August 10, 2012

A New Theme in Order

If the quote that is part of my design was changed to say, “Most swim moms just do the commute; this one is the President of both of her daughters’ swim clubs,” then perhaps I would have had something to write about this summer. Instead of bamboo crawling up the sides of my design, it should be lane lines. Instead of a mom in a gi, kicking in the header, it should be a mom wearing layers that can easily be removed while sitting in steamy natatoriums. My car now has a magnet on the back that says “swim taxi.” People who know me well know that it’s true. The little man of the house has developed a really contentious relationship with his carseat this summer, mainly because of constantly picking someone up or dropping someone off at swimming.

The good news is that at the conclusion of the summer swimming (just last weekend), I eliminated one of my President jobs. Being President of the girls’ summer swim team was just too much when trying to run a year-round USA swimming club on top. Add a baby to the mix, a baby who got two teeth, started crawling, pulled himself up and started trying to cruise all the week he turned eight months old, and it’s next to impossible to have a life (or do laundry). I remain the meet manager for the summer invitational, and that is definitely a lot of work. However, eliminating the politics of working with the pool board (Why can’t we sell generic water that has been donated, just because the pool serves Coke products?), and juggling tons of volunteer duties I simply don’t have time or patience for is certainly going to be a relief. . . a big one.

This summer felt like I was running one long swimming marathon. With both girls swimming competitively, things were crazy. What one swim dad said to me a while ago rang true: “Swimming is a lifestyle.” It truly is, and those not involved in it to the extent that we are simply don’t get why we’re not available to hang out on Friday nights (we have to get up at the crack of dawn for warm-ups), why there is always a load of pool towels cycling through our laundry room, and why all we talk about is swimming (what else is there to talk about?).

The girls had a very successful summer. Swim Girl, despite being at the bottom of her age group, managed to make it to finals in all three of her events at the county championship meet. So many of the girls her age are growing like weeds, and adding shoulder muscles to their physique that look man-ish. Swim Girl is still built like a little girl, but she has been holding her own. Her “B” medley relay actually placed 6th at counties, ahead of many other teams’ “A” relays. She ended up being the only 11-year old in the county to place in the top 16 in the 100 IM at counties. She placed 16th in 50 fly and 11th in 50 breast. She had a great summer. Something tells me that next year, as a 12-year old, she’s going to own those events.

Sassy also swam competitively this summer and did amazing. She was legal in all four strokes and has a room full of ribbons, medals and trophies to prove it. One of the younger kids on her swim team, she swam in both relays at counties and placed in the top six in two of her three events at the Silver meet: backstroke and butterfly. Her free relay would have placed at counties if not for one tiny little mistake she made, which was leaving the blocks a bit too early. She was devastated when she found out, but she learned an important lessons about competing in relays: the other person kind of has to touch the wall first.

One would think that my little man would be sick of swim meets. However, the other night when we were showing some video to family of the girls swimming, little man sat in front of the TV and clapped. For him, swim meets are just a part of life. He went to his first one at just three weeks old. Something tells me he’ll be on the team before we know it.