Swimming

We've enjoyed cheering on our 2 swimmers at meets this summer. Our participation has been experimental and rather minimal compared to most, but just right for us.

Here's Eliza on the starting block. I'm pretty sure this is just after she found out at the last minute that she was swimming in a different heat and lane than was posted. And it is just before she accidentally slipped off the block, fell upside down, came up in the lane next to hers, climbed back up on the starting block, and within seconds started the race and swam the fastest yet. Here's to flexibility! Cheers!


The first couple of meets, Eliza was spending some time greeting her fan base each time she came up for air. We gave her a little pep talk about swimming her fastest - come up for a breath and then get right back to swimming. She took 40 seconds off her time at that meet. The next meet she took another 20 seconds off. So that means she was spending a full minute waving to the crowd as she swam across the pool. She's definitely a performer.

And here's Ethan diving off his starting block - I think that's his favorite part!


We've been encouraging Ethan to work his hardest at every practice and meet - "think torpedo, not jellyfish" - and he does do that with encouragement. It's great exercise and part of me wishes he could keep swimming year round. And ALL of me wishes I could be in the pool swimming, too!

Scrawny

I just want to remember how little he was!
June 10, 2010 - 5 weeks old

In Between all the Fun

... is just real life. Here are some snapshots:

Ethan's behaviorist gave him an mp3 player pre-loaded with the Harry Potter audio books and now he can create his own little private space anywhere. I laugh when I have to get on his case to take it off at the dinner table. Most parents of tweens have the same problem, but most tweens are listening to something other than audio books :)

May 29, 2010

Blake is such an easy baby. We attribute much of that to the pacifier (our first baby to receive a pacifier willingly). But even without the pacifier he spends surprising lengths of time listening and looking and kicking and cooing. His first smile was at 5-6 weeks and now, at 9 weeks, he smiles and "talks" consistently. What fun!

4 weeks old

Eliza is all about projects, and the messes in our home reflect that. Here's Kit's swimming suit:

June 10, 2010

Ben is in a "I won't be in a picture" phase. So no pictures of him. But his latest ph(r)ase is "I want my blankie!" He claimed my favorite soft blanket from the family room and now drags it all around the house. Alas, it is not my favorite anymore.

Once in a while I catch all three kids playing together peacefully. This time I caught it on camera. The are playing the Lego Game Minotaurus.


Jeff is juggling many responsibilities with apparent ease and continuing to do so akin to an energizer bunny. He keeps going and going and going.

As for me, I am wishing I could just siphon off the last 15 pounds of baby weight, but I'm going to have to work harder than that. Bah.

Blessing Day

Blake was blessed on Sunday, June 6th. Jeff gave the blessing with Papa, Uncle Jason (Hiatt), Uncle Alan, Travis Burr and Dave Hopkins standing in the circle. I loved the blessings that were given to Blake - that he'd be blessed with an "innate curiosity" - that he'd focus on both spiritual and secular education - that he'd be active in serving the community.

Here's the 1 month old, sporting the baby acne fitting for his age but not the occasion:

After church, we served dinner to Granny and Papa, Grandma Joan and the Hiatts (the Sorensens weren't able to stay because Alan was off to Boston that afternoon). I mistakenly believed that I was ready to cook. Alas, as I tried to put together the meal my brain just wouldn't connect. Thankfully Grandmas came to the rescue. However, they couldn't save my mistakes and the farmer's market potato salad was dis.gust.ing. Who knows what I put in there, but I know I need to make it again because the online reviews are raving good.

Blake, Grandma Joan and Maddie

More babies in the house:

An 11 year old baby and her loving mother:

Blake James napping with James Clarence:

The Whole Family Gets Out

We did it! The whole family of 6 went on a Memorial Weekend day trip and came home happier than when we left!

We started at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Much to Ben's delight, we used the GPS on my cell phone to navigate our way there. We like to say "Yes, ma'am" to the talking woman who gives us such helpful directions. Here we are excited to start the day:

The Academy of Sciences is AMAZING. We beat the big crowds by arriving at opening time. We only lost Ben twice and I said my first prayer of gratitude for my "Hooter Hider" as at one point I had to stand up and follow my kids while nursing.

On the way home we stopped at Baker Beach, a popular beach spot under the Golden Gate Bridge. The kids LOVED playing at the ocean side, despite the foggy, freezing day and the very cold water. They could have stayed for hours, but Jeff and I were sufficiently cold to be checking the time every few minutes, wishing it were long enough, already. You'd have thought we were on the shore of Hawaii by looking at these happy faces:

But, no, we were at a San Francisco beach and it was cold. This is me in the middle of the word "cold" with foggy coast in the background and 3.5-week-old Blake absorbing any body heat I could generate.


Of course the uncomfortably sandy aftermath muddled the memory of fun. But we did find comfort by picking up a Zachary's pizza on the way home.

It was a happy, feel good family day. My Facebook status at the end of the day said: Cal Academy of Sciences + Baker Beach + Zachary's Pizza = a most excellent "day off"

12yo Boy with Aspergers Interviews His Mom

I really love this. Really. If it doesn't work for some reason, you can find it on Huffington Post.



What a good mom, eh? I just love her honesty. And I love that I really believe her answer to the expectations question. And I love that she is in a place that she can answer the expectations question that way. I'm getting there ... I think.

This week, after multiple recommendations, I finally watched the pilot of the tv show Parenthood and holy smokes that was an emotional ride. A little close to home, but strangely therapeutic to watch. I look forward to watching more, but the 2nd episode isn't available online right now and of course I can't watch them out of order. A little OCD myself, I guess :)