Swimming

 It is 8:00 p.m. I am worn out and ready for bed.  And not because I cleaned house or spent too much time with the kids.  Its because I went swimming--lap swimming you could say.  It is tiring.  This is the first time I have gone swimming for two days in a row.  And I played a 3-game volleyball match last night.  I think that may be way over my exercise limit for 24 hours.

One of my best friends in high school was a swimmer.  She was on the high school swim team.  We met because she was also on the volleyball team (of course).  I never thought much about swimming except it was a sport and she did it.  And I thought she was amazing for getting up so early in the mornings for swim practice before school.  I went to the state meet with her parents and watched her once. She swam with the Masters program in college and then her 2nd or 3rd year joined the university team.

I could swim well enough to pass the swim test at the pool in order to go off the diving board.  I loved to play in the water but didn't swim really, just played around.

Then in college I took a swimming class.  Wow.  I learned that swimming is hard.  I mean hard work.  It wears you out.  But I loved the class.  I learned how to swim the right way, with my face in the water, dive in without holding my nose, and do a few other strokes.  It was from that class that I gained appreciation for my friend's sport.  It is not for wimps.

Now over 20 years later (but who is counting really) I recently began going to the pool with my cousin for lap swimming.  We go with the seniors--as in senior citizens.  (The water is warmer at that pool than the more popular big pool in town and they haven't said we can't come).  I am so so amazed by these old women that swim lap after lap either freestyle, or backstroke or however.  And I don't mean disrespect by calling them old women because they are old!  And I am totally respecting them.  I can only freestyle like about 4 or 5 lengths of the pool (not in succession of course!) the duration we are there. I do some side stroke, or some sort of back float or whatever but mostly my cousin and I just amble up and down the pool so we are exercising but technically not "swimming."

It is good exercise and fun to "mingle" with the older ladies in the locker room and see their friendship and hear their conversations.  And to admire these aged bodies, some needing walkers, that are still wanting to get out and move.

First Lost Tooth

This is my last "first lost tooth."   Too soon we will see the last of the tooth fairy at our house.

I took this picture to send to Cameron's doctor since it has been six weeks since his last laser treatment.  She likes pictures since we don't see her between treatments.  So she not only got a pic of his face but also of his proud hole in his teeth.  I thought it was too cute not to post.

He could have another laser in a few weeks but we decided not too.  I think we are done for a year or so.  This time I actually asked Cameron what he thought about having another treatment and he said that he thinks his birthmark is just fine.  So there you have it.

It will be an ongoing process through the years but for now, after 10 treatments in the past two years, we are done.  Hooray!

Socks

I am copying the following from my friend's blog that she posted many years ago: (And I haven't seen her for many years as moves have taken us both to different parts of the country--but she is awesome and I miss her.)

"Where do all the dark church socks go? Is there a secret commune somewhere where missing socks can be found? We have 6 pair. I did ALL the laundry. Only one black sock. The rest are out partying somewhere, I guess...

So, I send a plea to the secret sock commune: Please send the socks home. We love them and miss them. We want them to be with us always. Socks, come home!"

Like Andrea, I wonder where all our dark socks go!  I don't know how many pair we have--a lot because I have hand-me downs from the older boys plus others that I have bought I know just for the little boys.  I have all sorts of mismatched dark socks of various sizes.  Of course nobody notices much if they wear mismatched socks, but it is amazing how many shades of "dark" there are.  I suppose I just need to throw them all away and buy about 10 new pair and see how long they last.  Hopefully they won't be persuaded to join the secret sock commune.  (buying new church socks has been on my 'list' for about a month now).

And speaking of church socks, the other day in church Andy was rubbing my leg which had nylons on it.  After a minute or so he asked "Why do you wear those kind of socks?"  "Well," I told him "because some person decided long ago for reasons unknown, that women were supposed to wear these kinds of socks."  I suppose I could look up the history of pantyhose, but I won't.  However, if you are interested you are welcome too.

Scott bought himself some new socks.  Dark ones and tan ones to go with some of the new clothes he bought.  He needed some slacks and dress shirts (but not necessarily white ones) because he GOT A JOB! He is not longer a stay at home worker.  He is the controller at the community college here--San Juan College.  This means that I have to do more ironing.  But it also means lots of other things, like health insurance (as opposed to the private health insurance we currently have that costs a whole lot), and a more traditional family schedule of Dad going to work 8-5.  We've had some adjustments but it is awesome.  And he usually doesn't lose his socks because they always make it to the laundry hamper (unlike my socks).  But only time will tell of course.

Conversations with a First Grader

On a Saturday Morning:

Me: Come on. We need to go to Janessa's soccer game.
Cam:  I don't want to go.
Me:  I know but you have to. Dad is at Andy's game and Brennen isn't here. You can't stay here by yourself.
Cam:  Why?
Me:  Because you are only 6.
Cam (arguing back):  Ya! I'm six and I can even make my own toast!



At Home Depot:

Cam:  Can I buy this flashlight?  It is $5 and Andy says I have 89 cents.
Me:  Well you need 500 and 89 cents.
Cam:  ARE YOU SEWIOUS!!??  FIVE HUNDWED CENTS!!??!!


Cameron is so much fun.  "Seriously" and "actually" are about his favorite words.  However, he is the baby of the family so I realize that I don't give him all the responsibility he needs and do way too much for him.  So I am working on that.  Making his own toast is a step in the right direction!