Bursting with pride

Please excuse any splatter or spray, but I am bursting with pride and I cant contain it.

Yesterday was Swim Championships. That's where all the kids from the county compete...it's a gigantic (and a bit chaotic) event...and the top performers move onto finals, held next week.

Beauty and Pooper both swam 25 yard backstroke, and 25 yard freestyle (Beauty actually did a 25 yard freestyle twice, because she was also in a "free relay")

Beauty is one of the only 5 year olds on our team, I think our team has 150 or 200 kids....she is tiny, and slow....but, let's face it, how many 5 year olds can even make it on to a swim team and do the workouts?

The best thing, is Beauty L.O.V.E.S swim team, with pink puffy hearts. And, she has no idea that she is the slowest, she thinks she is the SUPERSTAR, and after every race, she is beaming with joy, and says, "Did I get first place???"

For her backstroke, her previous best time was 52 seconds.....and her time at Champs was 45!! That is huge to drop so much time...really. She was first place in her heat (they have 3 heats)....and she was so proud of herself and as she walked back from the pool to our little "hang out" (we bring a pop-up and relax in the shade...we arrive at 7:30 am to warm up, and the meet doesnt end til 2pm)...but walking back, all the families from our team were cheering and telling her what a great job she did. She had the widest smile, I was so proud of her.

Then Pooper had his backstroke. His previous best was 29 flat, and he did 29.13. Again, I was so overjoyed. While it wasnt his "best" and he just missed going on to finals ....his time of 29 is new (last year he was at 34 and got a medal)...so, I was glad he swam at his best, even if he didnt go a bit lower.

Next up was the 25 freestyle, and Beauty didnt let me down. Her previous best time was 58, and brace yourselves....she got a 42!! Seriously!! She has swam at meets all summer, and she is always in the high 50's at best....Her 42 was phenomenal, and I was just to pleased.

Then, Pooper's 25 free was up...and it happened so fast, I missed it!! I could scream, I was poolside, and I turned to figure out what event was up, and the next thing I know, I missed it. My Honey came running up to me, in huge disbelief, and said, "did you see him go! He got 2nd place" UGH. I waited for the results to be published...his previous best time had been 30 seconds....and his new time, 25!!! WOWEEEE.

Then, Beauty was in a relay, where 4 kids each do a 25 free.....and she did a 42 again! The fact that she was able to keep her time, especially because this was the last event of the day....we had been there all day (no naps) ....in the 94 degree heat...and she did another 42...that was fabulous!

Just a bit of info....there are usually several heats, so even when my kids get 1st or 2nd in their heat...once scores from all the heats are combined, their standing is different.

The kids were a bit bummed, that they didnt win any medals, and arent going on to finals..but I explained to them, that Beauty swims in a 5-6 year old group. She is only 5 and most of the kids are 6...in fact, there are kids from Andrew's grade swimming...who turn 7 this month. So, being the youngest is tough. It's the same thing for Andrew, he is in the 7-8 group, and there are kids who are about to turn 9 in that group.

Next year, my kids will be the older ones in their group, and it will be medals and finals galore, I am sure :)

I am so proud of my kids. They worked hard, swimming every day, practicing is not always fun, it's hard work, but they do it and it's exciting to see if pay off in such fast times.

BTW, Beauty's "free relay"...she was the final leg.....and her team was last place....and as she climbed out of the pool (she was the last kid out)..she looked around and said, in typical Beauty style, "oh mom, I dont see any other kids getting out, I think I got first place!"