Nothing like a 6:00 AM wake up call to start off your Saturday morning. Uh...so, it's Father's Day weekend and I agree to take everyone to the first (of three) swim meets of the Summer Novice Swim Program. We need to be there at 7:15 AM: at a pool I've never been to, in NE Gainesville, loaded with snacks and entertainment for all. (this sounds like a job for Super Mom)
LOVE the nav app on my phone...we arrive without a glitch. I park and head in to what appears to be one of the City Community Pools. OMGosh...this place is crawling with swimmers and parents from Gator Swim Club, High Tide Aquatics, Haile, and Makos (the team the Flock swims with). WOW...we LOOK like we're incredibly late (instead of the 10 minutes we were late) as the pool is COVERED with all sorts of swimmers warming up. We quickly (well, as quick as one Mom and 4 small children can navigate a crowd) find a spot for the chairs we brought and go to locate our Team/Coach. Julia (Colson's teacher) says he doesn't need to warm up just yet, but takes Ashlyn Grace and delivers her to Ms. Joy, who quickly directs AG to hit the water. After a few 25 yd. laps here is Sweeite Petie: warmed up and ready to go! (she looks SO pleased with herself....excited and relaxed right)
Well she WAS until she had to line up for the first real competition. I delivered her to her Coach (Coaches' Aide in picture) and at the starting line she let the tears loose. I go over to comfort her and inquire as to WHERE the big smiles went (honestly, I had turned my attention to the boys and thought for a second that she could have hurt her foot or something). She said, "Mommy, I don't want to do it." Mommy, "Do what Ashlyn Grace?" Gracie "I don't want to swim." Ohhhh, thank you Lord that Daddy isn't here...was my first thought. Then out of my mouth came, "Oh, Ashlyn Grace, you CAN do this. All you have to do is swim to the other end of the pool. You can SO do this. Don't worry about anyone else and just SWIM." Then I promptly mouthed to her assistant that she will be OK and walked off to take pictures. If there was sound in this picture you would still hear her tender cry.
But she jumped in, despite her anxiety and fear (GO GRACIE) and swam to the other end (25 yr. Freestyle).
Overall, out of 12 swimmers ages 5 and 6 she placed 6th place with a time of 32.31 seconds. She looks much happier now...and SO proud of herself. That first lap was the last of the tears and the rest of the meet she was engaged and eager to do her next event.
Shortly afterwards, she did the 25 yd. Backstroke. She placed 7th out of 9 with a time of 47.75. Not bad for her FIRST time. (here she is with her hand up out of the water and in the second picture with her head slightly raised in the lane closest to the left)
Everyone warms up a second before the next event. Evan was SUCH a help at the meet. AND we were a great cheering squad for the Fleming Swimmers!
Now it's Ashlyn Grace in 25 yd. Breaststroke and she placed 5 out of 6 with a time of 40.40.
Oh wait...in the FAR lane (close to that big slide) there is Colson lifting himself out of the pool. Just finishing his 25 yd. Backstroke.
He was the only 4 year old in the WHOLE MEET. He finished 4 out of 5 with a time of 55.15. He competed with 4 other 6 year olds (so that means he beat one of the 6 year olds)! GO COLSON. He was SO proud...as well he should be!
And here's his Ribbon. I LOVED the ALL participants got a ribbon RIGHT as they stepped out of the pool...such great positive reinforcement and immediate gratification!
One the way home Ashlyn Grace was reading her ribbons and said, "Mommy, I know why I got a sixth place ribbon (the pink one). It's because I didn't practice very hard. I'm going to practice more for our next meet." :) Here they are showing off their winnings.
Prologue: the afternoon of the meet we receive an email with the OVERALL placement of the racers. SO their ribbons were just for the actual heat that they raced...not their overall performance. (in case you're wondering why their reported statistics don't match their ribbons) It was a GREAT first Meet and I look forward to the next one when Evan can participate too. (He got to sit this one out because he was at Cub Scout Camp all week...see the previous blog)
For dinner Saturday we took Papa (Nana and Aunt Yvonne) to Uncle Dave's (AKA- Mexican in Starke) for dinner. We provided shuttle service to and from their front door so that there only needed to be one DD (Me)! The meal was YUMMY and, apparently, the margaritas were as good as they (father and son) remembered. As dinner was winding up the youngest two took pictures of each other with our cell phones (Braxton took this one of Coly...pretty good)
This morning we went to church, ran some errands, and sent everyone to NAP at quiet time! Afterwards was an evening swim. In this picture you'll see Evan running away from Ashlyn Grace (I wish you could hear his screeching too) as she was chasing/taunting him with her handful of... 
a FROG...and a small frog at that. While running Evan gave up his PVC toy...so here is Little Sister with her HUGE frog and recovered loot.
We ended the evening with gifts and kisses...
Braxton had a side game of tug-of-war going on with Snickers. (both seem to be smiling)
Now let's all get around Daddy and take a picture!
Now for Sweetie 
Then there's the caboose...can we say WHAT A CHARACTER?!
