"It's Like Having a Toy On Your Foot!"

Logan's kindergarten homework for over Christmas break was to learn to tie his shoes. To be honest, when I read that I thought to myself.............I have so much planned for our break and that's not on my list. So note to self, only send Logan to school with non tying shoes after the break!

It was Tuesday the day before the kids were to return to school and I decided I should at least attempt to show Logan how to tie his shoes. That way when he returned to school he would at least tell his teacher that yes his mommy had tried to teach him to tie his shoes.

So I spent maybe a minute, showed him twice how you tie your shoe and BOOM he could tie his shoe all on his own!

I could not believe it!

It was so easy and he actually tied them quite well...........making sure to make the "bunny ears" the same size and everything. He was thrilled with his new found talent..........and so will Mrs. Willis, his teacher and Miss Erica, his aide. What a smart kid! Later on that day, after Logan had tied, untied and retied his shoes many, many times he said, "Mom this is like having a toy on your foot!" I love his perspective. He insisted on walking into his class the following day with his shoes untied. He showed Miss Willis immediately his new talent. Hey when you are in Kindergarten tying your shoes should be considered a talent!

Sweet Logie Bear

On Saturday I was doing a Crossfit workout to make up for missing Thursday.

This was the WOD...

"Tiger's Blood Baby!"

Three rounds for time of:

400 meter run

41 kettle bell swings 30lbs

30 burpees

22 pull ups

It was a tough WOD! It took me 49 minutes to do.........so I was down in the basement for quite a while. I have been doing Crossfit for 6 months now and love it! Well I love feeling healthy and seeing how much stronger I have become.

"Strong is the New Skinny!"

On my birthday I did my first real pull up, chin above the bar, but hadn't gotten more then one pull up here and there since. Well two weeks ago I was at the kids school visiting with Kiersten and her friends on the playground. There was a bar just the right for pull ups. I was so shocked when I did three REAL pull ups! I have just been doing jumping pull ups in the WODs since I did my original first real pull up back in July.

So after that day at the school, I have been doing REAL pull ups ever since. One day I did

83 REAL pull ups during a WOD.

For this WOD I did all 66 pull ups........REAL Full Pull Ups!

It's great to see yourself improve and get stronger!

I can't say I enjoy the daily butt kicking that Crossfit is.............but man am I loving the results!!!

Any way enough about Crossfit.......First Logan came down and gave me a cup full of cold water. He just sat it on my box jump and said, "I love you mom!" and walked back upstairs.

Then a little later he comes down with a card he had drawn and had help from Justin writing me a message which said....."I really really love you mom!" He even brought me some little jewels because I am a princess he said! He wouldn't really interrupt me, he would just walk in and put down his gifts and walk out. I would tell him "thank you, you are such a good boy..........I love you Logie Bear!" Then I showed him how to make a heart with your hands and every time he came down I would give him the heart sign. He was just beaming and to be honest so was I! He asked me if I needed more water and of course I did. The second time he came down with water the cup had tape with hearts drawn on it! Such a creative little 5 year old! He did a great job drawing all sizes of hearts! Logan just loves to draw, he isn't that into coloring but drawing he loves! I love his little heart people! Logan just loves giving me the heart sign now! Thank you Logie for being such a sweet boy! He just made my day...........I wanted to stay down working out longer just to see all the sweet things he was going to do for me! I Love You Logie Bear!

Salsa Fest

Kiersten is in her second year of Company and LOVIN' it!

During the summer she attended Intense Dance Camp for a week. Which was Monday through Friday 8:00-5:00 and she was so happy to go each day!

So the Salsa Fest was last weekend and her first chance to perform.

Hunter and Logan are in an all boys Hip Hop and Tap class this year.

They were thrilled when they found out they'd be able to perform at the Salsa Fest as well.

Nice picture huh? Yeah the boys faces look so funny! It was so hot and sunny and hard to keep your eyes open for a picture :) Kiersten is in Hot Shots this year! She is the one in the front center..........this was her group doing their "Wanna Be" routine. They totally rock at this routine. They also did "Party Rock Anthem" which included all company dancers..........they learned it at intense dance camp. I got several comments on how impressive of a dancer Kiersten is. She really does steal the show when she is dancing!

Just push play to see a few seconds of their dance!

This is the boys hip hop group. Logan is the second from the left and Hunter is the last on the right. Now I wished I had video taped the whole dance. It was super cute and they only had practiced it for one class time.............so awesome job boys!

So it's our tradition to go to the Salsa Fest with the Pryor's and this year was no exception. We decided to watch the kids perform and then taste all the salsas. Yeah Bad Idea!!! The salsas were ALL GONE! I guess less people entered then last year and tons more came to taste. So next year we won't make this mistake.....it will be salsa tasting first and then watching the kids perform. It was so sad to miss out on tasting all those wonderful salsas. I had even skipped lunch just to be ready to take in all those chips and salsa............yeah I should have eaten!

Seriously Someone is Going to Turn Me in to CPS soon

So a couple of weeks after the stitches incident we had two other accidents.

On a Thursday in the morning I was cooking eggs for breakfast and Logan was helping me stir the eggs in the pan. When they were done I started to dish them out and as Logan was getting down from the stool he put his hand right on the stove top.

It burnt his hand pretty good! So he went to school with a bandaged hand.

Well that same day at school during recess Hunter was playing football and got his finger bent back. He came home complaining about it hurting but I kept hoping it was just jammed. I figured they wouldn't even x-ray it any ways. The following day he just kept complaining that it hurt and he is pretty tough for his age..........he did walk on a broken foot for a week before I took him to the doctor.

Any way after talking with my friend Wendy I decided to take him to the doctor. We saw Dr. Sue, she sent us to get an x-ray and told me to buddy tape it and get a splint for it. She said she'd call with the results but that she thought it was most likely broken. She later called to say that it had a small fracture but that it wasn't out of alignment so that was great news. She did say that they have found that fingers that get broken in youth and don't heal properly end up causing worse arthritis later in life, then normal. So she said you do want to get it checked out just to be sure its going to heal up right. Good thing I listen to Wendy because I wasn't going to take him in until she talked me into it!

So just weeks after having Kiersten with stitches I have to send Logan to school with burnt fingers all bandaged up and Hunter to school with a broken ring finger all bandaged up.

Seriously I am just waiting for the visit from CPS!

Celebrating Summer on the Swim Team

The kids look forward to Swim Team every summer and this year was no exception. Especially because Logan was able to join the team as well.

I spent most of my summers as a kid racing on the Safford Swim Team and then later as an adult I was a coach for 8 years. This is Calvin James one of the assistant coaches and Life Guard at the Pima pool. He adopted both Logan and Hunter this summer and boy did they LOVE every minute of Calvin's attention. Still if they run into Calvin somewhere he scoops them up and hugs them. He is a great influence for them! Thanks Calvin! I always got a babysitter for Mr. Grant because I knew he would not be happy sitting in the heat and not being able to get in the water. It is nicer now that the meets are in the evenings, but it's still pretty hot! I always packed the ice chest, loaded up lawn chairs for everyone and took this all in to the meets at the different pools.......just the kids and I. Justin would come somewhere about half way to 3/4 way through the meet. I even had two people comment to me that I was like a single mom doing it all on my own. It was amazing to see how many people had husbands that were off and able to help with all the load of getting things ready, carrying everything in and getting there about an hour early to get a good spot. That's just not my life so I am kind of use to doing this all on my own. I do get tired of people asking when Justin is going to come to the meet. Because their guess is as good as mine!!! Having a blast playing around with Calvin! Logan on the left getting ready to step up on the block. Doing the breast stroke baby!

Hunter doing the breast stroke.......this is his best event.

Logan is a social swimmer and always watched as he swam........I guess he was being competitive.

Yep looking at the other racers in most the pictures I took of him swimming.

Hunter is in the middle lane getting ready to race.

Taking the competition in the breast stroke!

Kiersten is such a competitive swimmer and she gives 110% every time! She even started training with the older group of kids that swim at 7:00 a.m. just to push herself.

It is hard because one year you'll be the oldest kid and it's easier to win. Then the following year you're the youngest kid and it's harder to win. This year all my kids were the younger ones, but they still did a wonderful job and won ribbons and even metals! So there is really nothing to complain about!

Missy Windsor..............I just love her!

I love all the fun people that are at the swim meets. The meets are just a blast for even me and I am not even swimming!

Stacy Moore is such a great friend. She came to a couple of the kids swim meets with her boys. I told her last year that she just needs to put her boys in swim team if she's going to come to the meets anyways. She is just a wonderful friend and is always so supportive of my kids...........I guess we kind of do the same for her boys!

I just couldn't be prouder of Kiersten and the boys. They worked so hard this summer on swim team and they did wonderful at the meets!

It's interesting because Kiersten and the boys are so different. They eat the whole meet and they eat everything I bring. Kiersten on the other hand can barely get down some water so she doesn't get dehydrated, but after the meet she is beyond starving! She got my nerves.

Kendall, Hunter, Brinner and Logan

What a bunch of silly boys!

Kiersten had to join the fun! She is so good to put up with all these crazy boys!Kendall and Hunter

Such great friends!

Hunter and Calvin having an oreo eating contest! We all just adore Calvin!

They were laughing so hard they could barely eat the oreos.

The final meet you had to of qualified for your event at the previous meet..........the qualifying meet just two days prior to this.

This shows Logan on the steps.....he took 3rd in backstroke.

He was just so happy to get his metal!

Great job Logie Bear!

Hunter was beyond excited when he took first in the breast stroke. And he should be .........look at the size of the kid next to him. I had to remind Hunter that he is a year younger then quite a few of these boys and he took first. His hard work paid off!

Pretty happy Kid!

We are so proud of you Bud!

Kiersten got 6th in backstroke. She did a great job! Her group was the strongest group of swimmers out of the whole meets. There is so big competition and she is the youngest, but she still pushed herself and did great!

The rule is that we have to be happy no matter what place we get. It isn't always easy but it is something I am helping the kids to work on. Because I just want them to be proud of themselves and enjoy being a part of the swim team. I am happy with them no matter what place they get and I want them to be positive as well.

Logan took 2nd place in Butterfly...........the hardest of all the events until you get to the age of the four laps events!

Nice job!

Showing off his metal!

Hunter took 2nd in backstroke.

Now seriously look at the kid to the right of Hunter..............I told Hunter you need to be very happy with how well you swam because you had to do two strokes at least to stay ahead of that kid. He is like twice your size..................so Hunter really did have to swim fast to beat him.

We do have the best coaches here in Pima. Natalie was my coach when I was a kid and then I worked with her for many years helping coach. So I know my kids are being taught by the BEST!

Kiersten got 6th in the IM..........that is the individual medley. They swim one lap of each stroke............so four straight laps. That's a lot when you are just 9 years old.

Every single meet Kiersten insisted on pushing herself and being in every event that she could. Once you are in the 9-10 year old group you can start being in the IM and the 100 free, plus doing all four regular events and the two relays...........Kiersten never got much rest at any of the meets. But she never complained about that!

She was happy with this race because she beat Danika by quite a ways. Danika got 8th this race.Hunter is always happy to get a metal!

Kiersten took 5th place in the 100 Free...........that is four laps of Freestyle. She beat her qualitfying time by almost 30 seconds, which is huge. She really did kick it that last lap!

Great job Kiersten!

And seriously look at the girl two kids to the right of Kiersten. I told Kiersten she should be proud of herself because she had to work, kick and pull twice as hard as that girl because of the size difference. She was happy with herself and how hard she worked.

Showing off her well deserved 5th place ribbon!

This is Kiersten with her cute friend Emma Hackett from the Safford swim team!

Great job to them both!

You work it girl!

Logan, Justin James and Hunter

The team calls themselves the Pima Lemon Heads because of our yellow racing caps. Which my boys hate wearing. They do kind of pull your hair. Justin was in Logan's age group, he turned 7, Hunter's age just days after the deadline. It's just crazy but the way it goes.

Danika Derek, Cloie Mattice and Kiersten

These girls are the 3 Musketer's.

They just had a ball with each other all summer long.

They did a wonderful job cheering each other on even though they were racing against each other. After every race they all told each other who well the others did. It was great to see this ages of girls show so much maturity!

It was another wonderful year on the swim team and I can't wait til next summer!

It's only of the highlights of the summer for me. I just love every minute of it. I kind of go back into coaching mode............I am not the parent that can sit up in the stands and not cheer. I guess 8 years of coaching swim team it would be hard to do that for anyone. So I am up cheering my kids on during their races............and boy does my high school voice come back to me! I had two ladies this summer tell me they would have never guessed I could yell so loud. But put me next to a pool and have kids race and boy howdy can I yell...................."KICK, PULL, GLIDE, KICK..........PUSH IT!!!" My kids were talking with Liz, another assistant coach and she said he remembers me cheering and yelling for her during her races.............I was her coach years ago. Both her and my kids talked about how they loved that I wasn't the type to just sit in my lawn chair and watch...........that I got up and cheered them on, as loud as I could. Hearing my kids agree with Liz just made my day and I cheered them on proudly for the rest of the season!