Olympic Trials

Just because we don't have video of Brendan's first race doesn't mean you can't enjoy great swimming on TV. The U.S. Olympic Trials began today and are airing on USA during the week and on NBC during the holiday weekend. The time is 8 p.m. EST, I believe. Tonight, two world records were set, one by Michael Phelps and the other by Katie Hoff.

We let the boys stay up a little late so they could watch with us. Ryan was so excited and said the swimmers "look cool." He also observed when the swimmers were ready for their races. Before the 100 women's butterfly, Brendan asked, "Is that a girl or boy?" OK, admittedly it's a little hard to tell with that sleek, one-piece unisex suit. They both enjoyed watching, and perhaps Ken gained some credibility with Brendan. We pointed out how the swimmers were streamlining ("like an arrow") off the walls and how their arms were coming out of the water. Hopefully Brendan was thinking, "Hmm, so Mom and Dad do know what they are talking about." Or maybe not.

(Side note: Watch for Dana Vollmer, swimming in the finals of the 100 fly and perhaps other events. She was coached pre-college by our good friend Ron Forrest in Fort Worth. I also wrote a front-page Sports Day story about her when she was just 12 and competed in Seniors.)

Proud swimmer

Brendan competed in his first race -- the 25-yard 8 & under freestyle -- tonight.

First, we had to do some waiting, as storms rolled in around 4:45, 15 minutes before warm-up time. We're five minutes from the pool, so we waited it out from home (even though Brendan reminded me that the coach said to come rain or shine). At the pool, the kids watched Dora the Explorer in the car while I checked in with the coach. The meet was delayed only 30 minutes, which was good news, but the clubhouse was chaotic with so many people and much confusion. Apparently, many swimmers from the opposing team were still on the road as power lines were down in our area. So traffic lights were out, causing the delays.

Around 6 p.m., warm-ups began and the meet started shortly thereafter. Brendan was in event six, which was excellent news. I didn't want to keep my other little ones at the pool too long. It was close to bedtime, after all.

After being "marshalled" for his heat, Brendan lined up with other swimmers in his heat (#3, lane 2).


Ryan, who was more than willing to participate in the team meeting and anything Brendan did, was disappointed that he wasn't also swimming. That didn't stop him from splashing in the puddles or getting into the little pool, fully clothed.

After sitting a few minutes, Brendan and his teammates moved behind the blocks. Such chaos! I must have been oblivious when I was swimming, or the parents did an awesome job. Brendan waited patiently and eventually told his dad to let him be. He had to prepare mentally, of course!

Finally, the race was on. Brendan didn't know what to do when the race started, so his competitors beat him off the blocks. But he used his arms the entire 25 (something he doesn't do in practice) and never grabbed the lane ropes or touched the pool bottom (something he always does in practice). What a fantastic first race! Ken, Ryan and Papa cheered from the sidelines while taking photos, and Kelsey and I cheered from the end of his lane. (He breathes butterfly-style, so he could see us the whole race.)

After the race, Brendan jumped out of the pool, no doubt experiencing an adrenaline rush. I was certain he'd be exhausted, but he was full of energy. He said, "That was fun!" Then he asked why the little kids only swim one event, and wanted to know when the next meet is. He doesn't want to miss it.

Why 5-year-olds don't babysit

Today, after an exhausting lunch outing and finally getting Ryan down for a nap (or so I thought), I asked Brendan to entertain his sister while I took a quick break (aka check my email). I know this may qualify me as a selfish mother by some people's standards today, but it's necessary to keep the sanity.

I'm happily typing a reply to who-knows when I hear Brendan laughing. Ah, how sweet, I think. He's having fun with Kelsey. A few seconds later, I realize that I also hear splashing water. I didn't hear the faucet turn on, I say to myself. Did he fill the sink or, what in the world?

Then it all becomes clear. I run to the bathroom to find Brendan watching Kelsey splash away in the toilet. Her shirt is soaked and she has water down her arms, on her stomach and all over her face. My first thought was, please tell me that the boys actually flushed the last time they used the toilet. Thankfully, they had. Still, I detected an undesirable odor and kept thinking something was wrong. Again, thankfully, that was contained in Kelsey's diaper.

Needless to say, Kelsey was stripped immediately and thrown into the bathtub for a complete cleansing.

Goals

Tomorrow, Brendan will swim in his first meet, representing the Colony Swim Club. Though he wasn't crazy about swimming after his first practice, he has since been extremely enthusiastic. In part, that's because the weather has been warmer, making morning swims much more bearable. He's also made a couple of friends and showed Coach Ben how he can swim (in the classic dog paddle) a 25.

All of this certainly brings back memories for me. I didn't swim competitively at such a young age, but I remember many a swim meet. I started my swimming career for a neighborhood team, much like this one. I have many fond memories.

I don't particularly care if Brendan swims competitvely beyond next week or five years from now, but I do want him to experience the sport a little and just have fun. We're also using swimming and t-ball to learn about setting personal goals. Perhaps that's a big concept for an almost 6-year-old, but Brendan needs motivation. He's just that kind of child. So his motivation for swimming is to learn more about Pokemon, something all of his friends know and love but he has had little exposure to. His motivation for t-ball is Star Wars Legos, which I enjoy because I love watching him build and use his imagination with his Lego sets.

Music in the Park

Ryan enjoys Compari's pizza during our picnic at Music in the Park, one of our favorite Plymouth activities. The event was well-attended tonight for the first time this summer. The previous Friday concerts had a light crowd for such a popular event.

Brendan devoured his pizza. After swim practice, another trip to play at the pool, and a playdate /happy hour (that was for the moms), he was starved.

Kelsey unpacked the cooler and "helped herself" to this Coke. I'm sure the cold aluminum felt great on her mouth.
Our balloonheads, dancing to the music. Yes, they may be cute. But we gave up ice cream to stand in line for 30 minutes to get these balloon hats. Of course, they would pop before the evening was done.

Our week in pictures

Brendan and I have officially been off work/school for one week. We've kept very busy. A partial review in pictures (it's not easy getting the camera when you're chasing three kids) ...

Brendan's final day of school. Brendan was noticeably sad that it was the last day of kindergarten. He said he'd miss Mrs. Benedict the most, because she was the best teacher. Note Kelsey standing at the door, getting quite upset that everyone else in the family is outside and she's stuck inside.

Saturday morning, the boys wave to the clowns during Canton's Liberty Fest parade.

On Monday, we discovered what a little climber Kelsey is becoming. I found her on top of the boys' Rescure Heroes ship. She repeated the move at least a half-dozen times.

Brendan and Ryan share a book, Where is the Cake, one evening before bed. We visited the library and picked up a few good books, but this one has definitely caught their interest the most.

It's 9:15 p.m. Do you know where your kids are?

Mine are asleep. All three of them. Thank goodness.

We've had an awesome but busy day, which began with the Canton Lions pancake breakfast and the Liberty Fest parade. The kids collected some candy, but not nearly as much as last year. The parade was much better attended today.

Then it was home for Kelsey to rest and to get the family ready an afternoon at the pool. Today was the kind of Michigan summer day that makes me forget about our long (and mostly miserable) fall-winter-spring. Blue skies. Low 80s. Barely any wind. A few clouds passing by here and there. We haven't had too many of those in the past few weeks, so it was very welcome.

Ken had to work, but around 2:00 I loaded up the kids and headed to the pool for a few hours. The kids had a great time. Our neighbor joined us, and she was great with helping me and entertaining the boys. Brendan made a new friend and saw old ones. We indulged in ice cream treats and just enjoyed the day.

But now the kids are in bed asleep, and I'm enjoying a most beautiful evening. (Ken's still at work. He's not having the ideal Father's Day weekend.) It's calm outside, clear skies, and I can see a three-quarters moon over my shoulder. I'm looking out at the green space behind our house, which is the size of two football fields. It's lined by trees, so I can't see any homes on either side. I'm listening to my iPod on my portable speakers (which are awesome) and typing away while sipping my strawberry margarita. How relaxing!

Farewell

Today was my final day at the Free Press. The big farewell was yesterday, when we had the traditional good-bye cake and speeches. Two of my bosses -- the only two bosses I've had in five years -- gave incredible speeches that left me a little overwhelmed. I've had many farewell lunches with friends and too many hugs to count. It's all been wonderful.

Of course, it's easier to leave knowing that I'm doing it for the right reasons. If I were leaving for another job, I may have changed my mind by now! But knowing how much my children will enjoy having me home, how much I will enjoy watching them grow, and how much less stress our family will have, I know this is the absolute best decision.

And please remind me of this next week when I'm pulling my hair out and picking up toys for the hundreth time in a day. :)

Me & Stanley

On Monday, Stanley (aka the Stanley Cup) visited our office at the Free Press as part of a community goodwill tour. Several people in the newsroom lined up for photo ops. You would have thought a celeb was in the room, the way folks were lined up. I took my chance to stand next to the oldest trophy in sports.

Super-brothers, part II

We attended our friend Mikaela's third birthday party yesterday, and while threatening storms moved us inside, the kids had their faces painted. Check out our superheroes.

Iron Man and Spider-Man

Four days

and counting.

How much they've grown

When kids get a little older, I think it's easier to overlook how much they've grown because they aren't hitting as many significant milestones, such as walking and talking. We received the Gallimore yearbook last week, though, and I was surprised to see how much all of the children have grown in nine months!

For a look back at Brendan on his first day of school, go here.

Kindergarten celebration

On Thursday, Mrs. Benedict invited parents and family to attend a Kindergarten Celebration in honor of the children's first year of school. How sweet it was! Clearly, the children had been coached on how to host a party. When I arrived, Brendan led me to his chair at the blue group table, where he had laid out some of his special work from throughout the school year.

Brendan reads to me his "Five little monkeys" book that he created last fall.

He showed me his favorite drawings -- including self-portraits drawn last fall, in the winter and this spring and a portrait of our family. He read to me books that he has created. (Writing workshop has been one of his favorite activities this spring.) Many of his writing themes included his brother, which I find sweet since he shows little to no interest in Ryan 90% of the time. He also has many drawings of Transformers. Again, this is a tad surprising since we don't watch Transformers and we have very few of those toys.

Brendan holds up his book box, which he decorated last September and held the books he created throughout the year. It's hard to see, but he decorated it with a "TCU" bus (in purple, of course).

Afterward, he served me apple juice and chocolate chip cookies for a treat. Then we toured the classroom, which I am very familiar with since I've had the opportunity to volunteer once a month. He quickly got swept up in the party hoopla and began playing with his friends, Bailey, Luke W., Tavon and Noah.

Brendan at the block center, which was his favorite center. Each day, the children have choice time in which they can choose which centers they want to visit. Some are required -- such as writing and math centers -- while others are optional.

Brendan with his friends (left to right) Luke W., Noah, Sydney and Bailey.

To end the party, Mrs. Benedict and the teacher's aides Mrs. Lucco and Mrs. Henning presented each child with a "Kindergarten Memories" book. It includes pictures of Brendan, and a collection of his work from throughout the year. It's a book we will treasure forever.

Brendan and his kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Benedict.

Recent photos

The kids with Megan, who was our nanny for four months. She's now in Africa helping other children.

Mother's Day at Deadwood Grill. (Note the turtleneck in May in Michigan.)

Kelsey on Monday. You can see how proud she is that she successfully climbed into her brother's chair (and that he isn't around to kick her out).

Giggly Kelsey, still quite proud.

I forgot to rotate this one, but here's Kelsey on Monday standing. She cruises everywhere and loves to stand. Usually, she gets a huge smile on her face when she finally catches her balance. She'll be walking soon.

Summer fun

I have all sorts of activities planned for the kids this summer. I'm excited about having the summer to play but not also having a newborn to handle. (Some days, yes, I wish Kelsey were still a newborn. They sure sleep quite a bit at that age!)

Brendan will be trying out the Colony Swim Club's swim team this summer. The coaches request that swimmers practice five days per week. Oh my! We'll be shooting for two or three practices ecah week. They also have swim meets once a week, and Brendan's participation will be determined by his ability to swim a 25 (which he has done exactly once).

In July, Brendan will also play in the YMCA co-ed T-ball league. Brendan has aspirations of becoming a baseball player someday and says it's his favorite sport. We'll see what he thinks once he begins playing by the real rules, rather than our backyard version.

Inspired by my dear friend Tyra, who is super-organized and creative, I am planning a theme each week for us to explore. Nothing fancy. We'll explore swimming and baseball to coincide with participating in those sports. We'll explore lakes and sand as part of our trip to Grand Haven, Michigan. Mostly, these themes help me focus on activities for the kids and force me to be creative, so that we don't get restless sitting in the house. We'll explore new books at the library on each topic and take an occasional field trip. We'll definitely do some crafts, since the boys love such projects. And anytime we can work in a trip to the pool as part of the theme, you can be sure I will do so!

Our goal, though, will be to simply have fun!