Swim Team

Saturday was the kids last swim meet. They ABSOLUTELY love swim team. They never complain about going to practice and they love competing.
Alexis had a great year. She finished off this meet swimming in the official race for freestyle and was the last leg in both relays. Since she was in the 7-8 year old group she will compete in that group again next year.
I'm pretty sure 99% of the girls in her age group are over a foot taller than her. I'll have to find our video of her swimming because this picture below just doesn't do it.
She is such a pretty swimmer, she's fast and she's so close to making it all the way across without breathing. So next year may be the year she gets that "no breather" she's been working so hard to get.

Carter shocked both Chad and I. We thought we'd have to convince him into enjoying the competitive side of swimming but once again his competitive nature came out without any push from us. If you only met him on the soccer field, on the t-ball field or at the swim meets you would HONESTLY think he was a feisty kid because he is so into sports. But outside of those settings he's quiet, kind and mostly reserved.
This was Carter's first year so he had to try out before the season started. They changed the rules this year. The 4 year olds now have to swim the entire length of the pool, unassisted, doing side breathing, never flipping to their backs, never touching the side of the pool or lane lines and never stop kicking or doing "big arms." We practiced with him everyday and he worked so hard. At the try-outs he did all of the above. Both Chad and I watched. We were shocked when the email came saying he didn't make it. Carter was so sad. I asked the coach why and he told me it was because Carter looked tired and didn't think he could go back and forth a few times at practice.

WHAT? Made no sense to us...but we cooperated.

Anyhow, the coaches allowed a few kids that were borderline to practice for a few more weeks and try out again 3 weeks later. By that point I had given birth to Ryder and couldn't get in the water with Carter. So, my sister took him to the pool every morning with her boy and Chad took them every night to practice. Carter worked so hard. He swam the length of the pool six times in a row the morning he tried out. He wanted this so bad and and he knew he only had one more chance. His hard work paid off and he made the team.
He's got his big arms down pat. (He's the one in the second lane from the bottom with his head buried in the water.) He's very consistent on his timing...side breathing every 4 strokes and he's got huge kicks. Next year it will be fun to see if he can get his kicking to propel him faster and pull under water with his hands.

Between their races, they enjoyed playing with their friends, playing with their little brothers...

and relaxing while eating the candy they paid for with their hard earned money doing chores at home.
We were so proud of them. They always gave 100% and it was so fun to watch.