First Job

Colin took his time finding a summer job but since July has been working this summer as a lifeguard for the Y.  He is at a YMCA camp.  They bus him from the Y 5 minutes from our house to the camp which is near the oceanfront about 45 minutes away. And bring him home.  They even pay him for his time on the bus!  I don't have to drive and his gets paid for his commute.  He has really enjoyed it and it's been the best first job for him. We miss him during the day, and he teases me that he is making more than I did teaching this year... which is probably true! ha! 

 

Belly flop

 Joel’s birthday belly flops never disappoint! 

First place

Its been really fun watching Colin swim this summer. He has worked so hard every summer and has been a backseat to his brother and sister who don't really care but make Divisionals and All Stars almost every year.  This year he knew he was going to Divisionals.  He has only made All Stars once. He even broke a record for our team this summer in 15-18 boys 50 Fly this summer! 

Last year he was on the D relay but I think thats what finally made him want to swim year-round.  We joined year round with the mindset that if swimming became not fun, he would quit.  But so far he loves it more and more. And he enjoyed the benefits this summer. Sometimes going to his 2-hour practice and then 1 hour summer practice right after. 

The way Divisionals works is each team in the Division brings the top two fastest swimmers in each event. Then all 4 Divisions have their Divisional Meet on the same day. That night all the Reps get together and seed the All Star meet. They take the results from the Divisionals and take the top 12 swimmers in each event.  So you could technically get 1st in your division but not make All Stars if the other Divisions swim faster.

Colin, after years of hoping and praying just to make Divisionals came in FIRST in 50 fly.  He is the fastest out of 5 teams.  He was so cute and his joy was fun to watch.  A friend came up and said Colin was so sweet and just kept saying "I wonder what a first-place Divisional ribbon looks like."  He knew he would make All Stars in something, but I have to admit I almost cried at the meeting when I saw he made it in all 5 events he could swim.  100IM, 50 Free and 50 Fly, plus 2 relays. All those years of going to All Stars and cheering on Joel and Norah and never complaining once. Even when I knew he desperately wanted to swim in that meet. 

My favorite part this summer of being the team rep (it was a lot. Almost broke me honestly) but we called each of our All Star swimmers to let them know they made it. Usually, we just send an email but hearing these kids so excited made it all worth it.  Colin was shocked he made it in everything.  One girl gasped.  Another started crying in the middle of Lowes with her mom.  So sweet and so fun. Norah made it in 50 free and was an alternate for 25fly. She was ready and waiting but didn't get to swim fly. 

He didnt breathe once in his 50 fly except at the wall. 

Colin will critique all these pictures with where his hand and arms should be, and I think it was good for him to see. He will slow down the videos we take of his races and watch his strokes to see where he needs to improve.

Its so fun to watch him swim. I never get tired of watching.
 

This is what a 1st place Ribbon looks like. Feels good to have the fastest 50 fly out of 5 teams! I think he got 5th in All Stars (out of 21 teams) Not a bad summer swim season! He has his eye on a cut time this fall in short course. 

Swimming

A friend on our swim team had her professional photographer friend come to our Divisional swim meet and take pictures of our kids. They turned out great. 

Both Colin and Norah made Divisionals. Norah was actually our highest point winner for the entire swim team.  She rocked the 9/10 girls this summer.  It helped that her mother was the team co-rep and she had to be at every practice.  We realized we spent 6 hours a day driving to and from practice and going to both afternoon practices and evening practices.  It was a fun season but we are glad to be done with swim team right now.  Norah always helped with the guppies during the first practice when her age group swam and then swam the second practice with all the middle and high schoolers.  She kept up.  Unless she was in a lane with Joel. Then she would pass him and whether that bothered him depended on the day and his mood. 

Joel enjoyed the summer with all his friends. He would also swim both practices and actually never complained or "retired" this summer. Joel is funny swimming.  He doesn't care at all for his individual events but put him in a relay and he swims so much faster.  He was moved up to a 13/14 boys relay when someone (a year round swimmer) was on vacation. With Joel, two years younger, on the relay they only went 6 seconds slower.  So his 50 free time is actually 10+ seconds from his individual time.  Unfortunately for him they choose the relay teams based on your 50 free time so he didn't make Divisionals.  He was actually close in 50 fly but his coach said not to tell him or Joel would swim slower in a meet! ha! But true! I asked him once why he swims so much faster on a relay and he said its because other kids are counting on him and he doesn't want to let them down.  When he swims on his own he doesn't have to worry about letting anyone down - just swims for himself. 

 

My cute little swimmer!