http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAPgWj5zgvY
You have to click on this link to gain an understanding for the oustanding effort and drive that it takes for our little babies to get in the pool day after day and pour their heart into swimming.
Tammy Gallagher, mother of the kids best friends Maddie and Will that live across the street) pulled this stream of music and photos together from the season. Pretty awesome! As a footnote; it made me cry too- and I am sitting in Caribou coffee, people are probably wondering what I am up to!
Here is an email that I got from Clare's Coach (Michelle) - it will melt your heart the way it did mine. I can't think of any other words that would sound any better to me.
===========================================
[From COACH MICHELLE 2/21]
OMG…Clare is so stinkin cute! Last week I had a few kids stay after to work on Underwater pulls in Breaststroke. She LOVED every minute of it and did a great job. So today she asks me if she can stay late…I said we had to wait and see how many older kids there were to see if we could get an extra lane or not. About 5 minutes goes by and of course I am doing a million different things, then I look down and realize she is still standing there…Huge smile on her face. I said Clare what do you need sweetie…and she said I am wondering if I can stay after! I started laughing and said …geez I got side tracked, and sorry but there is too many older kids so we don’t have an extra lane. Then I asked her what is it that she wants to learn and she looks up at me with the BIGGEST SMILE and said “EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING YOU WANT TO TEACH ME”!!!!!! Oh my gosh……..Melt my heart! What an awesome kid and how cool that she is so driven and so COACHABLE!!! Love it!!!
With her attitude she will have success in everything she does!
Just thought I’d share….
Cheers!
Michelle
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Mike, if you're checking the blog, I will keep you up to date on our happenings until you get back home on Wednesday. Have a great time in California and by the way, who has such a cool job that they get to drive Audi's on the race track in Sonoma for 2 days?!?!! You rock!
Bring me some good wine honey!
p.s. Liam in recounting the story of when the bird flew into the house and how daddy the hero grabbed a fish net to capture the bird and get it back outside. The end of the story, then that bird couldn't fly and it died.
Bring me some good wine honey!
p.s. Liam in recounting the story of when the bird flew into the house and how daddy the hero grabbed a fish net to capture the bird and get it back outside. The end of the story, then that bird couldn't fly and it died.
Tale of the lost boy
Every parent's nightmare is to lose their child- I share this same fear but today, only one single flash of it because I didn't know Liam was lost at all until I saw my friend Tammy with panic look on her face and Brendan at her side.
To set the scene, we were at the swim meet all morning, camped out on a sleeping bag with all of our stuff in the cafeteria, me in the hallway with Liam watching a movie and going in between to check on the kids. At one point, I ran to get a Diet Coke and when I came back Liam was gone. It didn't register at the time because he too had been going in between the cafeteria and the hallway (where I was) and I knew I would catch him if he ran by.
Randomly, a stranger struck up a conversation with me, completely distracting me from my task at hand. So, long story short, Tammy was running by to go get Liam- he was at the announcers table because he had been lost from me.
As soon as I scooped Liam up and knew that he was ok, the story started to unravel. I was laying on the couch this afternoon and Liam said "mom, there was a bald eagle at the pool today", I reponded with a, "what"? Then he elaborates by saying the Clare and her friend said that there was a bald eagle at the pool and that was how he got lost. In the words of a 3 year old, it is diffucult to unwind the facts from fiction. But as he retells what happened, Clare and her friend were trying to ditch him, so they decided to tell a little story about an eagle, which resulted in Liam going for a hunt of sorts and then realized he was lost. In his words, "the eagle was not in the pool, I didn't see it cause they were teasing me about that eagle.....then me just started to cry to see what was the matter and to just help me."
Good to know my wonderful, loveable, creative little Liam is safe and happy- when I found him he was drawing pictures of a fish next to one of the announcers with a big smile on his face. He said- there's my Mom, header!" (aka- Heather)
To set the scene, we were at the swim meet all morning, camped out on a sleeping bag with all of our stuff in the cafeteria, me in the hallway with Liam watching a movie and going in between to check on the kids. At one point, I ran to get a Diet Coke and when I came back Liam was gone. It didn't register at the time because he too had been going in between the cafeteria and the hallway (where I was) and I knew I would catch him if he ran by.
Randomly, a stranger struck up a conversation with me, completely distracting me from my task at hand. So, long story short, Tammy was running by to go get Liam- he was at the announcers table because he had been lost from me.
As soon as I scooped Liam up and knew that he was ok, the story started to unravel. I was laying on the couch this afternoon and Liam said "mom, there was a bald eagle at the pool today", I reponded with a, "what"? Then he elaborates by saying the Clare and her friend said that there was a bald eagle at the pool and that was how he got lost. In the words of a 3 year old, it is diffucult to unwind the facts from fiction. But as he retells what happened, Clare and her friend were trying to ditch him, so they decided to tell a little story about an eagle, which resulted in Liam going for a hunt of sorts and then realized he was lost. In his words, "the eagle was not in the pool, I didn't see it cause they were teasing me about that eagle.....then me just started to cry to see what was the matter and to just help me."
Good to know my wonderful, loveable, creative little Liam is safe and happy- when I found him he was drawing pictures of a fish next to one of the announcers with a big smile on his face. He said- there's my Mom, header!" (aka- Heather)
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Go Swimmers Go!
Brendan asked that I shave his head the night before the C finals to increase speed...almost, but not quite!
To be overwhelmed with pride understates what I felt last weekend as I watched the kids swim in the C Final events at St. Catherine's pool. This past season (their first season of swimming) has been a great testament to how humility, hard work and perseverance pays off even at this stage in their lives. Clare, who is full of mite and energy pushed herself through the last 6 months going from an adequate swimmer to an excellent backstroke. She struggled in the early meets to get make it through 100 meters and now is excelling in a multiple strokes. 
Brendan on his way to meeting his 100m breaststroke to achieve a 'B' time
Brendan, who has always been my 'daisy-picker' in sports, sort of floating through the motions in soccer, football and wrestling is now motivated and excited to achieve his goals. He cut 9 seconds off his personal best in the 100 breast stroke to make it to the B final competition.
Clare won her heat in the 50m backstroke
For all of you asking yourself 'what does C or B' time mean, in the simplest sense, it is the goal time set for each age bracket and stroke that the swimmers try to achieve. At the end of the season, if they are able to achieve a minimum of a C time, they can attend finals for that event. Clare swam the 50m backstroke and Brendan swam (5 events all told) 100m Freestyle, 50 Freestyle, 100 breast stroke, 50m breast stroke and the 50m backstroke.
Brendan has always been a little fish, in fact I told him he was born to swim! Clare is a fighter and will always succeed in anything she does because of her will.
Enjoy the pictures!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Don't fall asleep!
Last night, like many nights, I was laying in bed with Liam trying to help him fall asleep. He was fighting every minute of it and the minutes just kept ticking away. First, I was sitting on the floor, giving him a chance to fall asleep on his own and 'directing traffic'...."stay in your bed", "put your head on your pillow", etc. Finally I gave up and laid down with him and he proceeded to sing songs to fight off sleep. They went something like this.....
Once upon a time, I got to go sledding with Ryan down his big hill, then Jenny made me hot chocolate with my friend Ryan and we sat on his couch and drinked it while we watched power rangers! Then we ate some chicken dinner and some cheeeese sticks!
Of course, it is hard to articulate the inflection that he used in hig song, but over and over and over he sang the same basic chorus - so cute!
Once upon a time, I got to go sledding with Ryan down his big hill, then Jenny made me hot chocolate with my friend Ryan and we sat on his couch and drinked it while we watched power rangers! Then we ate some chicken dinner and some cheeeese sticks!
Of course, it is hard to articulate the inflection that he used in hig song, but over and over and over he sang the same basic chorus - so cute!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Do brunettes have it made?
Why change the color of my hair? Boredom? Does a new look, mean a new me? Nah. My first day as a brunette, weird and sort of shocking, not only for me, but those around me. Mostly, the first night was spent letting the kids look at me, touch my hair and put aside the fact their Mom looks a little different....but underneath the hair, it is still me. Clare just followed me once I got home, right behind me up to the bathroom, then she brushed my hair, pushed it all away from my face and said "there you are"! Liam just kept repeating "what you do to your hair Mom?" and then "why you change your hair Mom?" and then, "your hair look really nice Mom, it really soft Mom".
The best though, was when I got home tonight and Morgan came running to meet me at the door...."there's my beautiful Mommy!"He hugged me, kissed me and hugged me some more. Good to know under a pile of very, very brown hair, I am still just me.
What is most curious to me is if the brown hair will elicit a different reaction in strangers that don't know me.....reaction of a blond vs. brunette. Is there any merit in the natural sterotypes of a blond. I guess I will find out and report back!
The best though, was when I got home tonight and Morgan came running to meet me at the door...."there's my beautiful Mommy!"He hugged me, kissed me and hugged me some more. Good to know under a pile of very, very brown hair, I am still just me.
What is most curious to me is if the brown hair will elicit a different reaction in strangers that don't know me.....reaction of a blond vs. brunette. Is there any merit in the natural sterotypes of a blond. I guess I will find out and report back!
BEFORE (with a little touch of summer sun)
AFTER
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Freezer Burn
Why do I live in Minnesota? I scratch my head, especially on days like today when the temperture on the bank clock read -14.
yuck. brrrrrr.
ugh.
I told the kids stories about how bad things happen if you don't cover all your skin on cold days like today. Then I scratch my head again, why do I live here? Who said this is a winter wonderland? We have almost no snow and it is so cold the dog will barely go out to pee.
My cross country skiis are lonely. My lungs want to breath fresh air and my toes want to squish sand, feel the warmth of the sun. Send me somewhere with a bikini and my pony tail holder and leave me there until the thaw comes........ugh. Really. I checked flights south today, I was two clicks away from booking tickets to Florida.
yuck. brrrrrr.
ugh.
I told the kids stories about how bad things happen if you don't cover all your skin on cold days like today. Then I scratch my head again, why do I live here? Who said this is a winter wonderland? We have almost no snow and it is so cold the dog will barely go out to pee.
My cross country skiis are lonely. My lungs want to breath fresh air and my toes want to squish sand, feel the warmth of the sun. Send me somewhere with a bikini and my pony tail holder and leave me there until the thaw comes........ugh. Really. I checked flights south today, I was two clicks away from booking tickets to Florida.
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