Fishy-Fishy Cross My Ocean

I am so proud today!! Well I can find a reason everyday to be proud of my girls. Even in the deepest depths of frustration with a three year olds raging independence and sometimes insolence I can find one thing, one tiny thing that the girls did each day that made me proud. But today was huge, overwhelming, spilling over with emotion pride. Yeah, yeah, you’ve read this post before. In fact I am sure I have spouted off about my pride at Grace’s swimming on at least three other occasions if not a million times before and each time was, in my eyes a huge accomplishment and each time was just as sweet as the next.
I, out of necessity, stopped the girls swim lessons in October. In the months that are the best for lessons, the months when it’s cold and we are not at or in the pool at least every other day my girls had a break. After making huge strides in the late summer and early fall I halted their progress and gave them 5 months to regress.

Oh yes, I push my kids. When it comes to swimming, I undoubtedly and unapologetically push my kids. I have huge expectations and those expectations have nothing to do with athletic ability or want or need to have a competitive swimmer for a child. My expectations come from a colossal respect for water and the inexhaustible danger it posses. That and teaching swimming for years to 6 and 7 year olds who were terrified of the water and knowing that fear is a learned behavior.

Each time I have raved about the girls, Grace in particular, it has been because a barrier has been broken. Learning to go under water and simply float, comfortable, happily even. Or when she learned to jump in and kick a few feet to where Mary was standing. Last fall she even began to figure out how to take a breath and continue on. This is a huge hurdle to cross, but once she makes it… Once she’s on the other side of that one… She’ll be a real swimmer.

Lily is as always fearless. I am proud of her willingness to dive right in, but there is no skill in it and a small amount of fear is crucial when it comes to water. There is a reason they say “never turn your back on the ocean”. Her complete lack of fear scares me sometimes. I adore that she will just do whatever and marvel at her own amazement with each new discovery of cause and effect. Such as the day she discovered; if I step off this ledge and simply do nothing I am simply suspended here and its cool! Or her latest; if I kick my feet I can return to the surface. I am proud of her just because I’m her mom. I am proud of her because she is so even though bravery is not a lack of fear but action in the face of fear. I’m still proud!

Today, I am told, Grace tried on several occasions to take a breath. She still has not quite figured out how to do so and continue on but she has figured out how to roll over on her back and float when she is out of breath. I so wish I’d seen it! I was busy trying to get out of a conversation with another mother and missed the entire lesson. But I am told that each time Grace swam from the step to the island (today it was placed roughly 10 feet away) she made it almost all the way, more than ¾ I am told and then had to roll over and float. I was so happy to hear that but sad to have missed it!

For Lily’s class the island is not really used. I wanted Mary to really work on Lily’s swimming back and forth between the two of us, so she pushed the island away towards the edge of the pool. Now it’s roughly 6 feet from the side, not far at all. The next thing I know Mary’s nudging me and saying “Shhh… Look.” There was Grace swimming back and forth, back and forth and back and forth from island to wall, wall to island. I stood awe struck. She looked determined and she was doing a great job! Granted it was a distance she would cover easily without taking a breath. Heck I am 5’2 and Grace is hip high on me. It’s not much more than two of her body lengths, but the repetitions, the practice the lack of any adult within arms reach as a safety net… I could have cried I was so happy! Of course now Lily has seen Grace and it’s all ‘Monkey see, Monkey do’ in my house. So Mary told me to watch this… and put the island on an angle forcing the far corner to about 8 feet from the wall and the near corner about two feet from the steps. Lily and Grace went back and forth together. Grace swimming from the far side and Lily from the near.

That was our last group lesson and we couldn’t have ended on a higher note. Now the girls begin their private lessons and I am anxious to see the progress they make with that amount of focused attention! Yes I push my kids when it comes to swimming. Yes I stop when they fall in the pool and tell others to “wait, let’s see what she does.” Before swooping in and rescuing them. Yes I hear "I can’t” or “I don’t want to” and I dig my heels in and force the issue. But I can now feel confident this summer that I can take them to the pool alone we can enjoy the water. What’s more important, I will want to take them to the pool because it won’t be a stressful challenge juggling two kids who can’t swim.

So let the pool party begin! Anyone up for a game of Fishy-Fishy Cross My Ocean?

Kicked My Glutes!

First, Thank you Uncle Sam! Thank you for holding onto and playing with a large chunk of our earnings last year and returning it to us just in time for me to start getting in shape!  Oh yeah... and in time for swim lessons for the kids too!

I made it to Stroller Strides this morning and it was awesome!  The ladies were all very nice and totally supportive.  I was a little nervous about how Grace & Lily would do.  The first time I went Grace made it most of the way through the class but got antsy 3/4 of the way in and wanted O-U-T!  Lily is usually pretty go-with-the-flow, but she has her moments.  The girls were so well behaved today!  The last five minutes were rough, but it was a loud unhappy five minutes for most of the kiddos so I felt really good about how Grace and Lily.  

I certainly felt every second of the hour.  I was shaking - No not belly fat and saggy arms shaking but muscle fatigue shaking and it was such a good feeling!  Every now and again I would have to take it down a notch and catch my breath but Grace was right there with me saying "Good Job Mommy!" and "Go Mommy Go!!"  Who can quit when their almost 3 year old is cheering them on?!

There was never a moment when I thought "This is too hard." or even worried about my ability and/or stamina compared to anyone else in the class. I certainly thought the class was challenging every single minute. However, there was no shame or embarrassment in stopping for a sip of water or taking it down a notch for a few seconds... It is just a bunch of women out in the fresh air working out with and enjoying their kids and cheering each other on.  Strong-Beautiful-Mommies!

I have to admit that lifting the stroller into the back of the car was a little harder after class than it normally is.  Then driving home I had to will my quads to hold out just a little longer as I pressed the accelerator and brake pedals. But we made it! I pulled into the garage to find Lily Kat asleep in her car seat... What?! It was only a few minutes before 11am and not even close to nap time!  I should be the exhausted one not Lily!  I was sure when we walked into the house she'd wake up.  Because we all know, when we're out and about close to nap time and our kids fall asleep in the car we curse under our breath. When you want to transfer a sleeping child from car to bed it NEVER works! I was sure that this would be no different, she'd wake up when we got inside, we'd watch Charlotte Mae for a few hours then lunch and then Grace & Lily would go down for their nap. Yeah, no such luck.  It's a good thing I'm a reed, I can bend in the wind and go with the flow. So Lily will nap now and Grace will nap later - the silver lining is one on one time with each kid today as the other sleeps. 

Well that silver lining was a little tarnished as I carried a sleeping 23 pound 17 month old up a flight of stairs. *Step*Breathe*Step*Breathe* "You can do this Shelbi! It's only 16 steps and you can do this!"  I made it up the stairs and got Lily down without incident and without crying but the return trip.... Let's just say that carrying a 23 pound child up the stairs was nothing compared to lugging my heavy butt back down the stairs. My quads and gluteus maximums are going to be feeling today tomorrow that's for sure!

So I'm going to be honest... I am 5'2 (and a half!! that 1/2 inch is hugely important to me!) and I weigh in at 136 pounds as of my last doctor appointment you (February).  I don't own a scale because I am so grossly overweight I cannot fathom having to step on something that will remind me of that fact. As it is I have to stand on that scale at the Endocrinologist every 2-3 months and that's been plenty!  I love food and have very little desire to change my eating habits; which are fair but not abhorrent and even less willingness to change than desire. So I will have to measure my progress in the fit of my clothes.  That and I simply will not torture myself with a scale, especially since muscle weighs more than fat.  If I could drop a pants size by the end of the summer I would be thrilled!

I posted this here today because I was proud of Grace and Lily's behavior today and because I had to lug a sleeping child upstairs after my killer workout but if you would like to follow my progress you can do so on My Mommy Story.  Here goes....

Fun Friday Fieldtrip

Bear with me on the photos today.  Instead of lugging around my big ole Canon Digital Camera I used the video camera to take the still photos instead. The quality is mediocre but some of the the shots are still cute.

Today was weeks in the making. Our little neighborhood troop (and ex-neighbors too) make the short trip to the Wildlife World Zoo today. It took several weeks to coordinate the lives and schedules of six moms and seven kids. But in the end we owe a special thanks to Hickman’s eggs. I have been saving the coupons from their egg cartons since before Thanksgiving in the hopes that a bunch of us could go and enjoy the zoo without having to break the bank. At 2 for 1 admission we all could afford to go spend a beautiful morning and afternoon at the zoo!


We could not have asked for a more beautiful day. The sun was shining the temperature did not rise about the mid 70’s and the kids were AMAZING! Of course it would turn out that the only day we could all get together happened to be on a Friday. We hit the zoo parking lot at 9:30am, just as all the school buses were arriving to drop of tons of kids for a zoo field trip. I was sure that this was going to be a nightmare, but it was remarkably calm and organized. I have to give credit to the teachers and chaperones who did an amazing job of moving the children along and the kids who were respectful and very well behaved. It was a zoo at the zoo but not nearly as bad as it could have been.

There is not much to say. The kids all spent most of the morning in the strollers. We truthfully had extremely well behaved children ourselves. Everyone was able to move together as a group and see everything they wanted to. Feeding the ducks seemed to be a highlight for Grace and I think Rylan too. The petting zoo was a favorite of Lily’s. Addie was simply adorable calling to the Leopard when we first got there. Vincent was the happiest I saw him all day while riding a Giraffe on the carousel. Ella was most interested in watching the kids run about and Charlotte pointed to all the animals and had the biggest smile on her face every time I looked over at her. I personally had my biggest laugh when Lily put her hands in her armpits and made monkey noises at the monkeys. Lily’s biggest laugh came when a deer in the petting zoo began to eat her dress and Grace’s most traumatic moment was when another deer began to chew on her dress. You would have thought a panther had just tried to maul her with the way she’d was so terrified. After all was said and done though, the one thing Grace told her grandfather on the phone while driving to lunch was that a deer ate her dress and then she laughed about it… My little drama queen!

We didn’t make it to the aquarium today but I am still sitting on coupons so we’ll either go again with our buddies or find an afternoon when we can steal daddy away from work to go watch the penguins and ride the carousel and maybe brave the man-eating deer in the petting zoo once more. I still want to ride the train around the park with the kids and we did not do the Kangaroo Walkabout this time, but Grace though that was a blast last year.

The girls and I did just invest in a membership to the Phoenix Zoo and plan to get up (or rather down) there as many times this spring as we can before it’s too hot. I wish it was as close at the Wildlife World Zoo or the World Zoo was as economical as the Phoenix Zoo, but that would just be asking too much no wouldn’t it?? I had hoped that we would have Friday as our “Fieldtrip Day” for our little group of friends but now that we’ve all remembered Friday is Field Trip Day for the schools we might have to rethink our plan. I’m just excited that Lily is now old enough to enjoy the things we hope to do all summer.

*sigh* Kids.....

I was looking forward to having something to blog about on 'My Mommy Story' today.  I figured that I would have something funny to say about how out of shape I am since becoming a Mommy or... I don't know what... But I knew there would be something to say, instead there is this...

I finally pulled the trigger on Stroller Strides.  Last month my neighbor Grace, Vincent, the girls and I went to a trial class of this Mommy boot camp. It-was-awesome! I wanted to join right then and there but knew it would have to wait until after we filed our taxes and knew the refund was on it's way.  So Saturday afternoon we filed, and Sunday evening I contacted Kelly, the owner of our local Stroller Strides franchise. 

I had considered a gym membership and all of the classes they offer that sounded like a fun way to get into shape, but who would keep me honest?  Monica offered to drive down here to our Mountainside fitness to be my workout buddy, but... Monica lives 20 minutes north now and it just would not be as easy to coordinate as we make it sound. Plus Monica runs. She enjoys running on a treadmill.  I've done so much damage to my knees over the years that for me, running is agony.  So that doesn't work for me.  I was really grateful for the offer though and when it's 120 degrees out this summer I may have to reconsider but for now... Boot Camp!

Stroller Strides is an hour of cardio and resistance training.  A full body work out with Moms.  Women who just had or recently had babies (myself excluded - 16 months).  Plus most of them are already skinny and fit so that is some great motivation in itself.  But it's specifically designed to target everything!  And the best part was it was fun!  The ladies are nice. My husband is welcome to come workout with us anytime and I already feel hugely guilty for having to cancel my workout this morning, so I think I could stick with and be successful with this workout.  Well, fingers crossed!

Today was supposed to be my first day and wouldn't you know it.  Lily who has had a runny nose the last few days woke up with a cough on top of it this morning!  So I guess that means it's not a teething runny nose... UUGH!  So I cannot start working out today and maybe not even this week... It's always something isn't it?  Maybe that's why I don't even try half the time...

If you follow both my blogs you know from a recent post that I am exhausted at the end of the day.  I do all day long for and with the kids and crash the minute I get them into bed.  I said that the reason I must spend all day everyday with them is that I want to.  Well that and it's not like I have a husband who comes home from work every evening and can take the kids and give me a break.  (Not complaining about you honey - just a statement of fact) Most days and nights it's just me and the girls.  So even if I knew what I would go do, there is no one to give me a respite.  And that's okay, because truthfully I wouldn't go get my nails or hair done and I have no clue what I'd do with me time even if I had some. But Stroller Stride is a workout with my kids, so that seemed to work for us...

Now I must admit that I am having a little guilt over the fact that my workout would be Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings and Story Time is also Thursday morning.  I may have to drive to another Stroller Strides location and workout on a Friday vs. Thursday but I'll figure that out in a week or two.  I don't know why I should feel so guilty making the girls sit in the stroller for an hour while I do something for myself, but I do!  I'll get over it, or they will, either way, I cannot wait to be the old Shelbi again!

Anthem Days

This weekend there was a carnival in Anthem.  The Miller's invited us to join them on Sunday along with Kelli, Brian and Charlotte for some fun in the sun and of course...Funnel Cake!

It was a glorious afternoon.  The temperatures are finally in the mid to high 70's here and the sun was shining in a brilliant blue sky.  We could not have asked for a more perfect day to sit and eat junk food! No seriously all food jokes aside we had some big adventures.  After the bounce houses and a popsicle Grace decided she would like to try her hand a bungee jumping.  No, not real bungee jumping where you jump of a bridge and pray the bungee is short enough or the bridge is high enough, but on a trampoline, strapped to a harness trying to jump to the moon and back.  I was so impressed that first she expressed an interest but second that she waited in line with Uncle Brian for a good 15 minutes until it was her turn and that when it was finally her turn she did it!  I made the mistake of bringing the video camera into the jumping area with me and not leaving it with Kelli and also not asking Kelli to take any still photos since the camera was in my bag next to her... Live and learn.  For about 3 minutes Grace bounced and was slingshot up and down. So brave, so happy, so proud of my little monkey!

After that adventure and being tormented for a good hour and a half by the smell of carnival food we all went to fight our way under a tent and into a shady table for so good old fashion pigging out.  Hot dogs, Cheese steaks, lemonade, soda, chips, funnel cake.... Oh my tummy hurts again just thinking about it! I must admit it was gross and heaven all at the same time! all I kept thinking was "How do you spell relief? R-O-L-A-I-D-S"  Wow, am I dating myself??  Now my brain is on a tangent... "You got your chocolate in my peanut butter! You got your peanut butter on my chocolate!"  and "Calgon take me away!"  oaky... I'm back, sorry... Nope, wait.... "I am stuck on Band-Aids  'cause Band-Aids  are stuck on me!" Okay, I'm really done now.

Time for one last adventure before heading home for naps... Easter Egg Hunt?  Train ride? More Bounce houses or Bungee jumping?  Nope just a good old fashion Pony ride!  Rylan rode a cute little pony named Sugar and pretended she was Cow Girl Dora.

Grace rode a lazy little pony named Piñata and laughed and waved and sat like a pro the whole time.  She would have stayed and ridden the ponies all day and night and well into next week if I'd let her.  I was so impressed with my little cow girls. 

A minor sunburn and tummy ache were a small price to pay for a great Sunday afternoon. The girls and I are lucky to have such great friends even if they all left and live 20 minutes north and we're still stuck here just livin' the dream. 

P.S.  And this is just for you Hurl...

"Try as we might, we just can't seem to keep this girl off the pole!"

Happy Birthday Squeeger!

Friday was Brian's 38th Birthday.  On Thursday night the girls and I decorated the loft, staircase and front door in anticipation of Bri's return home from the road Friday morning. Grace had picked out 'flags' {aka streamers} and balloons.  She decided against a store bought birthday sign and instead wanted to draw one - or rather have me draw one.  And as the daughter in charge Grace decided that it would be the loft {the girls' playroom} that was decorated and how it would look.  She stood on the back side of the ladder and held the streamers, balloons and tape and passed them appropriately.

Once we had decorated to Grace's liking we wrapped Daddy's presents.  My in-laws and brother-in-law got Hurl a Wii and the girls... well the girls were pretty creative in their gift giving.  Grace picked out a bubble gun, Lily picked out a bottle of bubbles that came with about 5 bubble blowing utensils and somehow... and I think it was a team effort on the girls part, a pink Dinsney princess ball made it into the mix as well.  It was either a selfish act on the girls part since they were all gifts the girls desperately wanted themselves or a hint to Daddy that they wanted to spend more time with him in the backyard. Whatever the motive the girls and their daddy spent a few hours Friday evening before dinner in the yard blowing bubbles and kicking the pink Disney ball around.  It was very sweet.

Oh, I am quite the artist, eh?

Everything was Grace's idea, I just climbed the ladder and did the grunt work.

She may have a future as a party planner...

Bet you never would have guessed what that round gift in the back was...

Lily is saying "Ball!"

Way to keep a secret kiddo!!!

"Just what I always wanted... A Pink Princess Ball! Thank You"

Whatta Week!

MONDAY:

This has been a busy fun filled week and just like old times with the Miller Girls!

Today the girls and I made the trek down to Scottsdale with Monica and Ry to check out The McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park. I was a little concerned at first. As per Monica's and my m.o. we arrived at the park and realized.... It's spring break!  Of course it's spring break!  Why would Monica and I go to a park if there wasn't a million kids on break, out of school, crowding every inch, taking every swing, standing in long long long lines?  

Okay, well at first glance it looked like a zoo, but it wasn't all that bad!  The lines moved, the playground {thankfully} was short lived and the park was a huge hit with the girls! 

I was admittedly a bit concerned when our first stop was the playground that we'd made the long drive to Scottsdale and all the girls were going to do was play on the playground. Admission into the park is FREE, so it wasn't that we had to pay it, was that we made the drive.

In the end the playground only served as a transition area and the kids were excited to ride the train in no time.  What a cute park!  They have a general store where you can get an ice cream cone!  They a few have retired train cars, a kiddie train ride, a Merry-go-round, playground and lots of grassy areas to play on.   

We rode the train twice and thankfully I was able to limit Grace's rides on the Merry-go-round to one!  Although as much as Grace loves a Merry-go-round Lily seemd to enjoy the ride a lot more!

After the park the girls and I drove a few blocks away for dinner at Aunt Dottie and Uncle Buck's. Whit and Josh were home and we were dying to spend some time with them.  It was a GREAT day and a perfect evening, but I was exhausted by the end of the night. Man did it feel good to be out of the house and in the fresh air. 

TUESDAY:

Today was a Puppet Show at Monica and Ry's local Library. Actually it was paid for by the Library, it was actually held in the auditorium of the High School.

I was not sure how the girls would do. I know that Grace and Ry are just about the age where a puppet show would be a fun and appropriate activity, but with those two, you just never know...

The puppet show was performed by The Great Arizona Puppet Theater and was actually very cute.  The woman who was the puppeteer did a great job and expanded on the classic tale of The Little Red Hen with music that the kids could and did sing along to.  I was not sure what to expect going in, but I was impressed and told Brian that we would have to make a plan to see a show at the actual Puppet Theater in downtown Phoenix.

Grace and Ry both had a few moments when then needed to get up and stretch their legs, but they were never loud and paid attention the show the entire time.  In a theater filled with small children that needed to be taken out and the brought back in because of noise or crying or figdgety behavior I was sure we would have to deal with some majorly distracted kids. This was never the case!  I was so proud of the girls, even Lily who sat mesmerized for much of the show and then quietly chewed on her croc and watched when she got too bored to sit still.

I know this was not the most eloquent blog post. And was a poor review of the Arizona Puppet Theater and their performance. But I find myself so very behind in blogging. We have had an amazing and full week thus far and it's only Tuesday. There still are swim lessons and story time and Brian's Birthday to come.  I will say it has been so totally rejuvinating to be so busy and the kids and I are in a much better place mentally for being out the house!

Tomorrow is a new day and St Patrick's Day at that!  I am putting my heritage to shame though, I was able to get a babysitter{the girls' very first babysitter I might add} to come over and watch the girls for a few hours tomorrow night, but I find that all of my girl-friends are either pregnant, out of town or have other plans for St Paddy's Day. Oh, don't get me wrong.... I'm not ashamed to raise a pint by myself, but somehow St Paddy's Day is not the same on the west coast.  We know how to do it right back east! So to all my Irish Brothers and Sisters I'll be in green and I'll raise a pint and say "Sláinte" But I won't be making any pubcrawls or watching the parade I'll be with you in spirit!

WEDNESDAY:

Happy St. Patricks Day! Sláinte ...and... Erin go braugh! The girls were in the most adorable green sundresses today, though try as I might I could not get them to stand or sit still long enough to snap a cute picture.  Don't get me wrong I snapped a few cute pictures but none of them were the girls smiling or looking at the camera.  We did have a blast running around the backyard.

It was of course green eggs for breakfast and green lofthouse cookies for dessert.  Oh, and don't forget the green lolly pops after swim lessons!

Speaking of... The girls had swim lesson for the second time this week. After a make up class last night we were back in the pool this afternoon with... who else???  Rylan and Monica!  Although that was short lived, after our class Monica and Ry switched days and times and are no longer with us.

Grace snuck in her two lessons again today and Lily was my fearless water baby.  She discovered that if she stepped off the platform in the middle of the pook she could float there suspended under water.  I can remember vividly when Grace discovered this sensation. She was excatly Lily's age when she discovered how fun floating under water is.  So proud of my girls!!

Okay now on to the most exciting news of the day!  Awww Hell, of the week!!  Tonight one of the neighborhood girls came over, met my kids and babysat for a few hours!  I have been dying to find a sitter for Grace and Lily since... Well since Lily was born.  Brian and I are in dire need of some adult, alone time. I need to get out of this house like nobody's business. And, NO! Going to the park, grocery store, swimm lessons, or Target does not count, especially since the girls are always in tow.  I am so excited for Saturday night. Saturday night... That's why I needed to find a sitter. Last night I just drove to the gas station, filled my tank, picked up a swim suit for Grace and did a little grocery shopping.  It was meant to be a trial run so that I knew when I walked out the door Saturday night the girls would behave. Saturday night is dinner and a movie with my man!

THURSDAY:
Well, today was supposed to be Story Time for us at the library, but the girls must have needed a break from our week and when it was time to walk out the door... Well, it wasn't happening.

I managed to bake a 'thank you' banana bread for a sweet neighbor who rang my doorbell at 7pm last night bearing a big bag of the most yummy, homegrown oranges I've ever tasted! Did a load of laundry and emptied the dishwasher - Fun huh? The girls ran around the backyard together all morning and my heart melted!  I have been waiting for a year for this moment when Grace and Lily would become little buddies and able to play together like peers.

We ended our evening decorating the loft for Brian's birthay. I though it was a surprise but Grace told Hurl about it right off the bat on the phone this evening.  It was her idea and it was her choice as to what we did, where we put it and how the room looked, so it was her choice to tell.  Okay, so maybe the truth is she's as bad at secrets as I am!

Tomorrow Hurl comes home, it's his birthday and the girls and I cannot wait!  Eggplant is draining in the refridgerator as we speak and somehow, someway I will manage to assemble a large pan of eggplant parm for the birthday boy! {all while playing with the kids, cleaning the house, finishing the laundry and shaving my legs. You're right, there's no way I'm going to have the time or energy to shave - Happy Birthday baby!!}

Grace and Simon

Auntie Whitney and Josh are in Phoenix for a few days, so the Hurley Girls have been spoiled this week by dinner at the O'Connell's two nights in a row!  After The McCormick-Stillman Rail Park yesterday the girls and I went straight to Dottie and Chuck's to meet up with Whit and show off some crazy Polar Bear Swimming skills.  Yeah, you head me right....

Although I am sure that Chuck will say inorder to win "First-in" for the year the contestant must fully submerge themselves.  I will contest that I am not sure Uncle Buck would have been brave enough to go in up to his armpits let alone dunk his entire head under - So, and I am biased.... I say Grace Elizabeth wins "Frist-in" this year!  She played around in the water for about 20 minutes before sitting down and getting wet almost all the way up to her neck!  Truth-be-told, if I'd had my suit with me I might have won it, I was more than inclined to dive right into the pool after our full morning at the train park!

Thanks to Spring Break the two girls who board their horses with my aunt and uncle were playing around for several hours with the horses and were returning home from a ride when Dottie got home from work.  Before I knew what wsa happening {and saying that does not mean I have any issue with what happend, in fact quite the opposite} Grace was on Simon with Riley right behind taking her first real ride!

It was so exciting!! I was even a little jealous! One of my favorite horses was a cute Quarter Horse just like Simon... It looked like fun!

*** Note*** Before you judge or jump to conclusions I am well aware that Grace should have been wearing her helmet.

Sunday Dinner

I love Sunday Dinner at The O'Connell's.  I get out of the house and some much needed adult conversation with my favorite aunt and uncle - The girl's get to experience what it's like to have family in their lives - Neve rmind the fact that a home cooked meal is always a nice treat and a great way to end one week and gear up for the next! 

My aunt always wanted a daughter who loved horses as much as she does. My cousin Whitney however, and despite having her very own pony growing up {every girls' dream, right?} could care less about horses. In fact she downright does not care for them.  Even though my Aunt and Uncle bought a home on a large piece of property with a barn and riding arena so that she and Whit could have horses my aunt and cousin never did bond over horses. 

When Grace was born, Dottie saw a second chance.  I rode most of my childhood and throughout my young adult years. I spent summers on the North Shore mucking stalls to afford my lessons, tack and in short simply to be around horses as much as possible.  I suppose deep down somewhere even I wanted Grace to be an equestrian.  Over the last few years Grace has sat on Dottie's horses more than few times.  I would say the past two and a half years have been a long slow and sometimes rocky introduction to horses but Sunday... Sunday Dottie sat Grace on her new boarder's mount and Grace was comfortable and happy.

There was mention again of a P-O-N-Y.... But at this point in time I have no idea where Dottie would keep him. With her horse and now two other horses boarding at her barn there simply is no room at the inn. Even still it was awesome to see Grace so happy to do something besides feeding the boys carrots and apples.

I wish I had thought to bring the video camera out of the house with me when we went to see the boys, but... I didn't. There was about 10 minutes of Grace sitting on Simon, petting him and telling him what a good boy he was before I set Brian to get the camera and capture this... Oh well... Live and learn!

Calm waters

I love the water.

Have I ever said that?

I am sure I have but just so you fully get it...

I

Love

The

Water!

There is something therapeutic and calming and energizing and cleansing and joyful and....

*inhale*

*sigh*

I just love the water…

The girls returned to swim lessons today. Since we have not had our usual Arizona winter and spring it is still too cold to swim outdoors, even in a heated pool, so we’ve returned to Aqua~Tots for a month or two before returning to private lessons for the summer.

I was not sure what to expect. The girls have been out of the water for the last five months. I know… a rookie mistake, but it simply could not be avoided. I am positive that I will have to deal with lesson burn out this summer; when it’s 120 degrees out and all I can stand to do is go soak in the pool all day every day, but what can you do? We traveled in the fall then we had family and friends in for the holidays and then another trip to Florida, before I knew it five months had passed and the girls and I… well, here we are.

Grace, as expected, took several steps back from where she was in October when we stopped. By the end of her 30 minute lesson she was jumping in, swimming a few feet and more willing to let go of Mary. By the end of Lily’s lesson which, because Mary rocks, Grace was able to participate in as well she was doing great. Still not where she was last fall, but on her way!

Lily Kat, well… Lula is a fish of a whole different color! Lily leapt in with both feet no hesitation and eyes wide open before I was even in the water and poised to catch her. She kicked and blew bubbles and jumped off the edge. She dunked herself more than I dunked her and came up laughing 80% of the time and spitting water and shaking her head before laughing the other 20% of the time but did not fuss once! She put her big sister to shame!

I must admit that I felt a little guilty about hogging all of Mary’s attention throughout Lily’s class. There were two other moms there with their kids, but their boys did not seem as eager to participate as The Hurley Girls did, so… Mary and I went with it! I am sure it didn’t help that Mary and I know a lot about each other’s lives and had a lot to catch up on. Fingers crossed that next week Monica and Rylan are either as understanding as the other two moms were about my hijacking the class and instructor or… they do what I expect they will and join right in with us!
I spent a few years lifeguarding and teaching swim lessons in the “little pool” at my hometown YMCA. The water was always warm as bath water and I was convinced lousy with pee. It was overwrought with chlorine to counter the fact that it was always filled with peeing little kids and was my least favorite place to be scheduled guard duty or lessons, but it was still water and it was better than nothing. The Aqua~Tots pool isn’t much different from that. I’ve seen kids both vomit and poop in this pool. There is always at least one Band-Aid floating around. It’s warm and I am sure also lousy with pee. Even with all that, before I even had one whole foot in the water, I knew…. This was going to be just what I needed. Gone is the feeling of fish out of water. I am so thrilled that summer is upon us and we are swimming again! Have I mentioned?

I love water…

Back Home

It's sad to say that I have 6 drafts sitting on my blog list waiting to be completed, posted or deleted. I sat down a number of times to document this vacation that was anything but and each time I would get halfway thru a story of how sick Lily was; or how we all got sick; our two visits to the Tallahassee Museum and how amazing that place is; running to my grandparents house to check on my Grandmother with Alzheimer’s who also got the bug and my grandfather who was caring for her… when I would find myself too mentally and physically exhausted to finish.

We did have a few really great days out of the seventeen and even look forward to our return in June or July. Although the 18 hour return trip to Arizona was the longest day of travel in my life and was filled with one nightmare after another, it’s not worth documenting the whole drama, although I still might. In the end, we made it, we’re home and we’re looking forward to some warm weather.

Be back online soon - Swim lessons start next week and now two of my friends have left the neighborhood and moved up to Anthem – lot to say… I cannot wait for swim lessons!