The Smiths: Swim Team 2014

Tomorrow is our last day of swim team practice. With Clayton, Isaac, Brigham, and Eliza swimming everyday in every different age group this year, we had a pretty full schedule the last two months. The kids practically lived at the pool, and I lived in my car shuttling them to and from the pool and to all their various activities (or back home for piano practicing). But all their hard work paid off and I am happy to have four accomplished swimmers! Eliza is the star of this post. Because this was her first year on the team and because she's cute. . . and because, quite frankly, she'd have it no other way.

Here she is ready for practice. This girl knows how to pose.

She started the season not even being able to stay on a kickboard and ended being able to swim laps around us all. Go Eliza!

When she wasn't swimming, she played with Lydia at the park (for the other three hours a day when the boys were swimming)

Sunscreen + Humidity + Sand = Very Unhappy Lydia.

And although they weren't allowed to swim during everyone else's practice times, they were allowed to put their feet in the water.

Here is Eliza doing the team cheer at her first meet. I was glad for many friends who looked after while I was running from one event to another.

Here she is getting ready for her freestyle race.

Nice form, right?

They were short a person for the girls 7-8 relay. So Eliza got to swim up for this event. She did great! Here she is being tagged in as the final swimmer.

She's ready for backstroke and listening to her coach.

They're off! Eliza was easy to spot with her pink goggles.

She took second place in backstroke and in freestyle. She also got a pink 4th place ribbon for relay which is her favorite.

I sure love my swimmer-girl!

I snapped a few pictures of Brigham. He did a great job, despite losing his goggles halfway through.

Here he is being tagged in for relay.

Here is Isaac waiting with his relay team.

He totally surprised me here. During practice he's always goofing around and hardly seems to take swimming seriously at all. But at the meet he brought it hard core. (he's in the furthest lane) I've never seen him work so hard. He hit his highest times in every event. . . by far!

backstroke.

Way to go Isaac.

Nate showed up in time to watch each of the kids swim one round. Here he is with Eliza watching Clayton.

Here is Clayton lining up for relay. I actually missed him swim because I was in the bathroom with Lydia.

Clayton's age group swims two laps. Here he is just ahead of everyone in his heat.

On the return lap these two boys were neck and neck. And way ahead of everyone else. They touched at the exact same time. And literally had the same time score.

Here they are wondering who took first as all the timers were comparing clocks. Eventually they decided that first place went to the other kid. Home team advantage. Still, Clay is getting pretty fast!