share are going to be some of the most cherished memories I will ever have (including the summer solstice trip~ one big long bruising memory!).  This summer of swim competing was wildly successful though and I don't want to end without saying that McB not only got to swim on a winning and record breaking free style relay but she was also named Cuda of the week. As her coach said, she earned it not only for handling the pressure she put on her but also having to deal with the pressure I put on her.  (I only give her what I know she can take and I only push her when I know she has it within her to be better).  The next day after being named Cuda of the Week, at Divisionals she surprised us all by taking second in the 25 fly and dropping another .7 seconds! She rocked a 19.37 and essentially dropped 4 seconds from last summer! Those are the swim moments you remember and when it gets tough and you're tired and don't want to go to practice, those are the memories that get you through.  She still has a few seconds to drop to make All Star cuts and hopefully get into that meet but who knows what she can do between now and next summer? She can do anything she wants in the pool and out.  I expect her other events to come together this year as well and I hope to say next year she swam in more than one event and hopefully did make All Star cuts. 

It's been a great summer and even though we've got a few weeks left, school and regular life is starting to nudge it's nose into our blissful summer.  The warmth I feel on my face in the mornings when I walk outside, won't last much longer nor will the early morning swims with the sun in my eyes when I turn to breath.  But they will in my memories and they will tide us all over until next year. 

The World Famous Calgary Stampede

We finally made it to see the "Greatest Show on Dirt" the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alberta Canada this year.  It was a quick trip but filled with fun times and seeing good friends. 

We started at Spruce Meadows, an international equestrian center that is privately owned and open to the public three times a year for world class jumping and showing.  These are some of the horse that were on display around the center showing different international organizations and of course the Calgary Stampede. 

Check out their website: http://www.sprucemeadows.com/   Also they had mama's and babies, like the one McB is petting, a chance to name a few of their new foals and this crazy event called, Dock Dogs where dogs can win prize money based on how far they jump off a dock to get their  toy that was tossed by the owner.  McB stood up hear the 'dock' and got pretty soaked a few times watching the dogs jump in.  The center was amazing and we would love to go back there and spend an entire day just watching the jumping, steeplechase, dock dogs and seeing the horses.  Truly a beautiful place.


After a morning of horse jumping we moved onto the main event and the Calgary Stampede.  It was a quick trip so we were only going to see two perfs.  We made the most of it by helping Jody clean the horse stalls before going over to sit with her in the contestants and family seating area.  We were really lucky to go while Gary Rempel ( http://rempelperformancehorses.com/press/  ) is still one of the official Calgary Stampede Pick Up men.  He along with his brother, Wade make a great team.  They use anywhere from 4-6 horses per show and at this rodeo they even had time to lean over the fence and chat with McB a bit.  Jody and I had a great time people watching and Brad just enjoyed being able to take pictures and watch the rodeo undisturbed. 




After the show both days we went back to the barns where McB was able to help walk the horses, brush them and give them treats.  She loves Gary's horses.  We were able to enjoy some fine Canadian whiskey and laughs with Gary and Jody.  





McB even managed to get on the big screen during the rodeo when one of the announcers interviewed a cowboy.  She figured out the angle of the camera was on our section and moved into the shot. 
Talk about funny! She is at the top of the screen in the corner grinning away. 





Did I mention the fine Canadian
Crown Royal you could drink?
Mounties preparing to drill was
a bonus!

The rodeo and arena are amazing and huge, they bring in over 100 thousand people a day to watch it and see the night show that features chuck wagon races and spectacular fireworks.  The fairgrounds is huge as well.  An abundance of rides for all ages, an Ag department with beautiful livestock and a few little treasures like this place that we enjoyed!  We sent a picture to my dad, who was in Las Vegas and he immediately wanted to go to Toby Keith's restaurant for something, anything that was deep fat fried!

 



We stayed right downtown and in the shadow of the 520 meter high Calgary Tower.  It was awesome and a little unnerving to stand on the observation platform and look down.  I don't think McB and I ever got used to standing on it but we did enjoy the beautiful 360 degree view of Calgary and as far as the eye could see beauty.  Breathtaking on many levels.  If you ever go to Calgary for the rodeo in July or just for fun, we both recommend visiting the tower. 








Downtown has a few main streets that during the Stampede are shut down during most of the day and some of the evening for vendors to sell food, souvenirs, take pictures and host square dancing and pancake breakfasts.  McB found her new favorite hat, a pink cowboy hat, down there and was gracious enough to pose for a picture with her dad as we walked down the street one evening. 

We would love to go back every year and see more than two stampede performances but will take it one year at a time.  We lucked into beautiful weather, seeing our friends and also seeing some impressive rodeo cowboys and girls, from timed events and barrel racing to fantastic bucking horses from Calgary and bulls.  The Mounties performed an awesome drill that lasted at least 25 minutes every day to kick off the shows.  Check out the Calgary Stampede website for more information.   http://www.calgarystampede.com/#










 

Summer Solstice June 21, 2014

Every Summer Solstice I try to document the entire day from the time we get up until we go to bed, just for fun and sometimes for laughs.  This year was no exception, lots of fun was had and there was a lot of laughing...and some wine too. 



The day started early, we had a swim meet against Somerset Old Creek and I was also a stroke and turn judge that day.  The 9 year old looks happy and perky in this picture but she was really just being a ham.  Saturday morning summer meets are fun except for the early morning get ups.  Unless...you get to be me (I like getting up early)  and as you can see I had to do extra warm up of my arms since the weather was a little wet to start.  I didn't want to pull a muscle or anything that would effect my ability to enjoy the rest of the day, which as you read below, would include many glasses of fine Virginia wine. 




These four girls rocked the 100 medley relay for 9-10 girls, they were fast enough to even beat our boys 9-10 medley relay.  It is pretty fun when the girls you train with all year can be your summer teammates too.   These four have been together all year and although one moves up to 11-12 they still get to swim together in the winter.



The swim meet ended on time and then it was adult time!! Plus it was Vanessa's birthday (she is so lucky to have the longest birthday every year!) and we were heading to Greenhill Winery in a limo bus to celebrate.  If the morning was all about summer league swimming and kids then the rest of the day was all about celebrating the summer, being with friends and having a good time.


 Here are some shots of us before we left, slight delay waiting for the limo bus to arrive, then all of us in the bus on our way to the winery in Middleburg.  Check it out: www.greenhillwinery.com

Once we got to Greenhill it was time to sample the wine.  Since the last time all of the girls had been there in April they had added a Riesling, that was pleasantly dry and delicious.  There were 16 of us so some of the guys stood behind the HUGE table in the members only clubhouse and sampled from there. Please note that even our friend Marcia was drinking wine that day, and she doesn't like alcohol!  All because of summer solstice and maybe the fact that we were at a winery.

Then we really started to have some fun! I mean we did selfies (well Usies actually) with a photo bomber, thanks Brad!

The we surprised Vanessa with a delicious chocolate cake and we had to sing to her!


Of course after singing happy birthday the next song we sang was the Canadian National Anthem, I mean it's summer solstice and we are at a winery in Middleburg, Virginia of course that's the next song! 



Our resident Canadian put his hand over his heart and was somewhat impressed that some of us (mostly me) knew most of the words.  It's a great anthem, I think everyone should learn it and as a bonus there are NO super high notes to screw up. 

 The girls had to all go out on this very decrepit boat dock and pose for a picture.  I will note that the sign on the grass before you walk on the dock says please stay off...it's a bit old and falling apart in places, but we got the shot!







Sadly, after a few more sips of wine, a ride in a crazy golf cart, some lovely music and lots of good memories...it was time to make a few more as we danced our way home in the limo bus to really loud and awesome 80's music!!

 

 

When we got back to the pool to pick up our cars, who was there to greet us?  It was Mason, the high school graduate! What a nice guy to sit with us for a final summer solstice picture!

 

I hope everyone had at a fun Summer Solstice day like us!

 

 

 

 



Kanani Goes to Hawaii...Again!

Screwdriver in the
Alaska Airlines
Boardroom.

Spring Break 2014 and we are off to Kona, Hawaii and that means Kanani, our 9 year olds American Girl doll is going back to her homeland...again.  I thought Kanani would be better behaved than last time (scroll back through the posts to Thanksgiving 2012) but this is how it started out. 


 
 




The flight was great, everyone enjoyed a snack pack from the food cart and since Brad is an MVP Gold we also had a drink.  Movies were watched, books and magazines were read and then it was time to land.  Look how excited everyone was when we got off into a nice warm breeze and warm temperatures.  After the winter (and spring) we'd had on the East Coast this was very welcome, even from the American Girl doll. 








Once we were settled at the house we had to wait to see our friends the Jensen's and their girlies since they were arriving later on another flight.  So, we all went out to dinner at the Fairmont Hotel and ate on the beach while we waited.  It was a beautiful night and we saw a few turtles hanging out on the protected part of the beach. 








Finally we were all together and could really enjoy Spring Break! It turned out we were the drivers of the 9 year olds as well as their 'girls'.  Here are a few scenes from our back seat throughout the week.  Oh and please keep in mind we were constantly reminded of the temperature, music on the radio (we may have been singing too much 70's and 80's hits) and to turn up or turn down both. 



Kanani and her new friend, Marie were actually really well behaved.  They didn't drink while playing cards nor did they gamble on cards either.  Sitting with their legs together wasn't easy but all in all they did alright.  I think the 9 year olds were a very good influence on them.  Here are more scenes from our Spring Break in Hawaii trip via the American Girl dolls. 

 

 

 

Here we all were at Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation where we enjoyed a tour and a tasting of local grown Kona coffee.  We also bought some coffee that has been enjoyed on the weekends in our French coffee press. 



The girls at the pool.  They didn't want to get in, for fear their beautiful hair do's would be ruined but they did always remember to wear sun screen.  Even if they kept sitting with their legs apart!!

 

On the last day we swam early and also had time to enjoy a little hot tub time.  It was a beautiful morning and not too much of a breeze.  As you can see not only were the American Girls inseparable but so were the 9 year olds. 

Okay there was one night the adults went out to a nice dinner and we came home to see Kanani on the kitchen counter.  I guess she got a little wild and crazy while we were gone!! That Kanani! At least on this trip to Hawaii she wore her seat belt in the car and we didn't find her with mini umbrellas in her hair!!

The Buswell's and Jensen's had a great time in Kona, Hawaii just like the American Girls.  We can't wait to get together for another fun adventure!!