Weekend Update: First Swim Meet!

What a beautiful weekend!!! It really feels like SUMMER now! We had a few cool days last week, but this weekend was warm and beautiful. We started the weekend with some love for our favorite red dog... he is the absolute best. 

Friday, I taught popup outside under the pool gazebo.  At the end of class, the boys came out of childcare and while I cleaned up, Andy noticed one of the swim team coaches giving a lesson to a little boy.  He whispered to me "will Harrison give me a lesson too??" And I jumped all over that!

Some history: Andy finally worked up the nerve to swim and then swam a whole lap at his swim clinic.  He was allll about doing swim team and then when swim team started, there was some confusion about age groups and he was freaking out and refused to have anything to do with swim team.  SO, this sweet coach had never seen him swim before. 

Fast forward to Friday afternoon, we came back for our lesson and Andy was showing off and swam like a champ.  Face in, great free style arms, the works.  The coach who, again, had never seen Andy do anything but stand on the side, sucking his fingers and crying, was stunned. 

Andy's confidence was up and he wanted to go off the board and down the slide.  He had to pass the swim test, which is swimming across essentially half the length of the pool.  Andy passed it with flying colors and wasted NO time heading to the deep end.

He's in!!! He swam right over to the ladder, no big deal.  He was so happy!

 Then he headed over to the diving board where he jumped and swam, jumped and swam...a million times.

Cal was there too, swimming like crazy, and working up the nerve to do a flip off the board.  

He could do a pretty good one off the wall and he was working up the nerve to do one off the board.  

We went to the club Friday night with a whole group of fun people and had a great night.  We tried to get home at a decent hour (it was still way too late) because CalBoy had his first swim meet Saturday morning! 

We had to get there early and it was H-O-T.  There was little to no shade and temperatures were rising.  But this kid swam GREAT and I was so so proud of him!

He swam freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle relay-- and he was worn out by the end!

I was a chaperone for the 7-8 girls age group.  I love chaperoning because I get to be close to Cal and watch him from close to the block.  He told me Saturday that he likes when I chaperone too-- and that right there made me beyond happy.  He isn't always going to want me around....I will take it!

After his last race, I bought this kid a sprite-- he earned it!

Eddie came to the meet with Andy and took this picture of Cal about to race.  I am pretty sure I am giving him one more pep talk before he took off.  

We left the meet around 12:45 on Saturday completely overheated and worn out! Cal really wanted to go to the pool and swim for fun and Andy did too.  I wasn't crazy about the idea, but we went.  It was HOT still! I couldn't cool off.  The boys had a ton of fun though.  We had a birthday party we were supposed to go to, but Cal was worn out and I think a party would have been too much for him.  I am thankful we just relaxed together.  It was needed!

We had a party that night for one of my mom's friends turning 60 and then we went out to eat on a little date night.  It was perfect!

Sunday I ran some errands and did loads and loads of laundry and then while Eddie played golf, I took boys back to the pool. We were all pretty worn out and only lasted 2 hours.  I was fine with coming home and relaxing! Cal did some relaxing at the pool:

It was another fun weekend and we are pumped for summer and more fun pool time and swim meets!


 

#carriedaway: week 20

Week 20:

 Day 135: her face is priceless

 Day 136: fun night!!! #iamagiant

 Day 137: at Will's confirmation! So glad my boys have boys like this to admire.  They set a good example and I am grateful.

 Day 138: safe to say he had a pretty great day.

 Day 139: any time I get to the end of the day and realize I forgot to take a picture, Bruce is ready and willing to smile for me.

 Day 140: my sweet graduate!! Bring it on, kindergarten!!!

 Day 141: over the bridge to my happy place


 

Beach Week: Part THREE

Rounding up our full week spent at the beach with my third (and final!) post.  You can read part one here and part two here.

We headed to the Gross's house on Thursday and spent the afternoon in the water and then went out to eat Thursday night with a really fun group. 

Eddie and Dustin were playing in the member guest golf tournament at Eagle Point so they were gone most of the weekend.  We still had fun and thankfully, Susan had two babysitters down there to help out with all of the kiddos. 

Poor Baby Lily... my children were ALL up in her face.  Constantly.  They couldn't get enough of her.  Bless her heart.  

Susan and I loaded up the strollers for walks every morning and we ended up walking to lunch with the kids and I ate entirely too much, but it was the most amazing food ever.  

We earned our cocktails!

We played outside the rest of the day and then Friday night, Susan and I left to meet the husbands at the Eagle Point country club for the party.  It is a gorgeous club- and the party was a lot of fun too!

Our guys were playing really well and having fun too, so they were happy guys Friday night!

Saturday morning Cal wanted Baby Lily duty.  Susan and I were assembling a play kitchen for the kids and Lily needed a bottle.  I had Owen take a picture of Cal...he started off strong in his feeding:

Then got distracted by a show and decided it was easier to hold the bottle with his elbow.  Way to go, bud. 

Our boys won their flight and we were SO proud of them! They lost in the shootout round, which was super exciting.   They would have loved to have pulled off a win, but maybe another year!

We all went out to eat Saturday night and then we were up and at um early Sunday morning.  I was soooo ready to get home and unpack everything! I washed everything because I didn't know what was clean and what was dirty any more. 

This week has been crazy busy with appointments and playing catch up.  It was a GREAT week away with family and friends and it feels good to get home and get in a routine!


 

Beach Week: Part TWO

You can read about part one of our 11 day beach adventure here

Me and the boys left my parents beach house on Tuesday morning and headed to Sally's family's beach house (Eddie took the dogs home and went to work a few days before coming back for part 3!).

The boys were SOOOO excited to get there and see Brad and Jane! And I couldn't wait to see Sally!

Once we got there and got the car unloaded, we headed over to the beach.  These four had so.much.fun.together! 

Andy and Jane sat in the water chatting about the issues of the world.  Or maybe it was about the Duggar scandal.  Who knows? 

But I do know that when they get married, I am using this picture on the save the date card.  I guess the groom's mom doesn't do much with that part, huh? Oh well.  I love this sweet picture.  

I also love this one...

While I was taking pictures of the littles, the bigs were having the time of their lives in the boat.  They were taking it out super deep and riding waves it.  It was terrifying, but they were happy as can be out there!

After a full day out on the beach, we came in and showered and then headed to Tower 7 for some (amazing) Mexican Food. I swear to you, I could drink the salsa there.  It was amazing.
 

Too bad they don't like each other at all... they aren't having the least bit of fun.  Thankfully the restaurant wasn't packed because we made our presence known...! 

Wednesday we woke up and took a loooong walk! I am so happy Sally suggested I bring my double stroller.  She brought hers so we could walk together every morning.  I loved those walks! We walked all the way to the end of the island and then let the kids get out and walk down to the water.  

We took a pic of our crew...nice and dry....

...which quickly turned into this:

 They were diving under the waves immediately-- and laughing hysterically. 

We ended up decided to walk the strollers back on the beach since it was low tide.  Talk about a good workout....! It was tough, but it was really fun! The kids got out a few times to run in the sand and collect some rocks/shells/sea glass and then when they got tired, they would hop back in.  We were gone for several hours and had a blast getting our workout!

 We came home from the walk drenched in sweat. We changed clothes and headed over to the beach for a repeat of the previous day.  And it was perfect, again!

This might be my favorite picture of the entire trip.  How sweet is she?

 

The boys broke out the zinc oxide and some big beachy smiles...

Cal had some serious chaffing going on so he switched out of his bathing suit and into some mesh shorts...poor guy.  But he was tough.  Miss Sally had some magic potion to make it feel better.

They continued playing with the boat on the beach. 

We headed in and fed the kids some dinner then Sally and I got some take out.  Jane was helping us in the kitchen.  

Thursday morning, I had some monkeys in my bed with me.  

We loaded up the strollers again and took the 4 kids on a walk.  We walked to a few stores...and, could you just eat her up? Honest to goodness.  

 The boys ready to roll!

We headed over to Susan's house to hang out on their sound side beach, which was really nice and relaxing.  She brought down two babysitters and Andy fell in love.  This one took his paddleboarding-- check out that smile he's got!

Thursday night we went out to dinner at Portland Grill.  We had a group of 10 and it was SO much fun.  Sally and I in the uber together on the way to the restaurant.  This was the start of about 59 selfies of us throughout the night. #noshameinourgame

Why not take one in the bathroom? 

And then we asked someone to take one of the 3 of us outside of the restaurant... my girls.

 We had such a fun night!

Random, hilarious story...
I slept at Susan's house that night because Eddie was in town for a golf tournament and we were spending the weekend with the Grosses so it just made sense to go Thursday night. We all know Andy doesn't sleep worth a flip (sigh).  Around 1:30 I heard footsteps outside the bedroom door so I opened it, thinking it was Andy, and I saw a man standing in the living room.  He looked at me, I looked at him and I was royally confused.  I felt like Susan and Dustin would have told us if they were expecting company, but whatever.  I went to the top of the stairs, realized it wasn't Andy I heard, and I went back to my bed.  As I went back in my room, I saw the guy lay down on the couch.  I thought for a minute it was Susan's brother's friend, who was staying next door and maybe just decided to crash on the couch... then I thought maybe it was one of the babysitter's boysfriends who was in town...or something.  At 3:30, Andy woke up screaming bloody murder.  I ran out of my room and the man on the couch sat straight up and looked at me.  I looked at him and then ran down the stairs to get Andy.  I decided to just sleep down there with him to keep him calm. He woke up at six (#suckysleeper) and I walked up the stairs and the man was still on the couch.  Susan's daughter, Emma, also came up the stairs and walked over to the man (I was in my room, but could hear her) and said "I don't know you. Who are you?" When I heard her say that, I froze for a minute because all of the scenarios I was thinking it might be, she would know.  I walked out of my room to watch the man walk out the back door.
HE WAS A TOTAL STRANGER! There was a wedding party (the groom and all his groomsmen) staying on the other side of the house, so we all assumed maybe it was one of them, but they all assured us it wasn't them.  We think it was some drunk guy who thought it was his house and just crashed.  Well drunk boy was woken up in the night by a kid screaming and then again at 6 with a 3 year old in his face.  HOW CRAZY IS THAT?!?!
We couldn't stop laughing about it.  Needless to say, we double locked all the doors the next night! HA!