Are you kidding me???

Sitting

2009-11-08T23:00:00.003-06:00

omgwhataweekend!

I'm so exhausted...but look...here I am...at 11:00 at night...blogging...because I committed to it for the month.

I'm actually anxious for Monday. I think that I can maybe relax a bit. You, know - recover. From my weekend sitting in a pool. Yep - you heard me right: sitting. That's it...JUST sitting.

Sitting for 21 hours.

You don't have to look again. You read it correctly the first time.

One of these days (when I'm not so exhausted from all that sitting), I'm going to calculate the ratio of sitting/waiting time to the time that my children are actually swimming in events.

That could be interesting.

...or shocking.

Long Days

2009-11-07T23:17:00.003-06:00

Do you want to know how it feels to spend 10 hours in a hot, humid pool?

Nah...I didn't think so.

Since the kids turned 11 in June, we've become all-dayers at swim meets. The girls 11-12 age group gets shifted to afternoons while the boys 11-12 remains in the mornings. I think it has something to do with the number of girls and the coinciding high school swim season. But, for whatever reason it's for...it means that we've at the pool from the darkness of the morning until the darkness of the night.

Thank God I love to watch swimming!

...and thank God for bleacher-cushions!

Will and his swim buddies

Hypocrisy Waits Silently for the Self-Righteous

2009-11-06T17:17:00.011-06:00

And another one for you: Carrie Prejean

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The breakfast-fundraiser-and-dog-poop-in-eye-resource blog

2009-11-05T21:13:00.003-06:00

I have this little "Site Meter" function embedded in my blog. It's kind of interesting to see how many views my blog is getting. Now don't get me wrong... there really aren't very many. But I'm pretty sure there are a few "regulars" that check back once in awhile. This includes my sisters, my dad, and my husband. (Hi guys!)

I can't see exactly who is reading my blog, but I can see the city their server is in, approximately how long they are visiting, where they "out click" to and how they came upon my site.

That last part is my favorite. Other than seeing hits referred to my blog from my sister's or friend's blogs, I can see the words that people used in their Google search to access my little online journal.

The most popular Google search that leads to my blog is "Applebees Breakfast Fundraiser". Awhile back I wrote this following my fundraising journey for the Breast Cancer 3 Day. There must be a lot of people looking for ways to raise some funds!

Following close behind the Applebees thing is "dog poop in your eye". Seriously! People actually Google "dog poop in your eye." Some Google "dog poop in my eye." Some just search for "poop in eye." But apparently this is an issue worth researching for some folks.

And they're led right to my little blog.

Hmmm...Kind of makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Inside my head...

2009-11-04T19:39:00.005-06:00

1. You may have noticed that I've now blogged for 4 days in a row. Can you believe it? I hate to jinx myself, but I'm trying to do the NoPoBloMo or PoBloNoMo, or whatever. Basically I'm trying to blog every day this month. I'm hoping that this will force some creativity out of me. Huh...nothing like forced creativity...

2. We all got seasonal flu shots several weeks ago. But none of us has received the H1N1 yet. I feel like I'm just waiting for my whole family to get struck down by this virus. I usually wake up every morning and feel everybody's head for a fever. So far - so good...knocking on wood.

3. My dad and Marva are coming for the weekend. It'll be great to see them again. Can't wait to see the pictures from their month-long Corvette trip out west! They are also coming to see the kids swim at a meet in Elk River on Saturday and Sunday. I'm pretty sure they have no idea what they're in for. The kids swim in 2 different sections this season - Will in the morning and Maddie in the afternoon. Wow...that makes for LONG days! And guess what... This little all-day arrangement will last for the next 2 years!

4. Has anyone ever worked with Microsoft Publisher? I'm trying to put together a newsletter for work and I'm having a hard time getting everything formatted nicely. Heaven forbid I succumb to reason and use the HELP function.

5. Aside from blogging 4 days in a row, I've also cleaned my house 2 weeks in a row. I'm pretty sure I haven't done that since 1997. But, seriously...it feels GREAT! I think it's kind of like therapy. But free.

6. A friend of mine recently started selling Norwex microfiber cleaning supplies. OMG...the dusting mitt is AMAZING!!!! My wood blinds haven't been this dust-free since they were installed over 7 years ago.

7. Do you want to check out my latest techy/nerdy project? Here it is: Sea Devils Swimming.
The swim team recently switched websites and I ended up as the "temporary webmaster". Yeah, I know...don't laugh. It kind of makes me want to call up my 10th grade computer teacher and tell him that I'm really NOT an idiot. Hey, buddy! I can copy and paste HTML with the best of 'em.

I apologize. This could be along month for all of us.

Grade Check

2009-11-03T21:46:00.004-06:00

The schools in our district provide an online site that allows parents to keep track of their kids' grades, view books they've checked out from the library, and look at detailed lunch charges. This school year I've decided to check in on the site weekly. You know, just to see how things are going.

Its a good chance to remind them that instead of buying a bottle of water in the cafeteria for $1.25, they can just bring a bottle of water from home. Or better yet...GO TO THE DRINKING FOUNTAIN.

I can also check up on their grades. Which, honestly, I've really never worried about. They're good kids. They do their homework diligently. They like school. They've never had anything other than an A or A-. And I'm really not trying to be one of "those" moms...but to this point, grades haven't been an issue.

And that's why I almost fell out of my chair today when I saw a B- show up in Will's grade-book. And guess what it was in.

Go ahead, guess.

Phy Ed. Gym. PE. I couldn't help but laugh! Seriously...this is a kid who swims 7-8 hours a week. A kid who is more fit at 11 yrs old, than I have ever been in my entire life. A kid who almost has achieved a six-pack belly.

So, after a brief chat, he thinks he's figured out a way to salvage his GPA.

The solution? Simply wear the correct footwear.

Those darn Keen's are just so comfy and easy to slip on.

God...I hope he still gets into college. :)

Halloween 2009

2009-11-02T21:10:00.003-06:00

I can't help but wonder how many more Halloween's will involve costumes at the Gallagher house. Can't be more than one or two...right? My friend Heather implemented a great rule with her son Henry: once your voice changes, that's it.

I think we'll follow with that one.

This year the kids' each took $10 to Goodwill and purchased costumes of their choice. And this is what they came up with:
A hobo and a dead bride.

Go figure...

Here's the Culhane's and the Gallagher's:

The sign is a nice touch, don't you think?

This picture gives me nightmares. I'm not sure who is scarier...Maddie or Lady GaGa

Confusion

2009-11-01T21:04:00.003-06:00

OK....I think I'm finally ready to admit it.

I think that I just might be a Vikings fan.

There. I said it.

Vikings. VikingsVikingsVikingsBrettFavreVikings.

OK...so maybe it's not so much the Vikings as it is #4. Which, by the way, still looks really weird in purple.

Painting again...

2009-10-13T09:50:00.011-05:00

Do you think that eventually coat, after coat, after coat of paint ever gets too heavy on a wall?

Do you think that layers and layers of paint may eventually just fall off?

Ughhh...I hope not!

See, I have this issue with painting and redecorating my kids' rooms. The issue is that I LOVE to do it! I LOVE that you can change the whole look of a room with just a cheap gallon of paint and a few new odds and ends. I LOVE change!

I LOVE Ikea!!

I'm probably like this because when I was a kid, my room was wallpapered in a light blue and yellow flower motif. Sounds nice, huh? Well, it was 70's- 80's after all. The biggest change I was able to do in that room involved moving heavy furniture. I remember that it used to drive my mom crazy.

I've recently repainted and redecorated both the kids' rooms. They got to pick...I just followed their lead.

And I do have to say...they both have pretty good taste!

Here is a look at the past. This is what the kids' room initially looked like when we moved in merely seven years ago:

(actually, I think that Maddie had a yellow room prior to this pink one...probably didn't last long enough for me to take a picture of it...)

Then a few years later, we went to this:

And now...here we are.

Yep...all this in seven years.

It's too bad I don't feel the need to repaint (and fix) my laundry room walls...

Big and Little

2009-09-28T12:59:00.003-05:00

Oh my gosh! I can't believe how time flies!!!

...and I can't believe how bangs can totally change an appearance
...and I can't believe how cute missing front teeth are on little kids
...and I can't believe my son used to let me plant him, shirtless, out on the deck in the backyard and cut his hair with a clippers
...and I can't believe my daughter cut her own hair and tried to hide it under her dresser the week before Kindergarten started
...and I can't believe how expensive braces are

And I can't believe how I just can't stop smiling when I look at these pictures:)

A Future in Politics

2009-09-24T22:28:00.004-05:00

Aside from the thrill of no lines, multiple teachers, and three choices of entrees at lunch, one of the other new perks at Middle School is Student Council. This election season consisted of a one-page application, a three-day campaign, two posters, and a 30-second videotape session.

Short and sweet. (I think that's how all elections should be, don't you?)

Will wanted nothing to do with it. In contrast, Maddie jumped at the chance. I'm pretty sure she had her whole application filled out on the 2-block walk home from school that day. She displayed her posters proudly, and worked on her campaign ideas thoughtfully.

My favorite part of this run-for-office was her idea to plant flowers and vegetables in the courtyard area, thus increasing the beauty of the surroundings, encouraging a healthy diet for the students and teachers, and reducing the school's carbon footprint.

I also liked the part where she explained that she "can handle any situation...realistic or not."

Hmmm...I can't quite imagine what kind of unrealistic situation she could handle so well. But that promise must have had some kind of appeal to 5th graders, because it worked!

It's so cool to see her leadership abilities emerge a bit as she gets older. I was always much too shy as a kid. And still, to this day, I'd rather follow than lead.

Plus, I never would have had the skills to defend my classmates in case of a zombie attack.

Off to Middle School

2009-09-08T19:28:00.003-05:00

The kids had their first day of school today. They were both a big bundle of excitement and nerves!

There will be a lot of changes for them this year. First of all - the best thing is that school starts a whole hour later than ever before. In fact, as I was rolling out of bed to start making breakfast, I noticed their bus from the last several years pulling away from the stop behind our house. Let me tell you...that felt GREAT!

They will change rooms and teachers for nearly every class. And it seems like a pretty big school to me. Of course, growing up in a small town and going to a small school, I don't remember ever having to search for my classroom with a map.

It was a bit overwhelming for me. But I didn't tell them that.

In a way, I'm sad to see summer end. It's been a great one!! Seriously - really fun! But, like always, I'm ready to get back on schedule. I'm ready to have a bedtime routine again. I'm ready to actually talk to my dear husband in the evening again.

So, instead of pining away and thinking about how fast time flies...I met a bunch of friends for lunch and a movie today. Fun!

And then when the kids came home, they really didn't have much to say. It was OK. It was OK to be back. The teachers are OK. Hot dogs for lunch. They were OK. They found their way around OK. One of them needed help opening their locker. One of them already forgot their planner somewhere.

All in all...the first day of middle school was...OK.

I think this lack of detailed information just might drive me crazy.

#400

2009-09-08T19:24:00.003-05:00

I just signed on to tell you about the kids' first day of school and then I realized that this is my 400th blog post.

I feel like I should have a party or something...

Vacation Pictures

2009-09-04T18:06:00.006-05:00

As I'm sitting down to tell you all about our vacation, I started looking through our pictures. And let me tell you, there were a lot of pictures. How the heck did people do this in the pre-digital age? I would have gone broke in just film and processing fees.

Many of our photos were doubles as we took both our cameras - the Nikon DSLR with a 70-300 zoom lens and the Canon Powershot point-and-shoot. I really love both of these cameras - they take great pictures.

Anyway, I'm trying to come up with a summary of our vacation, but the words are just not flowing right now. So, I'm going to leave you with some of the great pictures we have.

No more lines.

2009-08-30T12:57:00.004-05:00

It's hard to believe that September is just around the corner. Literally. We truly had a great summer but I have to admit, I'm ready for a bit of a routine again.

And it's not just me. Will and Maddie are totally anxious for school to start this year. They have always been the kind of kids that like school. And of course, they miss their friends and the social aspects as well.

But this year is little different. It's a new school.

It's middle school.

And you know what that means??

No more lines.

Yep...no more lines. That is what all the hype is about in our house lately. Apparently, in grade school, you have to stand in a line to go to gym. You have to stand in a line to go to lunch. You have to stand in a line at the water fountain. And you have to stand in line to get on the bus.

But in middle school - Adios, lines.

This is a great selling point to 5th graders. The "free-for-all" aspect is very appealing to them. I'm sure it fosters their growing sense of independence and freedom. It adds a bit of randomness to their structured day. It lets them demonstrate their responsibility and maturity.

Speaking of maturity...How did I get old enough to have kids in middle school?

Summer 2009

2009-07-05T14:54:00.008-05:00

OK...I totally suck at this blog-thing. I'm not even going to apologize. I'm just moving on.

The thought of having my posts out of chronological order absolutely eats a hole in my soul. Therefore, I feel that I need to do a quick summary of our summer before we move into fall. Also, due to the fact that I don't journal, scrapbook, or even keep updated photo albums any more, I fear that this very site is the only documented proof of my family's existence.

Well, not really. But you get the idea.

Here is what we've been up to since my last post over 2 months ago (!!!!!):

Will and Maddie turned 11 at the beginning of June. I've decided that this is a really great age. They actually still LIKE to be with us, and they are not yet embarrassed by us. And sometimes they each will still grab for my hand while out in public.

I'm trying to savor every second of it.

My family put together another "Karen & Carolyn's Team" for the Relay for Life this year at Eureka's bi-annual event in mid-June. We've walked in every relay since 2001, the year before my mom, Karen, died of inflammatory breast cancer. It's still as emotional and inspirational now, as it was then. Earlier this spring, it was the 7th anniversary of her death, and a couple weeks ago, she would have been 62. Some days it feels like a lifetime ago; some days it feels like just yesterday.

Maddie's wish for braces finally came true at the end of June. She's been talking about this with excitement for the past several months. And as an 11 year old, the best part is being able to pick the colors of rubber bands. For those of you who are not braces-savvy...you can pick up to 3 colors at once from a palette of about 30 different colors. The rubber bands then get changed at each monthly appointment. She started out with a very fashionable combo of blue and green. More recently, she's changed to her swim team's colors of red, black and yellow.

Will is still trying to lose some baby teeth before he'll be able to start. That is perfectly fine by me...I like that we only need to finance one mouth at a time.

Sometime in mid-July, I came home from work to find that the kids has decided to release our pet turtle, Sparky, back into the wild (aka Crow River). They said they decided to do it so he could be happier in a more interesting environment with a bunch of other turtles.

But I'm pretty sure they did it because it was time to clean the aquarium.

Not that this has much to do with our summer, other than the fact that Maddie has developed an intense love of all things Hollister, but guess how much these tiny little shorts with worn spots and holes costs?!?!?

48 bucks. Can you believe that???

At $5 a week allowance, that poor kid will need to get a job to support her clothing habit.

The kids wrapped up another season of swimming at the beginning of August. They both had finals in Mankato and Will was on the state relay team at the U of M. As always, it was a really fun season and the kids did great! We've only been done with the near-daily swim routine for about 3 weeks, and I already miss our "other family" at the pool. What a great group of friends for both the kids and the grown-ups!

Will and Bill spent several days in Wisconsin at Cub Scout camp. I managed to get a pretty good run-down of their experience. There was canoeing, archery, guns, tents, rock climbing and some extensive, long, and dramatic story about a turtle, a salamander and a "pit of death".

Sounds like an 11 year old boy's dream, huh? Actually, maybe even a 39 year old man's dream...

That about wraps it up for now. The latest Gallagher venture was a little road trip to Seattle and Yellowstone.

But that's a story for another time. (Let's hope the other time is not Thanksgiving...)

It's been so quiet...

2009-06-18T10:13:00.007-05:00

So, this must have been what it was like in the "the old days". You know, back before we had kids. The house is so quiet. And it's clean. The pillows are adjusted on the couch perfectly. I haven't been stepping over Bionicles and dirty socks on the steps. I haven't folded one blanket in the living room. We even ordered pizza late one night, and ate it downstairs in the home theater while watching a scary movie.

It's weird.

The kids have been at swim camp at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion all week. This is their first time away from home for such a long stretch. They each have a buddy (Max & Anya) from their team to room with. So that has made it a lot easier on all of us!

My friend Gayle, Anya's mom, and I accompanied the four 10 and 11 yr olds on a long 5.5 hour drive there on Sunday (which, in reality actually turned out to be almost 7 hours including potty breaks). I wish I would have taken a picture of my car before we unpacked everything. There were bags, towels, pillows, and blankets plastered up against all the back windows and between all the kids. It was cozy.

The kids were so excited about their first "college" experience. Will thought that the dorm rooms are "really small and kind of boring...there is nothing on the walls!" Maddie and Anya brought their own artwork to hang - a bunch of swimming-focused Wordles that they had created previously. What artsy girls!

I've talked to them several times a day on the new pre-paid phone that we purchased. The phone is a much bigger deal to Maddie than it is to Will. They know it's temporary. And the fact that I don't allow texting is a bit distressing to Maddie.

They said camp has been really fun, but really hard. They are in the pool 3 times a day (morning, afternoon, evening). They have classroom lectures, videotaping sessions, conditioning practice, and technique work where they work on 1 stroke per day. They even have 1 hour a day of dryland practice each morning. They do some running and some strength training. And apparently, the kids now know what burpees are. Will thinks he might just get his 6-pack stomach after this week. It sounds like there is a lot of fun stuff too. Movie night, campfire and s'mores at the coaches house, and a tornado warning during which they played games in the bomb-shelter basement of the dorm. I'm sure that was thrilling for all of them!!

Yesterday, Maddie told me, "The food is so amazing. It's all you can eat. For one whole hour."

She takes after her dad.

Will and Maxwell

Anya and Maddie

Extreme (not-so-much) Home Makeover

2009-06-17T08:39:00.003-05:00

We've had the most painfully prolonged experience with our recent siding and roof replacement. Our area of town sustained significant hail damage during a storm Memorial Day 2008. We started working with our contractor the following week. We had multiple meetings with the saleswoman. We took several weeks to carefully choose our colors. And our order was placed last August. The dumpster was delivered mid-October. The roof was redone late-October.

And the dumpster just parked in our driveway through November. And then through December. We shoveled snow around it on January. We glared at it every day in February. We hardly even noticed it there in March. And then, one fabulous day near the end of April, they finished the siding and took away the monstrous maroon chunk of metal. Hallelujah!!!

Believe it or not, this nightmare is still not over!!! Now we're just people caught in the middle of a money-battle between our contractor and our insurance company. I'm really hoping it gets resolved soon.

Very soon.

But anyway, aside from the huge headache...I really like how things turned out!

Here is the before picture from last fall:
And here is the lovely rusted dumpster that adorned the front of our house for over half a year:

And here is my brave, handsome husband, who fearlessly climbed ladder and roof as my own stomach did somersaults just watching him. (I never knew until recently that I am afraid of heights!) I'm sure our neighbors can attest to the fact that this "little" painting project took up a really, really long time. I attribute this to the fact that Bill only worked on it part time in the evenings after work when he wasn't going to cub scout meetings or delivering the kids to various places. Oh, and also to the fact that he is the most perfectionistic person I've ever met in my life. And here is the finished project:

So, it's not really an "extreme" change. But it definitely looks a bit different.

Now I'm just praying for no more storm damage for the next 10 years. I really don't want to go through this again any time soon.

I'm sorry!

2009-06-16T18:19:00.003-05:00

OK. I realize that I have been a really pathetic excuse for a blogger lately. I'm sorry! I'm just praying for some inspiration and motivation to get me going again. I truly miss it!!! And now, I can't even blame that damn Facebook either. That was my scapegoat for awhile - but now all those stupid quizzes have driven me away. OMG, they are so irritating to me. The only reason I sign on anymore is to keep tabs on my daughter. Good Lord - that makes me sound really old, doesn't it?

We've been busy. Mostly the same-old-same old. A few high-points: The siding and painting are finished on our house. The dumpster has been moved out of our driveway. School is over. The kids turned 11 a few weeks ago. Now they are at swim camp in South Dakota for the week. This is their first time away from home for so long...but so far, so good for all of us. I think they are staying too busy to be homesick. I can't even tell you how badly I would like to be a fly on the wall to spy on them this week.

OK - my goal is to post some pictures and blog again very soon. Any kind of pictures, and any kind of posts. Even at the risk of possibly being the most boring thing you have seen in the past 6 months.

Consider yourself warned.

Addiction

2009-05-22T13:57:00.002-05:00

I think this classifies as some sort of swimsuit-addiction problem.

Goals of a 10-year old

2009-04-24T09:15:00.005-05:00

One really great thing I love about the fact that my kids are involved in the sport of swimming, is that it is so much more than just physical activity. Before we got involved, I never thought about the psychological aspect of the sport. You know...they dive in...they swim really fast...they touch the wall...they get out of the pool. Seems pretty straight forward, huh?

Well, there is a "hidden" aspect to this sport, even at young ages. Aside from the whole "mental-preparation" thing, there is a really big focus on goal-setting.

Recently Will and Maddie's coaches had sent home a work-sheet for them to complete. There were basic questions like, "What are your favorite events and times?" and "What are your strengths/weaknesses?".

There were also questions like: "What are your goals for this season?" and "What are your long-term swimming goals?"

After they completed their assignments, I was just too curious not to look. It was pretty straight forward stuff: Maddie likes the freestyle and butterfly. She wants to get better at the backstroke. She focuses well at practices but needs to work on her turns. For the season, she listed some time-specific goals for the 50 fly and 200 free, and her long term goal is to get a swim scholarship to college.

And for Will, he likes the freestyle and breaststroke, needs to work on starts and turns, is good at his stream-lines, and wants to improve his butterfly and backstroke. Long-term, he would also like to earn a college swimming scholarship.

And then when I got to the part about goals for the season, he wrote, "get another state qualifying time in my 50 free and get a 6-pack stomach."

I wonder if Coach Terri laughed as hard as we did?

A Lesson in Assertiveness

2009-04-23T07:53:00.002-05:00

It's been awhile since our last family-outing, so we decided to take in a little basketball action at the Target Center last weekend. No, not the Timberwolves. We actually saw the Globetrotters performance as they once again took on their arch nemesis Washington Generals.

You all remember the Globetrotters as kids, right? What I mostly remember about them is the way-cool cartoon on Saturday mornings, and the fact that the "lead" player's name was Curly, when in fact he was actually bald.

Hey...I was a smart kid. Not a bit of irony was lost on me, OK?

I knew Will would like it. The two of us went with his cub scout pack last year and he had so much fun. But, I knew Maddie would have her doubts. This typically isn't her kind of thing. It really didn't take long to convince her that it was going to be fun...and funny!

After the game, the players took positions around the court and gave out autographs for 30 minutes. Their first autograph experience took forever as bunches of children, teens, and adults squeezed and elbowed their way in front of my timid and polite kids, who quietly waiting in line, looked as though they were in the school cafeteria. After the quick lesson in "polite assertiveness" and "standing your ground" from Bill and I, they jumped right in for more. It didn't take long for this to become a competition between the two of them as they raced from player to player, using their new-found skills of edging-in, ducking-around, and wiggling-through.

And in the spirit of David Carradine, as we watched our two brave, young grasshoppers from way up on section 113, we couldn't have been prouder.

Longing for a Thunderstorm

2009-03-31T14:51:00.003-05:00

This winter has lasted far too long. Don't you think?

I am so ready for summer. I'm looking forward to warmer weather, green grass, and my plants and trees. I can't wait to walk out the door without grabbing a jacket. Heck, I just can't wait to walk outside without grabbing shoes. And I'm even looking forward to summer vacation for the kids.

I was going through my "Summer 2008" photo folder today and found these really great shots I took while on vacation in South Dakota last July.

We were somewhere east of Mitchell (you know, home of the world famous Corn Palace) and we came upon a huge storm. We drove straight into it. The winds and rain were ferocious. I can't remember if we actually pulled over and stopped for awhile or not, but I know we definitely contemplated it. I think one of the local radio stations even reported a tornado touch-down somewhere in this area. It was an amazing storm.

I love a good thunderstorm. There is something awesome about thunderstorms in the Dakotas. I'm not sure what it is. But Minnesota storms just aren't the same. Now, I don't mean to offend any Minnesota-storm-lovers. But, the storms are better when you have totally unobstructed views of the looming clouds and darkening sky. And by unobstructed, I mean - no big trees, no big buildings, no nothing getting in the way of your line of site. You can truly see the horizon in all directions. When we watch a storm approaching from my house now, I see it coming over the top of my neighbors house, the hill with the fence in our backyard, and a bunch of evergreen trees. Trust me. It's a way cooler experience in the vastness of a South Dakota prairie.

Anyway, these cloud/storm photos totally make me long for summer. They make me long for warm, humid days. They make me long for the smell of rain. They make me long for a really great thunderstorm.

Yep.

Despite visions of snow dusting my backyard, I'm longing right now.

Are you longing, too?

State Swim Meet

2009-03-30T11:16:00.009-05:00

Since we've all now recovered from the 6 month swim season and are getting ready to start up the next one again in a few days, I thought I'd better get my blog updated as well. Plus, I've finally sweet-talked Bill into transferring and editing some videos for me.

I really should learn how to use that video-editing software. I think I'll put it on my to-do list along with "patch hole in laundry room wall" (which has been there for 3 years) and "buy white-cheddar popcorn salt."

So, if my memory serves me right...we all had a blast in Rochester for the 12 & Under Short-Course State Swim Championships. Sure, I won't deny that it was really great that the kids made the state team, but the thing is: it was truly so much fun having a little mini-vacation in March, hanging out with a bunch of friends in a hotel for a weekend.

Just to summarize - Will swam 2 individual events: 50 Freestyle and 100 Freestyle. He stayed about the same in the 50, but cut 3 seconds off his 100, giving him a National "A" time. He also swam in a couple relays. This group of boys did so great! Both of their relays placed in the top 16 overall, which earned points for the Sea Devils team. Maddie swam in a couple relays as well. They did great too - they dropped a bunch of time and had a lot of fun.

Our 12 & Under team placed 2nd in the "A" division. This, in itself, is amazing! Our club has never placed in the top 20 before this year. We really do have a talented group of young swimmers, and it's so fun to see their improvement every meet!

This is Will's 100 Freestyle:

Here's Maddie's relay girls in the 9-10 200 Medley. In order: Alaina (backstroke), Paige (breaststroke), Maddie (butterfly), and Marah (freestyle)

This is Will and the boys in the 9-10 200 Freestyle Relay. Will anchors this one, following Max, Drew, and Logan. They placed in the top 16 and set a club relay record.

We came home Sunday night and as I actually looked at my camera, I found that I had taken 454 pictures! In reality, only 164 of them were salvageable by PhotoShop. Thank God for digital!! How did people do it on the "old days"?

Here are a few of those 164...

Getting ready for warm-ups.

Before each session started, they played some fun, dance-along music. This one was the chicken dance. You know how I know that?? Easy. It's the only one that Will would dance to. You see him standing there? Yep...he's into it.

Maddie and the relay girls.

Starting...
Maddie the butterflyer.
Will and the relay boys.

Will doing the breaststroke in the Medley Relay.
The girls getting each other psyched up.
Logan, Max, and Will playing DS.

Will's start in the 100 Free

100 Freestyle...his favorite race.Relay getting ready.

Getting some tips from Coach Terri.We love our coaches, Terri and Michelle!

Grandma Jan and Grandpa Bill came to watch...

It wasn't all just swimming! We all had a blast!

My tired kiddos. Those fun weekends sure do take a lot out of you!

Hot or Not?

2009-03-18T21:08:00.004-05:00

This is the first time in years that I've really followed American Idol. I'm not sure why this season captured me? Maybe it's just that I have a little time to breathe lately.

Last night, the theme was "Grand Old Opry". It was a bunch of country songs with Randy Travis as the guest host.

Now, understand that I love Johnny Cash as much as the next guy. I actually think he was pretty cool and I probably know more words to his songs than I'd ever admit to anyone. But, I have to say - I think this version sung by Adam Lambert is amazing. OMG...it's really amazing.

This morning on the talk-radio station I always listen to...it was a topic of controversy. Some loved it. Some hated it. And I mean really hated it.

So, now you tell me what you thought? Awesome!!! or NOT!!!

Just curious...