State Team Send-Off Party

OK...I realize that this blog has really been is a deep state of neglect lately. And I also know that it's taken on an aquatic-type focus.

But you know what?? Welcome to my life, people!!!!

So, hang in there everyone! Only a few more of these swimmy-type posts and then we're on a break for a whole whoppin' 5 weeks.

(Then it will just start all over again...)

The kids had a state swim team send-off party last night. The Sea Devils team will be taking more kids to the state meet than ever before. There will be 13 individual qualifiers and 8 additional relay swimmers heading to Rochester tomorrow for the 12 & under State Championships. It is so cool to witness the transformation of this club, which, just 3 years ago had only 70 swimmers and 3 or 4 kids on the state team, to now, with over 180 swimmers and enough kids on the state team to make a real presence on the pool deck! It truly is a great group of kids and coaches!

Here are some of the girls doing some carb-loading courtesty of Buca diPepo. Yummmm....



One of the best parts of the traditional send-off party is the gift bags. Seriously, my kids have been talking about these bags since they found out they were going. Keep in mind that they are a surprise...all they know about them is that they're filled with cool stuff! The main thing in the bag is the State Team apparel. This year they got pull-overs and t-shirts - very cool! There are also other things that some of the other state-families have given to the kids as well - goldfish crackers, Gatorade, towels, rubber duckies, door signs, fruit snacks, tattoos, car markers, bubbles, etc. Someone even gave each girl on Maddie's relay team a disposable camera, a scrapbook kit, and a cute note about "making memories with your friends." Very creative...I think I'll have to remember that one...



Maddie and her friends...



Sea Devils Swimming State Team - Short Course 2009: 12 & Under



...and a moment of craziness!



Here is Maddie and friends making up the Girls 9-10 relay teams. This is the first year our club has ever had enough individual qualifiers to yield two teams in the same age group.



This is the 9-10 Boys relay team. In case you couldn't tell, my kid is the giant.




We all love our coaches, Michelle and Terri!

So, we leave tomorrow morning. That means that today I'm washing clothes like crazy, trying to bake a few pans of goodies to share, and putting together a list of things to pack. Tonight, the kids will take their "slippery baths" and do another shavedown. Tomorrow, they get to skip school, and will go crazy drawing/writing all over my new car (which kind of gives me palpitations, honestly).

It should be a really fun weekend! And I promise that I'll post some pictures of the kids at the meet. That way I can prove that those teeny-weeny Fastskins actually do fit!