What a perfect night for a swimming post, with the Paris Olympics in full swing yes??? I mean, how convenient that life has been so busy I’ve not managed to share this splashy fun until now!
I give you…my Chicklet, in swim team mode! Woohoo!
For some backstory…my beloved middle born has always been a fish (though, she told me when she turned 10 that she was officially a mermaid rather than a fish, now, tehe)—as evidenced by this bday gift she requested and has put to solid use:
Chicklet has always loved the water, is the first to start begging to swim in our backyard for the season (usually, around January), is the reason we consistently explore sibling swim lessons, and…as of last month, has taken her aquatic love to the next level with swim team, through Lifetime!
But before we dive (tehe) into that a bit more, let’s pause for some flash-back posts:
Where those came from, there are oodles and gobs more. :) Always a nice reminder of how much my girl has always loved her water time.
Of course, all my babies (er, giant children) adore the water, and get offended when I make it seem skewed toward Chicklet, but…it’s just true that Chicklet has always had a more prominent affinity.
And to make matters even more interesting…my girl has always been kind of black and white with her extra-curricular opinions. More, so, as she ages. If she’s just not that in to it (ahem, tennis) she will absolutely let you know. And the same holds true in reverse: if she’s definitely in to it (ahem, swim), she’ll also let you know!
Kinda makes things simple—except for the times I really want to encourage her (strongly) to participate in family things, in which case, her steadfast opinions can be a little tricky to navigate, ha. ;)
So, to recap: Chicklet loves swimming, and she’s always wanting more.
Also of note: Chicklet had a harder school year than some, and I’ve been actively trying to do all that I can to build up my girl, and keep her happy and confident heading into the school year. And doing more of what she loves (and less of what she doesn’t) is an excellent tactic.
However.
I’m also a realist, and I know how insane-in-the-membrane our lives have gotten. This past school year almost slayed me and I’m already shaking in my boots over the next.
Three active kids of a certain age is a lot to juggle.
So…I knew that if we wanted to explore an opportunity where Chicklet could devote more time to swim (and we could manage to get her there), summer was the time.
Luckily, Lifetime had a great summer swim team option that’s just the right kind of strenuous (five nights a week; four practices and one meet), but, also, condensed into a single month.
Believe it or not, we’re heading into our final week, and it’s kind of wild how quickly it’s flown by!
Chica and Little Man often tag along a couple times a week to enjoy some outdoor free swim while Chicklet tackles practice (including this time, below, when we saw a rainbow!):
And it’s so fantastic to see my Chicklet happy, every single time, to attend practice—in her awesomesauce swim cap, no less!
Truthfully, Chicklet is sort of a Goldilocks this year. She’s one of the stronger swimmers in the younger kids’ group, but when we bump her to the super-intense, older kids’ group, it almost slays her.
For this summer, we placed joy above pushing her to the point of total exhaustion and kept her with the kids her age and younger, but it’s nice to see where she could end up within the next year or so, if she wants to continue.
It was such a joy to watch her, totally in her element and just the right kind of anxious, before her meet this past Saturday. :)
She did so awesome, and I’m so stinking proud of her hard physical work.
Additionally, it’s so nice for Chicklet to have an activity where she can shine—an activity that her siblings have to support!
It was such a joy to watch her, totally in her element and just the right kind of anxious, before her meet this past Saturday. :)
She did so awesome, and I’m so stinking proud of her hard physical work.
Additionally, it’s so nice for Chicklet to have an activity where she can shine—an activity that her siblings have to support!
So often, Chicklet is dragged to events or practices or games or concerts on behalf of Chica or Little Man, and a little turnabout-is-fair-play support is fantastic for my middle-born.
When the school year launches, Chicklet will continue her swim team efforts, but I’m happy to report that it scales back to twice a week. Just the right about of a time to weave into our household schedule.
When the school year launches, Chicklet will continue her swim team efforts, but I’m happy to report that it scales back to twice a week. Just the right about of a time to weave into our household schedule.
Until then, she’ll enjoy this final week of all the swim, all the time, and I can’t wait to see how she wraps it all up!
Okay, peeps.
More mañana!
Until then…all the Olympics watching (and couch commentary), all the time!
Over and out.
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