Meet of Champs!

So, today was the big day, the Finals of the Meet of Champs!

Jake had 5 swims today, a lot for a 7 year old, but did a really great job! He swam both freestyle and medley relays and then the freestyle, breaststroke and butterfly.

After posting some amazing times yesterday (he dropped tons of time in all 3 events) he came back today to swim finals.

Here are the results:

2 Firsts, a Third, a Fifth and a Sixth. Not too shabby for a hard day's work. Both relays won their events and he got 3rd in Free, 6th in breast, and 5th in fly. His coaches were pretty excited because he gets to swim in the 7 & 8 age group again next year, this time as an 8 year old, and should really clean up! We'll keep our fingers crossed!

Here are more pics of the day...

Jake getting ready to swim his relay. His buddy Gus is standing with him.



Jake going in to swim.



Jake swimming breaststroke.



They rocked the pool. No one was even close either time!



Jake on the awards stand for Freestyle. The other 2 kids to the right are his teammates.

Beating the Heat

BTW, this is my 100th posting! Yay me!

It was ANOTHER scorcher here this weekend and after the preliminaries of Meet of Champs we needed something to do to get our energy out and cool off. The pool was a no-go since it is hotter than bath water these days. So, we had our own little water park.




Jake enjoys the water pouring down on him.





Here Jake squirts himself with 2 guns. The better to cool off more.

Some kind of strange Ninja thing I think.

Jake and Josh man their water battle stations.

Josh launches his "grenade" at his brother.




Jill cools off on her water playmat.




These are just Jill being stinking adorable while hanging out.

Watch Out World!

Watch out world, here comes Jill! This is Jill's newest pose, the pre-crawl. She has been working up to crawling for a week or so now and this was today's activity. She was up on her hands and knees and rocking backward and forward.

I am terrified because I know it is a matter of a day or two before she is crawling and I have not prepared for it yet!!!! Tomorrow I am going to some store and buying out all the plug covers in sight. Then I am coming home and vacuuming up every lego piece in every room (that will take a LONG while). I sure hope we survive this!


Jill is happy she is about to be on the go!

More Swimming - Parents this time!

So, last night was the big Rivalry Meet between the two pools whose kids go to Rummel Creek Elementary, Plaza Oaks and Memorial Bend. Last year the parents started a friendly competition - Parent Relays - so we could join in the fun, too.

Our team, Plaza Oaks had 24 parents come out for relays, so we had to have 6 relays split into 2 heats. We had some close races and lots of fun. I have to say we have some pretty darn good swimmers among our parents! Our relays are in lanes 1, 3, and 5 - starting with 1 on the far right.

Just FYI, I am in lane 5 in the First Heat and Third Heat videos swimming breaststroke and then freestyle. Actually you can't miss me since my mom took the video. Guess who she focused on?


First Heat Medley Relay




Second Heat Medley Relay




First Heat Freestyle Relay




Second Heat Freestyle Relay

Swim Team Time!

It is summer in Houston and you all know that means Summer League Swim Team! The boys are proud members of the Plaza Oaks Piranhas (You Gotta Wanna Be a Piranha is our slogan) for Jake's 3rd year in a row and Josh's 1st time ever.

Both boys are doing great and improving with each meet. Josh is so sweet and one of the younger members of the team, but man when he is ready he is so focused. He even waves the coaches away when they come to give him a pep talk.

Jake is a tough competitor and swims freestyle, breaststroke and butterfly. Right now he is the team's fastest 7-8 year old breaststroker and butterflier as a 7 year old! He loves swimming and takes it pretty hard if he doesn't win a blue ribbon each time out.

In about a week from now we have Meet of Champs and are looking forward to it.



Josh adjusting his goggles.

Josh taking his mark.

We are still working on the dive. Notice the leg goes in first.

Jake lining up for a swim (he is in the bottom lane).

Jake swimming breaststroke.

We Heart The Beach!

So after taking a trip to the beach with my parents and Courtney last week to see the sand castle building contest, Jake was dying to go back and play again. And so was Josh. Jill had never been and so against my better judgement I decided it should be okay to go.

I was half right. But I forgot the most important thing. What is that you ask, Sunscreen? Towels? Oh, sand toys.

No, the most important thing is that I HATE THE BEACH!!!!!

I didn't really forget so much as just misled myself into believing I didn't hate it as much as I remembered hating it. But then I got there and all the sand within a 100 yard radius jumped onto my skin at the same time and I remembered why I never take my kids to the beach!!!

But, in case that wasn't enough, we went with our neighbors to a beach with no potties and no showers. So when our fabulous fun in the sun was over, we rode home for 1 1/2 hours covered in sand! Yay! I only thought my day was perfect before!

Needless to say, we survived, but mom is not doing that again. Next time we are at Stewart Beach and taking aunties and Grandeb for that miserable sitting in the sand stuff. They can ride home with sand in their suit bottoms. Oh, but they won't have to, there are showers there!

Jill, delighted to be in the water. It was a very windy day, but that kept the oppressive heat away! It was actually a nice day. I am serious on that one.

Jill grabbing sand and waiting anxiously for her next wave.

Josh shows Jake his find, while Jill plays in the water.

Jake hard at work on his project.

Josh and our neighbor Jack chill in the water.

The boys finally get to fly their kites. They have only been waiting a year to get them out.

And here they are... a dragon and the Red Baron.

The Whole Gang goes for a swim

Kiki and Owen came in for a visit so we decided to take the whole show on the road to Auntie Karen and Steve's house for a swim. We brought Courtney, our neighbor MaryAnn and Meemaw came, too. We had lots of fun.

Jill and Meemaw play Patty-Cake.

All the kids in one frame! Jill, Owen, MaryAnn, Jake and Josh.

Jill's new trick, drinking the pool water!

Jill's other new trick in 3 parts - "jumping" off the side to mom!

Jake, Josh and MaryAnn inspect the fish pond and try to pet the fish.

Jill meets the fountain.

Jill hangs with the plumbago for a pic.

Jill decides to inspect that upon which she is sitting. (I just liked writing that sentence!)

The Hyland Kiddos. Josh looks a tad funny, but it was the best of the bunch.

Jill Eats Corn!

So, as some of you may or may not know, Jill is now 7 months old, but is still not eating baby food.

She loves crackers and will eat avocado and banana in a mesh strainer, but baby food comes right back at me. Well, it isn't baby food, but we have a new favorite .... corn on the cob!

She showed such interest when I was eating mine tonight that I just gave her the cob and she went to town stripping the ends of kernels. Whether or not she got it down, well, who knows, but she was busy for a while and had fun!

Sorry, cell phone pic!

Here are the Teeth!

They are finally big enough to see (just barely) so here they are...

Jill's New Teeth!