The competitive child

Day two of the swim meet was a bust in the eyes of the competitive child. No one else saw it this way. She beat all her previous times, beat some of her team mates that are older than her and have been swimming longer than her but she didn't make finals and didn't get a J.O. cut so as far as she was concerned, it was a bust. Yeah, makes me want to bang my head against a wall...hers too for that matter.

Photography was problematic again at best today due to the glare of the ever present and oppressive Miami sun. Taking pictures during her heats was something I gave up on after her first one when I realised that once she came off the block I had taken pictures of the wrong kid during the actual race. Nice huh. She is swimming long course and with the glare on the water and the distance I really couldn't see anything so I zoomed in on what I thought was the right lane but once I looked at the photos I saw a blue suit. LOL

I decided to focus on the kids having fun between heats instead and show the more relaxed aspect of the meets. At the last meet Boss Man AKA head Coach told Rosie to take a swim in the cool down lanes or the cool down pool because it was so hot but she didn't want to. Today the heat got to her and she took him up on his offer as did many of the siblings. They even put a lifeguard on duty. Rosie took her team suit just in case it was off limits that way she would fit right in.

The 3 amigos

It's just a good thing they don't go to the same school cos they would be in constant trouble. These are the same two girls that came to her birthday sleepover.

Always a nice touch when meets open with the National Anthem

The National Anthem played at 8.30am and it was already this hot and sunny

Once the formalities were over Ro was right back in the cool down pool doing laps

on and on she went

Team mates, chilling

All strokes, event numbers, heat numbers, lane numbers and J.O.times. Always written in sharpie. One of the massage gels that i use removes sharpie with just a gentle wipe.

Practising backstroke while looking at her friends

Just being themselves

Telling her it's time to roll

Lily always, ALWAYS stands with her hands flat on the blocks like this while she is waiting to be told to get ready. And from this second everything changes for her and it is GAME ON.

So now she waits for next year to try out for Junior Olympics. If she wants it she'll get it. No more long course meets it's back to short course which she likes better. I like watching them swim long but that's cos I don't have to do it.

Summer swim meets...shoot me now

This weekend is the FGC Invitational. To you and I all that means is it's a swim meet. For me it means gather a whole lot of towels, sunscreen, goggles, extra team cap, cooler, Gatorade chews, water, snacks, etc etc and set the alarm clock for 5.30am and drive north.

It was Lilys last long course meet of the season and her first meet as an 11 yr old. A big deal. She was used to swimming at the top of her group ( 10 and under) now she was at the bottom (11 and 12). She is also coming off of the injured list from her broken arm so she was PUMPED.

This was an invitational meet which means it had prelims and finals. She missed finals by 1 place, not sure how many seconds. These sports where 100ths of a second count really make me itch, my brain nearly explodes. She beat all of her old times and was happy with the results and tomorrow we get to go back and do it again. Yippee. And who knows, maybe she will make finals tomorrow. oy.

I can hardly wait to go and stand in the 90 degree sun on a pool deck, melting for hours and hours again. But I will and I'll do it mock cheerfully to cheer on my girl and I'll hope, just like I did today that I get splashed, a lot. The sun was so bright this morning at 10 am that when she was swimming 100m fly I thought I was taking a photo of her but I couldn't actually see anything and this is what I took a picture of, some random womans boob...oopsie.

If you look to the top of the photo you can see a blob in the water, I believe that might be Lil. Thankfully her swimming skills surpass my photography ones. 

I love starting block photos, she is so focused

and she is off

Hmmm, crossed legs, how novel. Good thing Coach missed those!

I think she is praying

answered prayers she won that heat.

I'm so glad both kids love to swim. Lily always makes me laugh because she toddles through practice 5 days a week but put her in a meet and it's Game On. Everything changes. Her Coach has finally figured her out and puts her where he thinks she should be in a meet not where she measures up to in practice and it never fails she pulls it off every single time.

Have fun tomorrow Fish, if you want it, go get it.

impressionable

When Lily first became a big sister she was five and a half and absolutely loved to wear clothes that matched her sisters. Now of course she wouldn't be caught dead wearing anything remotely close to what Ro wears. Mind you they have polar opposite tastes in clothes so that might have a little something to do with it.

Months back we were in Justice, I can't imagine why as I am not a fan and nor is Lily, when we spotted an outfit geared towards swimmers. Lily thought it was awful but Rosie loved it. She couldn't have the outfit only the top as the shorts were huge on her.

Last week Lily received that outfit for her birthday from one of her close friends on the swim team and oh guess what? It's the best outfit ever! Oh yes it is and she wears it as often as it is clean to swimming which is almost everyday as when we come it is wet and gets thrown straight in the machine. Rosie, who has been wearing her shirt on and off for months to swimming, has been told she can't wear it as the older girls are wearing theirs so she can't.
Ummm, sorry Rosie but I only just got wind of this one and the gig is up and you can wear it.

This was tonight. the 2 amigos...and the sister. 

The back of the shirts say, just add water.

Why didn't Lily like them? Because the lime green letters on the front are aparkly. Who knew Rosie would be a trend setter when it came to fashion, certainly not I.

Feel free to leave

You are not expected to stick around and read yet another freaking post about a swim meet. I'm the Mother it's my job to write it all down and document it with a few photos here and there and tell you how well she did and how she loved it.

I am supposed to skip the part about how god forsakingly hot it was today and I definitely shouldn't mention how she lost her ridiculously expensive competition suit because after she got changed she just dumped it on the table. No, I won't tell you how she did that and how I nearly went postal on her for it. Actually I might, I'll use it as bribery to make you stick it out to the end of the post to see if I spill the beans.

Today was a long course meet and only the second one she has ever done. She started with an IM which is something that a lot of swimmers seem to dislike but Lily really loves them and usually does really well in them. She did well in this one and won her heat by more than half a pool length. She went on to win all of her heats but didn't place anywhere. Her best was a 9th. She knew that this was going to be a tough one due to her arm but she wanted to do it anyway. Kid loves her a meet. Since I am no longer a novice swim mum I don't write all her times down anymore, they are all on an app on my phone...who knew. I punch in her name and BAM, every time, every course, every stroke and her ranking. I used to scribble everything down on her heat sheets.

This was a chase swim so I was able to get close to both ends of the pool and still get photos...cool.

I just like scoreboards ?

Swimmers take your marks....not as much fun as gentlemen start your engines but whatever.

And she is off

her impression of a shark, perhaps

a few minutes of fun with friends.

If I've got the camera then there is going to be a fly shot!

LOVE LOVE LOVE that splash action. It's almost arced

It was so hot that Rosie and Lily's friends brother are showing signs of wilting here. 

She looks so beefy here.

Lily looked at this photo and was appalled at how bad her dive was but I looked at this photo and loved the colour of the sky. The weather changed really fast. We got caught in a really bad storm driving home (twice)

Changed and ready to leave.....I wonder where that bathing suit is?
why yes that is a Miami Heat shirt she is wearing and not her Flying Fish one...sometimes a girls just gotta do what a girls gotta do! Go Heat.

That LBS (little black suit) is one expensive suit, well not in the scheme of big time swim meets but it cost nearly as much as a month of fees. I don't mind at all. It is skin tight, she loves it, she swims like a rocket in it and it is required by her team for meets....but not everyone appears to have them, cough cough. She loves her LBS and so does Rosie love hers. She went off to the changing room after her last heat and changed. While she changed I packed up the stuff, and lordy knows there is a lot of stuff. I picked up her goggles and team cap and threw them in a baggie and put them in the bag. When she returned she sat and talked for a a few minutes and then I closed up the bags and we headed home. Coral Springs is about 50 minutes from us but this afternoon it took a bit longer due to the storm. Once home we started unpacking. We have a routine and as we were following it, it became obvious that LBS wasn't with us. She hummed and hawed and blamed me, well tried to. I went nucking futs and called the complex, no LBS. I calmly and sweetly threw them both back in the car and tore back up to Coral Springs, oh so happily in another rain storm. I screeched to a halt in front of the complex and told her not to return without it. She came back empty handed. I then slammed the car into a parking space and we went to look together. No LBS. #%*@ !

Lost and found didn't have it either. Since she has to swim again tomorrow we stopped in the team store and picked up a plain black competition suit for a few million dollars, which I oh so motherly told her she WOULD be paying for herself, and drove back home again in yet another storm. fun times.

As we were nearly home I received a text. Since I don't text and drive I asked Lily to read it. It was from her Coach: Lily, D's mum has your suit, she will bring it to the meet tomorrow. Swim Fast, Coach.

Lucky little Devil.

Her bags are packed, minus LBS. The new suit is still in the bag with the receipt attached firmly to it. Her snacks, drinks and lunch are ready to go. I hope it doesn't rain for the drive up there at 6am!

Swim fast little one and more importantly be responsible.

Come h*ll or high water.

Since having her cast removed and being given the all clear to swim with both arms kidlet has been in the pool twice, TWICE. That is pretty sad. The pool has been closed more than it has been open due to inclement weather.

Rosies' favourite coach has taken a sabbatical due to a family situation and has been replaced by Coach Kim. Lily hadn't met Coach Kim until tonight. The intro went something like this, Hi, you must be Rosie's sister. Yes I am. When do you swim? I swim with Coach Vlad but I have just been out for 7 weeks cos I broke my arm and now the pool is always closed because of lightening so I don't get to swim. (insert pathetic face). Well you can swim with me now if you would like. Can I Mummy? If you want to.

Coach Kim and Coach Casey split the littles as they need a lot of eyes on them but tonight since the sky was threatening no one showed up and it looked as if Rosie had 2 coaches to herself. Lily hopped in the pool and got a private lesson with another Olympic Coach. She loved it. Coach Casey took over with her and gave her one on one instruction until some more kids showed up, she was in heaven. Lily has been very down since returning as she has lost so much stamina and muscle mass. I have been working with her and we have been following a strict protein rich diet.....it is all helping. Tonight she proved that she's working hard and that she's still got it.

I took the camera because I wanted some shots of her post arm but she spent ages with the flipping kick board again. Finally she tossed it aside and started really going for it. Coach pulled her out of the pool and worked on her form and the next thing she was flying. She is one determined little kid this one. She has no lofty aspirations she just needs to be the best that SHE can be.

So sick of that kick board

Hi Mummy...I can see you.

Kicking it up a notch.

My favourite stroke

I love how she tucks her head. 

This is a new technique tonight, Coach Casey changed the angle of her arms and how far she is tucking her chin.

I just like this shot. Plus you can clearly see the muscle mass on the right and not the left.

Just because. And looky, the little pickle can finally wear Speedo goggles. Wahoo. No more babyish goggles for my girl.

And just because life is never dull, little one came out of the pool tonight and complained that her ear hurt...A LOT. and she was still complaining after her bath. We have been to the pediatrician already once this week. She was there on Monday with sores on her throat and tongue but her ears were clear.......then. I was told to come back in 2 days if the fever didn't go down or the throat got worse. It didn't. I put her straight to bed. I figured I'd let her get a bit of sleep as I am guessing we might be in for a long night if her ear decides to really really hurt :(

Little Stinker

She wanted so badly to swim. No, I mean really swim, with no kickboard. I told her she could have a few minutes and spoke to her coach. He gave her a few minutes.

  Then she was back to kicking but she was not about to beaten by "some" boy! They were all doing Fly and she was right in the thick of it and would not slow down for a second. Her coach, told her that once she is back to swimming with her arms she is going to be a much stronger swimmer, it's just something that happens. I think he is right, especially with her personality.

So this is going to stop her?

Child has a broken arm and it hasn't stopped her from doing anything in fact it has barely slowed her down but now she has a new ailment that is about to put her in dry dock!

Since Thursday she has been back in the pool and since she can only use her legs she is using a kick board for an hour and a half each night. Last night when I came home from work I snuck into her room to kiss her goodnight and thought she had a band aid on her chin. I realised, after closer inspection that it was actually zinc oxide cream.

Come to find out that swimming with a kick board and only one good arm is leading to chafing, lots and lots of chafing, to the point of raw (last night, almost bleeding skin, tonight, bleeding skin). The board sits and rubs across the top of her chest, into the her left armpit and all above her cast and a little bit on the other side too. Oh and the chin, I seriously have no idea how she chafes her chin but she does?? Does she say anything and get out of the pool? Heck no, she waits until the lesson is over and then makes the biggest fuss to her mother as if her mother caused this to happen, on purpose no less. She must have a dreadful mother to do such a thing.

I ran to the sporting goods shop tonight and bought her her own contoured, soft to the touch, kick board with cut-outs before practice tonight but apparently it only helped a little bit. It's a shame really cos it looks "kick arse" but what do I know. It still chafes her chest and armpit.

Tonight when she got out of the pool she looked absolutely drowned and down trodden, she didn't look that bad when she walked up to me with her arm in 2 pieces! She lifted her arm and there it was all raw and nasty.

I took her to the changing room and helped her change and all I had in the swim bag to help was baby talc so I powdered her up and then we went to talk to the boss man. He looked a little grossed out but without hesitation said, Vaseline and along sleeve shirt of this, (pointing to his own shirt) fabric and then she will be fine. DUH! Of course a long sleeve shirt. Thankfully we have just the thing....but I am not sure if it will fit over the freaking cast......It might need one sleeve cutting off and she will HATE that.

When we got home she told me she is so glad she doesn't have to swim tomorrow. It hurts so so much, mummy. If it isn't better by Thursday she doesn't want to swim then either. Holy cow, it must really sting. Poor kid she waited so long to get back in the pool and this is going to bring her down.

I slathered her in zinc and Castor oil cream tonight and it helped a lot but her bed sheets look a tad iffy now.
Who would have thunk!

Just getting started and all appears well

Still no signs of pain

90 minutes later and she isn't giving any hints.

A reprieve.....it must have felt so good

If she wasn't so stubborn....well if she wasn't so stubborn she wouldn't be Lily.

Only 3 or 4 more weeks kidlet. And, you DO NOT have to swim, this is your choice.

P.S. Dear kidlet, if I see one little itty bitty bit of red skin under your suit of armour whenever it is that you swim next, you are OUT of the pool. DONE! And yes I will march my sorry motherly butt over to the pool side and whip you up on deck to inspect you cos that is how I roll because I will not see you endure this and I will not endure this drama again as it is avoidable. So may I suggest that to avoid the Motherly Inspection and the embarrassment that it might cause you that you fess up if it hurts and just call it quits.

PPS. If I didn't love you I wouldn't bother, I would let you chafe until your body parts fell off.

It takes stubborn to know stubborn and child has met her match.

Tenacious

Before I start this post I need to preface it with a few words. Initially when Lily started swimming it was as a pastime, a little something to do after school to help decompress her brain after a day of academics. Because she is the type of student that she is she needs something physical to help her brain unwind. Never in a million years did I think swimming would become the competitive sport to her that it has....(insert big sigh here). Really it was quite daft of me to think any differently but I just didn't know enough about the sport. That first ribbon that she won changed the game for her.

Back to the here and now.

Thursday was the weekly, dog and pony show, x-ray and cast change appointment. Of course under the cast was some skanky looking skin complete with scabs this time around. The doc' probed and actually picked, much to Lily's chagrin and finally, albeit unwillingly, agreed to put her in a waterproof cast. This cast looked really different. The photos are in reverse order, the lining  looks almost like bubble wrap only the bubbles are square. The outer cast is still the same. This is cast number 5 and this weeks colour of choice is pink...bright, blinding pink.

Heavens above that thing is bright

all packed up in bubble wrap...where should I ship her too?

 Since Dr. Miller isn't happy about the break down of her skin we have to go back in a week for yet another cast. These waterproof casts are pretty pricey so he usually doesn't change them weekly but if her arm is nasty she has to go back to an ordinary one. If all is well, she gets another one for 2 more weeks and then one more for a week and she is done.

My little girl was thrilled. She was so so happy. Firstly she loved how light the new cast was. Then she couldn't wait to get to swimming, I mean she really couldn't wait. It was only 9am and she doesn't swim until 6pm but she was raring to go. I took her and her ear to ear smile to school and told her to have a fabulous day. She floated out of the office on a cloud. I went about my day and right before I went to pick the kids up from school was stopped dead in my tracks by a tornado warning. WTF?

I have lived her for a long time.  We get hurricanes we don't get tornadoes.  I turned on the news, i jumped on the computer. It was all true. A tornado warning until 8pm. As much as this could potentially have been very very bad all I could think of was, this isn't going to bode well for swimming. Someone is going to be very very upset.

As it got closer and closer to 4.30 I kept checking the Flying Fish page and there it was in large letters.

POOL CLOSED ALL NIGHT DUE TO WEATHER.

She was graceful but highly disappointed.

Tonight the weather threatened to be the same minus the tornadoes, which didn't happen anyway. My heart felt heavy for her. I rang the pool and they said they were open. We went, Rosie had 20 minutes of practice and then that high pitched whistle blew and they cleared the deck.

POOL CLOSED DUE TO WEATHER.

Thankfully it was short lived and they reopened after an hour.


This is what I saw.

Swimming in the rain.  She can't use her arms at all. I watched her like a flipping hawk cos I don't trust the little devil one bit. 

The cast really stands out

She pushed so hard, but so so hard. She kept up with all of her team mates and she hasn't swam in 22 days.
They say one day out of the water is equivalent to a week. I think she will be sore tomorrow. I didn't even wait until we got home. I laid her down on the stands and gave her a post event massage because her legs were like jelly. She didn't fight or complain. 

She was just so happy to be back in the pool.

Her coach asked me tonight if I thought she would be ready for a meet on the 19th? Umm, I don't think so she will still be in a cast. And unless the powers that be change the rules, you can't swim in a bandage let alone a cast! But she would if she could, you know she would.