SWIM MEET #1

OK, can we discuss, Saturday ranks as one of those ultra-exciting days in the life of a SAHM! 6 hours of swimming each and every week, hours spent online looking at swimming videos, absurdly expensive swim suits, learning how to get our hair into a swimming cap ... SHE WAS AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!!!

She actually finished every race she was in (5), was only disqualified in one - not finishing with both hands on the wall for the butterfly and placed 2nd and 3rd in all of the rest. When you consider there were 42 other swimmers in her age bracket, she was AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!!!

More importantly, however, what a GREAT TIME we all had at the meet.  Nothing like 5 hours in a humid, hot natatorium to remind you how much you love swimming outside!  But it was just so much fun with all of the kids, trying to keep track of everyone over 87 races, and trying to guess times and split times.  The kids had a blast - can't wait until the next one!

well, I failed...

man do I suck!! Weekend one for me on NaBloPoMo, and honest to God I think I lost two days of my life!!! I SWEAR ... I cannot find them anywhere. Have you seen them? We got home from the swim meet - details forthcoming - and had dinner at my parents, went to bed, went to church, sunday school, Christmas Play practice, friends came over for the game, sleepover (up until 2 with 6 squealy, giggly kids), finish school project go to Toys R Us & Target to work on Christmas lists, swim practice, Daddy made dinner, bed ... the days just vanished!!!! I'll still be around, but knowing that I have failed in the mission.

the proof ...

... is in the pudding (or in the pool)!  This morning marks the arrival of (da da da dah) our FIRST SWIMMEET for beachgirl!  Our beloved 8 year old has been swimming an hour and a half 4 nights a week, coming home exhausted, eating dinner while falling asleep on her plate and getting up at 6 each morning to finish homework because she has fallen asleep right after dinner for TWO MONTHS!!!  All leading up this this day - and I cannot tell you about the butterflies in my stomach!!

Like any good mother would tell you, I really don't care how she does in the competition (no, really, for my sake, I don't)!!  But, for her sake, OMG, I have been praying, begging, pleading, and all around making tons of promises to the big man above to let her just finish all of her races and place within the top 10 on just one so she can bring home a ribbon!  Mind you, she has been stressing and won't let her grandparents come to her first meet because she is convinced she is going to be disqualified on every race she takes part in.   I, of course told her "no, honey, that won't happen, you are doing such a great job" about 2 seconds before Coach comes out and lets everyone know that probably most swimmers will be DQ'd at one race or another today for form and technique ... these refs are very particular and don't care that most of the swimmers have only been swimming for a couple of months.

WISH US LUCK!!!

I need to be paid to put up with this!

One of my "sideline businesses" is president of our elementary school PTO ... and it is becoming quite a nightmare. Don't get me wrong, our school is great and we have some great teachers, staff and administrators. I would say, 80 percent are great ... why do I keep having to deal with the self-centered, selfish (I don't care that they mean the same things), unrealistic and smarmy teachers? AND, why isn't the administration telling this particular teacher, No, you cannot request technology in your room and your room only when we just purchased mobile versions of your wish and every teacher in school would like to have one?!?!?

While I don't think anyone from our school even knows about this blog ... I will leave you with a crappy entry because this is probably something I shouldn't discuss on a blog...oops!

just how much time do I spend on the computer

...and exactly WHAT AM I DOING ON IT??? Every single stinking day I tell myself "no checking the computer until lunchtime, and then you can sit down with an icy-cold diet coke (my other obsession), a package of crackers and read to your hearts content!" ... and what do I do every single stinking day (well, ever since NoBloPoMo started and at other various times in my life)? I drop the kids off at their respective schools, come home, move a load of laundry and just take a "sec" to "check my email" ... THREE HOURS LATER I am still sitting here moving things around, posting comments here and there, FINDING NEW BLOGS TO READ, and now I have 40 minutes to get about 2 hours of housework done before picking beachdude up from school!

I think I need a lesson in self-control!!!

vacation catastrophie

There always has to be a major hiccup in every vacation (at least every one that I have had) and this year's is definitely the major camera disaster in the Pirates of the Caribbean. For a bit of background ... our 4 year old is mortally terrified of the dark, but loves, loves, loves Jack Sparrow (no, he hasn't seen the movie, but the brainwashers at Disney :-) managed to suck him in!!) So, the dilemma - do we stay (in the daylight) or do we go (to the darkside)...

Notice, I said "daylight" not "sunlight" ... the weather gods answered the question for us as the gloomy skies opened up and it started POURING just as we were entering Frontierland - so WE GO!!!

The little guy cried, laughed, giggled, cringed, screamed and wimpered through the whole ride. We got to the end and he was practically jumping out of the "boat" - I stood up to grab him, forgot my camera was sitting on my thigh, and heard "KER_PLUNK" as it fell straight over the side of the boat into the water - let's not discuss the size of my thighs!

Gone - my 3 year old awesome camera along with 427 pictures from our vacation. Probably stuck under the belts and in the water forever, or until the maintenance guys find it during cleaning some day.

Boo-hoo!

back from vaca ...

... and I actually missed the kids a TON today!!  We really did have a fabulous time with the Big Mouse and all of his cronies and for the first time since hubbie and I vacationed by ourselves I was really sad to see our vacation come to an end.  We "do" this particular trip every year at Halloween - the kids really don't know how to celebrate Halloween except at Disney World with a big party at our resort - this was our 7th year!  Mickey once again "delivered" their costumes - Elizabeth in the Orient for beachgirl, a "Colts Mascot" for beachdude & a doctor in scrubs for beachboy.  Mickey did a great job!

This was certainly beachgirl's year!  For the first time she went on every rollercoaster, ride and activity that was offered!  She has always been so afraid of roller coasters, any rides in the dark and anything she didn't "know" already that for many years we questioned our trips ... but this year there was no stopping her!!!!  She even rode the "Rock n Roller Coaster" by herself - waited in line by herself, got on the ride by herself & just loved, loved, loved it!  What a treat to be her mom and watch her come out of her shell.  AND, for the first time ever, she went to a fireworks show.  The little miss usually watches fireworks from our room under 3 or 4 pillows - not this year!!  She wanted to be right on the lagoon watching the whole production ... WOW