They woke up about 5:30 and were sooo chatty! I tried to sleep until 6, then finally got up to make the waffles I promised.

Isaac's bus (middle school!!) come before 7am. Leah and Benjamin and I hopped in the car to see him actually get on the bus down the street. We tried to keep our distance to remain stealth.

We waited and waited for Leah and Benjamin's 7:37 bus and at about 7:36 Benjamin realized he forgot his lunch. He was the only guy running to catch the bus on the first day.

Leah's last year of elementary school. With dangly earring and all. Boooo!

Daniel thinking about his next meal of mixed cereal. He loves that stuff.

Already Outdated!

Back in December my wonderful Mandy-friend helped me do what I dread: family photos!  Once we got there with her, she made it easy by helping the kids be themselves, as you can see.  With Daniel here, it's already time for a new one... 

Isaac

 

 

Isaac entered this swim season in the 12 and under category which means instead of swimming 25M in meets, he got to swim 50M (two lengths of the pool).  AND he got to do an IM (individual medley) in each competition.  It didn't look too hard until we went to our neighborhood pool and I tried it.  Whew!  In finals he got to swim the breaststroke and in one of the relays.  He's really started to enjoy diving and goes over and over again at the pools, trying new tricks and flips.  He's hoping when we go to Utah we'll get to go to the pool with a super high dive that once upon a time I offered to give him $1 if he'd go.  Pretty sure I won't have to pay him again to try it. 

Leah

Since we moved homes and swim teams since last summer, Leah had to swim against one of her best friends and former teammate, Katherine. One meet against them was cancelled, but preliminaries got over before the storm hit. She beat Leah in two events and Leah beat her in the other two, but Katherine's relay team beat Leah's. It was sooo close! Leah was an alternate for finals in freestyle and breaststroke and missed being an alternate in the butterfly and backstroke by one and two places. She did get to go in both relays, though. She told her Primary teacher she wants to be a "swimmer" but when someone asked to about doing year-around swimming, she said no way! She worked hard, liked to stay for two practices and often talked her brothers into doing the same.

Benjamin

Benjamin has a great year with the Lakemont Marlins. He went to finals in both relays, the backstroke, butterfly and freestyle. In finals their medley relay team was DQ'd because one of the boys accidently did the wrong stroke, second for the freestyle relay, seventh for the breastroke, can't remember what for the freestyle and DQ in the butterfly because he didn't keep his feet together at some point. After three meets in one week he took a nap on Saturday afternoon and when I woke him up to go to the Kelly's he asked "am I doing the freestyle?" Two days later at the awards ceremony they saved the "best" award for last. They awarded one girl and one boy from each team the "Spirit Award". Benjamin went to the front when they called his name, not really understanding what the award was for. Then one of the coaches started laughing as he pointed out that Benjamin was wearing his Townewest Tidal Waves 2010 shirt and mentioned he might want to change it inside-out! Anyone who has spent time with him or even who has watched him from afar knows just how "spirited" he is!

Daniel's First Bite

He had his four month check up last week and is 15 pounds. Dr. Young said he could start on solids and since the last few days he has seemed less satisfied even after nursing we tried out some brown rice cereal tonight. It might be a few more tries before takes to it!  Leah is hoping it's soon...she can't wait to be the one who takes care of him when he's hungry.

One of our neighbors is out of town and told us to get anything out of his garden while he's gone. We're not sure what it is, but it's something that thrives here in the heat. I need to see if I can look up what it is. 

Isaac fifth grade