Swimming and Soccer

I'm not sure what I was thinking last time I posted when I said, "things are settling down a bit and I feel like I can take more time to write." I must have had a calm hour or two, but we're still just as busy as ever with no "slowing down" in the near future. I suppose I like to be busy because it's much better than the alternative.

We have less than two weeks until school starts up again, so in the midst of buying school supplies, filling out emergency forms, and registering a high schooler for the correct classes we have been trying to enjoy the last bits of summer. These next two weeks will be even better without having to spend two hours at swimming lessons each day or two nights a week at soccer.

Swimming lessons this year were successful for all of the children. Emily has passed all of the Red Cross levels and is looking forward next year to taking a class in diving and eventually getting her lifeguard certification. Makayla passed a level and has become much more confident in deep water. When swimming lessons started, she wouldn't jump into the deep end because she was afraid of sinking before she could swim to the side of the pool. Now, diving or jumping into the pool is one of her favorite things to do.

Ricky also passed a level. As with every activity, however, he sometimes is so busy socializing that he forgets to listen to his teacher.

Andrew, especially, loved swimming this year. He has always loved swimming. As a baby, he was our only child who never cried when taking a bath. He seemed to love the time in the water. He was so excited for swimming lessons and took to the water like a little fish.

He loved his class and all of the swimming activities. Most children are nervous about doing bobs (completely immersing your head under water and coming up again). Andrew loved bobs. If the teacher said, "Show me 3 bobs," he would continue bobbing until all of the children had reluctantly performed the task.

Andrew says, "When I grow up, I want to be a lifeguard." I think he will be great at that. He has also previously stated that he would like to be a few other things:

"a leg doctor," "a roof worker," "a mom," "a worker at Old MacDonald's" (McDonald's)

Don't you love how excited children can become when planning their future?

In addition to spending the last 4 weeks in swimming lessons, the boys have been participating in soccer.

Andrew didn't love soccer like he did swimming. It was just too hot and he couldn't see the point of running around after a soccer ball to get sweaty and tired.

His coaches were great at motivating this group of 3- and 4-year olds. The children were so cute in their over-sized yellow shirts.

Andrew did kick the ball a few times, but only after much prodding and encouragement. After the first game, I made the rule that he could not leave the field to get a drink of water until he kicked the ball 2 times.

I have a funny video of Andrew kicking the ball and then running off the field to "take a break."

I also have a funny video of Andrew running along kicking the ball. When he realized that I and another mom were taking pictures, he stopped right by us to pose.

Andrew spend most of his time on the soccer field doing somersaults, removing and putting on his shin guards, laying on his stomach, or scratching mosquito bites.

I think Andrew might have gotten more practice during Ricky's games than he did during his own games. He would often go play soccer with Reyes on the sidelines.

When Andrew didn't want to go to his last soccer game, Reyes was wishing that he could go in Andrew's place because he loves soccer so much. We all thought it would be funny for Reyes to show up in Andrew's yellow shirt to play with a bunch of 3-year olds.

Ricky's experience with soccer this year was the opposite of Andrew's. Ricky is usually happy playing anything as long as he is with friends. During the season this year, I was remembering Ricky's experience with soccer last year. For the first time in his life, he wasn't enthusiastic about playing a sport or going somewhere. He was so sick with Lyme Disease that he would walk up and down the field and only kick the ball if it came to him. This year, however, Ricky loved playing. I don't think he really understands the game or has the competitive fire it takes to want to kick the ball to the goal, but he still had a great time.

For Ricky, most activities are about the friends he can see and talk to. Ricky liked being on a soccer team with his friend, Andrew's. Getting treats after every game was also a highlight.

Another activity we have been involved in this summer is completing the library's summer reading program. Since we already read a lot, it wasn't tough for the kids to complete the requirements to earn their T-shirts. We now have shirts from 3 summers here.

All in all, we have had a very busy summer, but it has been fun. I kind of feel badly about the fact that we have not been to the pool or the lake at all this summer. I'm hoping to remedy that in the next couple of weeks before school starts. Going to a pool/lake on my own with 5 children--one of them being a baby is daunting, but the kids are all good enough swimmers that it shouldn't be too awful.