Cool! Double Prizes!!!

At the beginning of this year, if you'll recall, I became Chinese.

One of the big parts of my new-found Chinese parenting was "swim skills".  Twice a week I'd take the kids to the YMCA and work them out, teach them how to swim their strokes better, and really help them learn how to work hard.  It definitely wasn't easy... for them or me.  However, I could see right away the benefits it was having in other areas of their life. (especially Owen).

If you'll recall, back in February I was cussed out by some guy at the pool for pushing my kids too hard.  If you need a refresher click HERE.  But I knew why I was doing this, and it had nothing to do with swimming.

As time went on and the kids were getting better and faster I said to Shane, "Oh my gosh, they actually might have a chance to win trophies in city swim this year."  I wasn't sure, I just thought it might be a possibility.  Maybe.

As they started swim team and came home meet after meet with mostly blue ribbons I thought the reality of getting a trophy was within our reach, and then, I'll admit, it became a little about swimming. :)  But still, more than anything, I wanted them to learn that hard work and discipline pays off.

Well, it does.

Last night we didn't walk away with just one High Point trophy, but two!  Olivia & Owen both won first place in their age groups and I couldn't be a more proud Mama. :)

 (Body marking is all the rage these days at swim meets. Who were we to buck the trend?) :)

They didn't win because they are naturally strong or talented, in fact they are both on the small side of things and their strokes were atrocious when we started, but they worked harder than anyone else and that's what makes me proud.  They spent most of the season working out with the 9-10 year olds and even Owen out-swam most of those kids at practice.

(This is Olivia with cousin Tatum (left) and friend Haylee Haynes (right) who got the runner up trophy. More on that later.  Olivia is standing on her tip toes because both these girls have about 4-5 inches on her!)

When you work that hard you get to walk away with these:

When I see those trophies I nearly cry because I know what went into getting them.  One of my mom's favorite quotes is this:

"The greatest reward for man's toil is not what he gets from it, but what he becomes by it."

That's what I see when I see those trophies...what those kids have become.  They know how to push and work hard and want something and go after it and not give up and be disciplined and work past fears and get over disappointments and be their best.  And in an age where most kids don't know how to do any of those things, I find that to be a major accomplishment.

When we started swim skills I truly never intended or even believed that this would be our outcome, but I am pretty proud and happy that it was.

A quick side-note about Olivia beating Haylee Haynes.  When I was eight I got the runner up trophy and a girl named Nancy Haynes got the High Point.  Nancy is Haylee's aunt.  What are the odds?!  When we figured that out I told Olivia she had to avenge my loss. :)  And so she did.  She and Haylee are so cute together.  They are great friends and Olivia went back and forth from being excited to feeling bad about winning.  But mostly she was just excited.  She said Haylee told her she is just here to have fun and if she wins, then great.  Olivia told us she liked that attitude and decided to take it on.  Pretty cute wisdom for little eight year olds.  I'm glad they were there to push each other to be their best.

(Olivia & Haylee after the meet--proud owners of their trophies.)

I'd like to give a special shout out to my mini-me coach Morgan.  She's been by my side at every swim skills.  She yells at the kids to go faster, she corrects them on their strokes, and tells them all the things they are doing wrong.  She's quite the professional at age 4.  She really has been such a great sport throughout all this and has picked up some swim skills of her own.  I'm excited to throw her into the swimming mix next year!

Anyway, this post is much longer than I ever like to do but for the record here are their best times on each event (some of Owen's divisional times were faster) and if you want to see what awesome little swimmers they are you can follow this youtube link.  It's a straight run-through of each of their events and them getting their trophies.  Just mute your volume because I scream like a crazy lady. :)  I know they can't hear me, but it makes me feel better.  Also, I was shaking and cheering so it may not be the best video. :)

OWEN:

freestyle: 18.59 (1st)

backstroke: 25.98 (3rd)--had a bad race, he's gotten 1st at the last two meets)

butterfly: 24.42 (1st)

OLIVIA: (she was 1 second off the city record for every one of these)

freestyle: 15.64 (2nd)--she and Haylee really pushed each other. best time for both of them.)

backstroke: 19.52 (1st)--she is such a great backstroker)

butterfly: 17.50 (1st)

SWIMMING VIDEO LINK:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSTiZD4j1E0

Avert Your Eyes...

My kids almost never see me without make-up on.

I'm one of those people that get ready and wear make-up every day.

I don't wash my face at night. (gasp! I know, no need to tell me how horrible this is, but it's not going to change the fact that I don't and I won't.  I used to and it didn't work out for me, so I don't.)


I wash it in the shower after I've worked out in the morning and then I get ready immediately.  If they come ask me a question or something in that period of time they will see me, but other than that, not really.

But I never, and I mean NEVER, go about my day without some form of make-up on...especially eye make-up.  There's just something glorious about putting black stuff all around my eyes. :)

Today, however, I had showered a little later than normal and I needed to get lunch ready for the kids.  So I just threw my clothes on after the shower and pulled my hair back and came out WITHOUT MAKE-UP ON!  I know, can you believe it.

Nobody said anything and all seemed to be going fine.  But I did get the distinct impression that Owen was sort of avoiding me.

After about 20 minutes or so I had the food ready and called Owen over to come eat.

As he sat down he said as politely as he could, "Mom, I like it when you have your make-up on." He made eye contact with me for about point five seconds and then quickly glanced down at his macaroni and cheese because looking at me was just too scary.  Seriously, he AVERTED HIS EYES!!!!

I know son, I am a hideous creature without make-up on.  I am sorry you had to witness this.

When I tell people this they never believe me, but I really am one of those people that you don't know how they can look so different with or without make-up.  It's kind of crazy.  I would post a picture but you'd never look at me the same. (and I don't think I've ever allowed anybody to take one of me without make-up since I was 12)

I used to have nightmares in Jr. High that the boy I liked would show up at my house and I wouldn't be wearing make-up and then what would I do?!?!?!  Really, I worried more about this than I care to admit.

Once or twice in high school I decided to just try going to school sans make-up and try the au naturale look, but everyone just asked me all day if I was sick.  Lovely.

Every guy I ever dated had to pass the "Here I am without make-up on, are you sure you want to keep dating me?" test.  Of course they were all kind and told me I looked just fine (they had to say that), but I think secretly they were just praying that I would never remove the make-up from my face in their presence ever again.

So my dear sweet Owen, with two sisters who will wear make-up someday, and a mother who wears it, you get an early taste of the hideous creatures that lie beneath these make-uped faces.

Our beauty is only as deep as our eyeliner can go.

Holy Cow!

I live in a neighborhood.

Suburbia.

Granted, there is a deserty field just to the side of my house, but it's just a bunch of sage brush and dirt.

So you can imagine our surprise when this morning Shane left for work and came back in two seconds later saying, "Come here, you've got to see this!  There are cows and a donkey in our front yard."

What?!

So out we went to view the spectacle.

Sure enough there was this guy:

and this guy:

and all of these guys:

this is a view from my driveway:

Right now I can hear cows mooing outside my window.  

And now the police have shown up beeping their sirens at the cows.

Half our neighborhood was standing outside, gawking at this.

I couldn't help but think how funny this would be to a rancher or cattle farmer, us all standing there like: "Oh my gosh, look at the cows!" 

But I suppose it wasn't because they were cows, but cows in an unusual place.

Morgan just keeps saying how awesome it was and that maybe Jersey could go out since maybe she would just look like a cow to them (since she's a cow dog), but she also mentioned we would need to paint her paws to look like hooves and they might notice her dog nose, so we'd need to do something about that.

She's got it all figured out.

Anyway, you can't really beat a day where you wake up to cows.

Yee-haw!

School Clothes Cash

I'm still on a quest to make sure my kids learn how to appreciate things.

I want them to learn to work and place value on the stuff they get.

I'm going to squash out entitlement if it kills me. :)

So here's my latest gig.

School clothes.

They need them, and I'm gonna get them, but I don't want the kids to think they get them no matter what.

So I've developed "school clothes cash".

They have to do 1/2 hour-1 hour of work for me (depending on the job) to earn some "cash".  Once they have their cash they can come spend it in my "store".  My store consists of school clothes I have already purchased for them and they can pick out one item of school clothes per job they do.

This will teach them:
1. That every piece of clothing has value--they know, because they have worked for it.
2. How good it feels to work for something you want. (they keep eyeing what they want to get next).
3. To take better care of their clothes.
4. That they don't get something for nothing.

The funny thing is they really like doing this.  It's more exciting to them.  And it's great for me because they are begging me to do work around the house! :)  Livy has literally said to me several times, "Mom, is there anything I can do for you PLEASE. I really want some more school clothes cash."  I'm just having a hard time coming up with enough jobs for them to do.

I'm telling you, it's fantastic.

Come August my house will be clean and my kids will be well dressed.

Lovely.