Swim Team 2014

 I remember last year being so excited when Dallin swam 25 meters under 1:00. By the end of this season, his goal was to break 30 seconds. I can't believe how much Dallin has improved! I think his fastest time was 32 seconds in free style. Dallin still hasn't mastered diving yet. The one time he tried it in a meet was during the freestyle relay. His goggles fell off on his nose and he looked at us in panic. Then he remembered what his coaches told him and he swam his lap with his goggles on his nose. After that he was too scared to try diving again.

Watching Dallin in swim practice was very interesting. He had taken small group lessons once a week since January so I knew exactly what level he was at in swimming. During practice though, I watched him do swan dives down the pool or hang out in the middle and goof around while his team was out of the water on the side of the pool listening to the coach's instruction. I'm guessing he figured out really quick that with so many kids in the pool (his team is huge!) that he could get away with goofing around and swimming under his level. He had a great first meet where his coach proclaimed in surprise that he was fast. Every meet after that, his times got progressively slower. He stopped breathing to the side and forgetting everything he learned in his swim lessons. His main coach was great and tried to help him, but there was no way she could stay on top of Dallin and help him focus while running the practice. I talked to the other coaches and asked them to push Dallin harder but still unless Dallin had someone right next to him, he was goofing off. We had a month of our small group lessons paid for from when we had to cut out early to rush off to Miami. I signed him back up and the next meet Dallin did awesome and kept getting better. He just does better with small group instruction.

We went from talking to Dallin about breathing to the side to talking about how you finish strong within a week. In the below video Dallin comes off the block like a rocket, is winning the heat and then slows way up the last little bit. He completely shocked Zane and I with how fast he was in the beginning.

Freestyle from the last meet and backstroke from Divisionals

Excuse my screaming and horrible camera work.

Dallin's best meet was Divisonals where all the teams his team competed against come together at a high school and compete again. Dallin did amazing in both free style and backstroke. He did so amazing that he qualified for a special meet with teams throughout our area. By this point in the season, I was done with swim meets taking up our Saturdays. Dallin was going out with a bang. Zane though was so excited that Dallin qualified (and the meet was hosted by our old swim team meaning a lot of our friends would be there), that he wanted Dallin to compete.

This special qualifying meet took place in a huge Natatorium with two swimming pools and jam packed with people on the stands watching. I showed up with the babies just in time to see Dallin get on the blocks in lane 4 (meaning he had the fastest time in his heat) and start dancing to the music playing. During his dance he decided to start slapping his bum. Then when the buzzer went off to go, he cannon balled into the water. Here we were at a special swim meet for those who had fast enough times and our son was goofing off. He would take a couple strokes, look around the pool, doggy paddled and so on. He came in last. We definitely should have ended on the high note the week before. I asked Dallin what he was thinking about while he was swimming and he said, "Ruby." His friend from our old house was there at the swim meet and I guess seeing her meant he could no longer swim. Oh help us.

Despite the last meet, Dallin had a lot of fun and we enjoyed getting to know the people in our neighborhood better. We love swim team!

 How Zane and I did swim meets without losing kids. 

Sometimes Gavin was on Zane's shoulders.

Best Friends

 We moved to our new home a year ago. A few days after we moved in, Dallin was begging to play with friends. We didn't know anyone yet and he threw a huge temper tantrum swinging his toy sword around and hitting Lili's new fan. Those first few weeks were so tough. Dallin is such a social kid. He would pick playing with a friend as a reward over anything else. Dallin rarely plays with toys on his own, plays the Wii, or anythings else by himself.

Home school and Gavin getting a little older has changed all of that. When school started, Dallin didn't have a choice but to learn to play with Gavin. We are part of a home school group, but we don't get together with this group every day. The previous few years, I taught preschool in my home twice a week bringing 7 friends to our house. Then I would plan at least one play date the other days of the week. Since we started home schooling, the amount of kids coming into our home decreased dramatically. Dallin had to learn to play by himself or play with his siblings. It has been really interesting to watch the kids' relationships evolve. Before Dallin's friends were more important to him. Now, his best friend is Gavin. They are inseparable. Dallin is also super sweet with Lili helping her join in their games. I'm so grateful for this last year that helped my kids become closer together.

I've had people make comments to me that after they have their own children, they want to adopt a child. I feel like people make too big of deal about genes. Our kids are just our kids. We get asked all the time if Lili and Gavin are siblings meaning are they biological siblings. I'm not sure why this matters. They are siblings. If you see my kids together, you can't doubt that there is a special bond. That bond was so immediate that I'm convinced they all knew each other in heaven. I can't wait to see how these relationships evolve further as they open their circle to add Talmage.

Our Sweet Lili

 I love having a little girl. Lili is surrounded by crazy brothers and lots of boy cousins. She brings beauty, calmness, and sweetness to our home. She is the little princess and the boys treat her as such  most of the time.

 Lili is also starting to show her drama side too and when the screams start we all come running only to find out she is mad she can't get the snaps to work on her high chair or something silly. She is also into everything rearranging cupboards and climbing on furniture. I think the below picture happened because she was climbing on the little table this flower arrangement was on and it toppled over.

Lili is 19 months old now and weighs about 19 pounds. She is so tiny that people are shocked at how well she moves and climbs because they think she is younger. I'm glad she is tiny because I can carry her and Talmage at the same time! There are plenty of times during the day when they are both on my lap or being carried. She is so good with Talmage and likes to try to put his paci in his mouth when he is crying.

Lili's nursery teacher commented today on how much Lili climbs. Lili has kept this secret until now. She is quite the climber and is really strong. She hung from these rings for a minute. She probably could have gone longer but I pulled her down. We have a rock wall on our playset that she will probably be able to climb with a little practice by the end of the month. Her goal right now is to get up Dallin's ladder to his loft bed. Thank goodness Zane built those rungs further apart because I don't want her accomplishing that goal just yet!

Lili is very popular with some of the older girls in our church. They carry her around like a doll and she is happy to let them. At a 4th of July party we went too, her friend kept turning Lili's head to which fireworks she should see next.

Lili and I went to a mother and daughter dance party. I think she was a little overwhelmed with all that was going on but she enjoyed the food. Lili really likes to eat. She says a few words clearly and eat is one of them! She also says yes clearly and to anything you ask her. I had fun hanging out with just Lili and socializing with other moms.

This little girl brings so much joy to all of our lives!