putting her foot down

I was so happy when the last day of school rolled around. No more neck breaking schedules to keep up with. At least, that is what I thought until we were at swimming one night that first fateful week and it was announced that all upper swimmers were to report to the pool daily from 7-9am  for morning swim EVERYFREAKINGDAY and from 5-6pm for dryland training and then from 6-8pm for regular practice. I don't think I can actually put into words what I thought. But basically it came down to, what the hell, summer is going to be more competitive and insane than the rest of the year, that is nuts.

Little did I know in those first few minutes of hearing the news that I wasn't the only one in the house that felt this way. Lily was 100% uninterested. She said she would die, that 5 hours of exercise on her little body would break her. I agreed. I told her to tell the coach. She looked at me astonished, tell her coach, her? EGADS. She didn't go to practice in the morning and by the end of the week the bossman was enquiring about her lack of enthusiasm.

She told him straight she didn't want to do it.

He told her to try,  just 2 days.

She didn't

He got snotty.

She got snottier.

It is a war of minds.

This weekend is a meet, a 3 day invitational with finals.

This is her first in the new age group. It is amazing that she has any times at all but she does in 5 events.

So far she has swam really really well.

Coach says to her each time she gets out of the water: just think how much faster you would be if you were coming to morning swim and pushing yourself.

She says, Nah, i wouldn't be, I'd be so tired!

She is 13.

She is a good swimmer.

BUT she isn't training for the Olympics.

2 hours a day is e'nuff

She has been 13 for 14 days. She placed 8th in heent, first in her heat, in the 400m IM. I'm not a coach but I believe she is doing great, thankyouverymuch.

photos

This weekend was a swim meet, the first for Long Course season.

Both girls swam well.

I took a bazillion photos, I never get bored with swim shots.

I played with some of them.

These are my favourites, for various reasons.

She tries so hard.

darn near a perfect start

I love this

always happy to compete

those tiny hands

power

chilling

half of a child, half of a, very crooked child

when you are leading in an event you make the wake. I love the water in this shot

love

how?

favourite shot

she tore up this event. 

looks like she is bowing

in the zone

ready to flip turn

my little breast stroker

My big breast stroker looks like a sub that is broaching

My little pickle needs a new competition suit. Hers says FFSC and we are not anymore but that is not a reason to get a new suit. It is worn out. She never even grew into it and it is worn out. I ordered her a new one today, in a smaller size. Hopefully this one will fit a bit better. Lily got a new one too but hers is fancy. Ro doesn't need fancy yet. She also wanted a 2 piece for practice but coach doesn't like them so he told her, NO. When Coach speaks Lily listens, she ordered a one piece, cheerfully.

3 day meet

This past weekend was the Winter Champs championship swim meet. It was a huge, international, event, HUGE. Lily qualified but Rosie didn't. Rosie is not supposed to at this age. It was a four day event and Lily swam for 3 of those 4 days. We started on Friday morning at zero dark hundred hours. Yawn and we finally wrapped up today, Sunday, at lunchtime.

One of the event sponsors was Gatorade. They gave all the swimmers water bottles, chews, protein bars etc etc and of course enough Gatorade to full a pool. My little dingdong was snarfing down the chews and I suggested she STOP. Another mother said, one tube is a serving size,
 so dingdong continued to snarf them down. Come event time she was on a sugar low and swam like a lead brick. Ditto event 2. Sigh. She swam poorly on Friday and was so disappointed in herself. She let herself, her coach and her team down and she didn't listen. We had a long stern chat on Friday night and Saturday she swam like Lily. She whacked seconds off everywhere and placed first, just like she likes. Happy kid, happy coaches. It's lucky that she listened as I was ready to scratch her from anymore events. Sunday she swam how she likes also and ended up in a very good place for the meet.

Prepping for the events

Can you hold this?

Over the loud speaker she heard: last chance for positive check in the the 500m and with that she was gone. Her bagel got tossed to her chair and she ran. I laughed so hard when I saw this.

My favourite photo from Saturday

I'm watching you!

Rosie had to go to school on Friday as she wasn't swimming and I really missed my little sidekick and was very happy to have her back at my side for Saturdays events.

I bought her this sweatshirt from one of the vendors at the event. My rule is you have to participate in an event to get a t-shirt but I bent the rules this time as they had teeny sizes but she obviously couldn't have the event plastered all over it as she didn't swim it. 

Friday and Saturday were both cold and rainy days. Her swim parka was a life saver.

Before her first event on Saturday Boss Man went over to her and pulled her off the block and gave her a talking to. She got back on the block with a smile on her face.

This was the end of that race. Lane 8 was Lily. Lane 7 hadn't actually finished the race

A couple of random breaststroke shots to wrap things up. This was her first 3 day event and it was tiring. She didn't do a thing once we got home. I don't blame her

swam it like a boss

yesterday is nothing but a memory. Only Lily swam today, Rosie was only signed up for yesterday. Lily's events were all sprints, not her faves but easy, that's for sure. I was a little nervouse for my girl in her first event. One of 2 things were going to happen (a) she would swim it like she owns the pool or (b) she would be so rattled from yesterday that she would choke. Choking is what she does. Hah, she swam it like a boss and it was backstroke which she hates.

Her arms/hands always make me giggle. sort of looks like she is trying to make shadow puppets

More shadow puppets or making a left hand turn

Rosie decided to take a ball with her and shoot some hoops in between Lil's events.

We finally had a slight chill in the air today so someone had to borrow a sweatshirt at the meet as she didn't take one even though the Mummy said, grab a jacket, it's chilly.

air time

so close. She actually scored quite a few baskets, she amazes me with her althletic-ness. Is that even a word?

Lilys next event was the 100m breast and she had to kick it up a notch as this was the only event she was missing a JO. She isn't anymore

Her final event was fly and fly she did.

Fly like a butterfly

sting like a bee.

And.....we were home before noon!

murphys law swim meet

the girlies had a meet today and it didn't start off well, go well or end well. I awoke at 3.22 with a migraine from hell. I was in agony and since I woke up with it I knew nothing was going to kick it to the curb except time. Time however was the one thing I didn't have. As I lay on the bathroom floor pleading with the clock to slow down so that I would be able to get 2 hours of solid sleep before getting up , I knew I was losing the battle.

I got the girls up at 5.45 and was tempted to tell them we couldn't go but instead mustered every ounce of strength and loaded them into the car. I've always known this day would come when we needed to be at a meet but I was crippled by my head and I always wondered how it would unfold.

It goes like this: we drive in silence in a frigid car with me groaning every single time a car passes in the other direction with it's lights on. We arrive at the meet and I grunt and feebly wave my hands towards the stuff so the girls will deal with it. I take the tent as it is way to heavy for them, all the time cursing at myself for being the idiot who volunteered to set it up this time. Finally everything is set up and I sit down. NEVER HAPPENED EVER BEFORE. I never even take a chair to a meet, I don't sit. And there I stayed until one of the kids swam. I walked back to the car and downed a another handful pain pills but expected no relief. I need freezing cold temperatures, complete silence and at least an hours worth on uninterrupted sleep. It was 90+ degrees at a meet with screaming fans. Urghh.

Rosie swam well, right off the bat but Lily was having an off day. She swam like it was our backyard pool and she was having fun. Coach was not happy, I was surprised at her reaction: but Mummy I thought I had done so well I shaved 6 seconds off??? She thought she did a lot better than she did.

Her next race was another 500m. Event number 15. We were on event 12 when we were informed there were no 13 or 14 it was her up next. She ran to the block and was of course flustered and for some reason, and I have no idea why she did this, she asked someone to cap her. She ALWAYS puts on her oon cap. By lap 9 her cap was gone, sinking to the bottom of the pool. All her hair was suddenly unleashed and her momentum and rhythm lost. Her whole body changed and I knew she was done for.

Coach talked to her and she said she sorry for disappointing him. I think she disappointed herself, not him.

Tomorrow we go back again and 2 things can happen, one, it will be a replica of today or 2, it will be a banner day. I'm going with a banner day.

It takes a bad day or two to make you appreciate all the good things in life. Sometimes we just need to be reminded.

Rosie, 100 IM

Rosie again, still in IM

wearing her parka in 90 degrees. ???

Obligatory goggle fiddle

Fly baby, fly

this is now my new favoourite thing to photograph, the splash during butterfly.

I see you

I loved what was written on this mans shirt.

My head is still very iffy. I'm hoping for a quiet night and a good start to the day.