Macie's first Swim Meet

 While we were celebrating Chloe's birthday, Don took a work trip out to Las Vegas for a big convention.  I wished I could have gone because he brought home some amazing swag.  Here he is in the Back to the Future Time machine, it was used in the movie.

 And here he is with his crew.

And here are some more pictures of the kids swimming because there is a lot of swimming going on over here,

We are so proud of Macie.  Don has been telling me since last summer that Macie was going to be on the swim team this year.  Being that she is only 4, I had my doubts.  But she surprised me.  She had been going to her first week of practice and she was doing about as well as the other kids.  The first time I saw her swim across the pool at practice, she had to stop at the lane dividers a few times for a break.  Don had bribed her with a Barbie if she would go to the first day of practice. I think she thought she only had to do it one day.  But she has been doing it.  And doing it really well.  And she is enjoying herself.  She wanted to go to the Dinner with the Coaches night, so I took her to "Old Chicago" and she chose to sit over by her coaches.  They told me that she is the youngest on the team and that she has the best backstroke form out of all the kids, she likes to swim first, and she is the only one who doesn't need their help getting across the pool.  My heart swelled with pride!

So Macie's first race was over at Seville.  We convinced her to try the backstroke race.  I was nervous for her.  I didn't know what she was going to do.  But when the start signal blew, she swam nice and steady, like she was the only person in the pool, and like she was going to swim that stroke exactly like she had been taught.  I was laugh/crying through the whole race because it was the cutest/funniest/touching thing I have seen in a long while.  I was so. SO. so proud of her.  She got out. And she got her ribbon. And she was happy.  She has done 3 swim meets now.  And she is very happy about her collection of ribbons.  She tells me after each race how many ribbons she has now.  She swims 2 strokes at the swim meets, freestyle and backstroke.  At the second meet she swam the breast stroke, which turned into a just get across the pool stroke, and that one was a little painful to watch.  But she did it.  And she is learning that she can do hard things.  And her confidence gets a little better each time.  

 

 She is very proud of her ribbons.

 Working out  hard and it shows. ; )

; 

This last meet I took her to the bathroom and as she was in there she tells me, "Mom. I have peed thwee times today."  Since I had only taken her to the bathroom once, I paused with concern.  I asked her where she had peed.  She told me "by the pool on the ground."