Black and Gold Stole My Voice

Sister and sister were pitted against each other last night as Team Black and Team Gold pulled out all the stops in the Black and Gold Swim Meet. This is the swim meet that combines swimmers of all ages from  Andrews; the high school swim team (Aimee), the middle school swim team, and the Aquatics Club (Allie) are all placed on either the black team or the gold team so that each team has an equal number of older and younger swimmers and they duke it out for 3 hours to vie for bragging rights.  In reality, this is a pretty fun swim meet, which serves to get all the swimmers and their families together, and the Aquatics Club provides pizza for everyone afterward.  As far as family night is concerned, it covered all the grounds since it kept us all in one room supporting our family members, enjoying the company of friends, and cheering everyone on until our voices were only a memory.

Allie was especially excited because this was her very first swim meet. One of the things she kept wanting to do in practice was a longer event. They work on improving form and position one lap at a time for the most part, so when she saw that she could sign up for the 100 IM in the the meet, she jumped at it. I wasn't sure how that would go at the meet--100 yards, varied swim stroke, no breaks can be a long time for an 8 year old, but she was determined and she totally nailed it! She cycled through butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle and finished in 2 minutes 45 seconds on her first ever 100!  When we looked at the heat sheet, we discovered that Allie was the only one that signed up for the 100, but that didn't phase her at all. She wasn't nervous about being the only swimmer; in fact, she LOVED it!!  "It was so cool, because everyone was cheering, and the only name I could hear was Allie. Go Allie, go Allie. I was really out of breath by the end and it felt so awesome!"  She truly has some of the BEST friends who were at the sides of the pool cheering her on the whole time.  Besides being great swim competitors, Aimee, Natalie, Grace and Jenna were the best cheerleaders ever! For this particular event, Mrs Duzan, Allie's teacher from 1st grade, was one of her timers! Frosting on the cake. :)

Aimee also had a lengthy race this time. Whenever they pull out the plastic flip charts, you know it's time to settle in for about 10 minutes.  If you're unfamiliar with swimming, the plastic numbers are to dip into the pool, letting the swimmer know how many laps have gone by; for this event, they have 20 laps to complete. Aimee swam the 500, which she hasn't done in a meet since early middle school. The upside to that is that she improved her time by 4 minutes!!  Initially, she wasn't thrilled that her coach had put her in the 500, because she prefers shorter events, but in the end, she loved it.  "I just got into a groove and it felt almost relaxing. When I sprinted the last couple laps it felt exciting." With a time of 8:23, she can definitely be proud of her improvement in a year of swimming!

Lap count numbers (awesome flip turn)

Black or Gold? Who won?! After scoring all the events, a certain number going to to each place, the team with the most points was ... GOLD! The Gold boys had 389, Black boys had 308; Gold girls 339, Black girls received 295.  (Those scores are estimates, since I didn't write them down, but they're close).

Whose team was that?  Well, As I said, Aimee and Allie were on opposing teams.  Allie was also placed on the team opposite her two besties, Jenna and Grace.  But Aimee assured Allie that she had a great team because some of Aimee's fastest swimming buddies were on Allie's team. In the end, that must have paid off, because Allie's team, the GOLD team won.  Of course, swimming is all about beating your own times, right? :)

Some of their other events: (each of the events usually has about 6 - 8 swimmers...I recorded the times for my kids and their best friends. :)  )
Girls 8 & Under 50 Yard Freestyle
Allie (2nd place): 1:13
Grace (1st place): :56

Women 200 Yard IM High School
Aimee:

Girls 8 & Under 25 Yard Backstroke
Allie (2nd place): :29
Grace (1st place): :28
Jenna (3rd place): :33

Women 100 Yard Butterfly High School
Aimee: 1:39

Girls 8 & Under 25 Yard Breaststroke
Allie (2nd place): :38
Grace (1st place): :33
Jenna (3rd place): :39

Mixed 400 Yard Freestyle Relay High School
Jimmy, Patrick, Aimee, and Trish:

More Southern Culture?

Is this something I just had my eyes closed to my whole life or what?  My mother grew up in Texas, so I really don't consider myself totally clueless on some of this stuff, but it seems everywhere I turn I'm given the "it's a southern tradition" line.  Remember the pickle obsession?  Yep, that's one of these southern things that I'm not really sure is a southern thing.  It's like more of a regional thing.

This week, when I asked Aimee's swim coach what they needed for the Andrews Invitational this weekend, he gave me a list of items needed for the hospitality room. This is the food for the timers and judges, those that work the event. I don't know what kind of food is available in other hospitality rooms, maybe this is standard.  They will have Brisket Burritos and have asked parents to donate snack items like chips, salsa, dip, donuts, water, powerade, cookies, and brownies.  In my opinion, the less ordinary requests are Queso and Sausage Balls, not to be served together.  Queso might be more widely served than I originally thought.  I do believe it is much more so here, where it's not a southern thing, but a Mexican thing.

I don't think I've ever had Sausage Balls, nor do I remember seeing them at parties and just avoided the tray.  This past Christmas, I heard that two people brought them to the party that I didn't go to.  But I was there the year before, and you know, what? No sausage balls.

When I asked Aimee if she had a preference of what to bring, she wanted to make sausage balls.  WHAT???  Okay. Fine. I did ask.  So, I googled the recipe and there are jillions of them, all the same, and all suggesting that it is a southern tradition. Whatever. I'll take google's and Paula Deen's word for it, because I don't really have time to research southern culinary tradition, but I'm pretty sure that if I did, Sausage Balls wouldn't come up in the top. 

I decided to just grab a recipe and go with it, because you know I'm not really going to stick to one anyway.  Besides, all the recipes say the same thing. Sausage, Cheese, and Bisquick. Um, really?  Some say 1 pound of sausage, others say 1/2 to 1 pound. Doesn't that sound like a bit of a spread? Some recipes call for 2 cups of cheese, others 4, and not because the sausage was doubled. In all of them, they suggest a sagey flavor in the sausage, or adding sage, and they all call for sharp cheddar.  I have a yummy version in mind using Gouda, rather than the cheddar, maybe some rosemary, spinach, and Parmesan. But for the meet, I'll stick with what they're expecting.

UPDATE: Made the sausage balls.  I have to say, I was disappointed in Paula Deen's recipe, because there is NO way anyone can mix in that much bisquick into her given amount of sausage and cheese.  I ended up dumping out half the bisquick onto the counter and still taking great effort to mix in the powder (actually, Aimee was working her fingers dry trying to get it all mixed in.)  The sausage balls came out of the oven at midnight and they were off to the swim meet at 8am.

My suggestion: don't make these. They aren't really that wonderful. If you do make them, add other ingredients. And don't use Paula Deen's recipe.  I think the proportions would be much better using the standard 1lb sausage, 1lb cheese, 2 cups bisquick.  Also, some of the recipes say to bake for 10 minutes. I'm pretty sure you need them to cook longer than that.  Ours were 1" and we cooked them about 18 minutes.

And I still don't buy the southern tradition bit.

Party in the Rain!! (for charity of course, well...sort of)

Book the pool at season opening. Check!

Invitations sent out 1 month in advance. Check!

Professional photographer booked. Check!

Giant lollipops that just HAVE to be in the beach tote party favors. Check!

15 Pizzas ready for pickup. Check!

Controlling Mother Nature...well...sorry. No can do.


This was our friend's party. She turned two! Her family had come from far and wide (states away) and we had friends from a few different cities converging for fun.
And then...Texas/New Mexico decided we needed a monstrous thunderstorm to crash the party. The clouds rolled in and I wondered if the party was cancelled. The sky grew darker, the thunder rolled, and I was tempted to stay cozy in my home and enjoy the storm on our back porch. The wind picked up and I puzzled over how to break the "we're not swimming tonight" news to the kids.
But then...
... I got in the car and went anyway.

My 75 mph was quickly reduced to 65, and then 60, by the torrential rain, which made visibility about zero at those speeds. Hydroplaning? Yep.
As I was thinking "why am I driving in this? why am I going to a swimming party that's 40 minutes away in the thunder and lightening?" the clouds seemed to break. At least momentarily. We arrived fashionably late to the entire group gathered inside the small covered "lobby." We ate pizza in front of the registers and watched the storm's taunting from our cozy camp indoors.
Even thunder and lightening couldn't contain the children for long. Good thing Aidan insisted on wearing his boots! Even though the fire department didn't give the clear for swimming, we found that we could get plenty wet without the aid of the pool.

(see?! they don't mind. neither do i)


An hour into the party, the long-awaited call came in, and everyone hopped in the pool to get as much swim time before the next wave of rain clouds came in...

...and 45 minutes later, we were all ordered out again. For good.

(all of the above photos were taken by the photographer, Molly Lasater, who lives in Hobbs, NM)

Melanie (the mom) endlessly apologized. Though I'm sure if I were in her position I would too, but honestly, apologizing to friends and family for not controlling the weather is really quite unnecessary. I assured her that whether we were at home or at the party, we would have been playing in the rain. I think that eased her mind a little because she knows that it's true.


In lieu of gifts, we were asked to donate to a favorite charity. Unfortunately, amidst the rain, we left little Kinsey's card in our swim bag. Fortunately, we can now mail it to her with her donation certificate to a lucky charity. Since I didn't choose one yet, these are some of these organizations we are considering.

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation: "The mission of The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® is to achieve prevention and a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime by providing critical funding for innovative clinical and translational research at leading medical centers worldwide, and increasing public awareness about good breast health. Last year, 88 cents of every dollar went to research and awareness programs."

USO: "The USO reaches out through: Airport centers, welcoming weary military travelers with a place to rest and the ability to familiarize themselves with their new surroundings; Family and community centers, promoting intercultural understanding and orientation to unfamiliar locations; Mobile USOs, reaching out to troops in remote and sometimes unstable locations."

Heifer International: "With gifts of livestock and training, we help families improve their nutrition and generate income in sustainable ways. We refer to the animals as “living loans” because in exchange for their livestock and training, families agree to give one of its animal’s offspring to another family in need. It’s called Passing on the Gift – a cornerstone of our mission that creates an ever-expanding network of hope and peace."

Save the Children: "Our mission is to create lasting, positive change in the lives of children in need in the U.S. and around the world.Our priorities are to ensure that children in need grow up protected and safe, educated, healthy and well-nourished, and able to thrive in economically secure households."

American Red Cross: "Today, in addition to domestic disaster relief, the American Red Cross offers compassionate services in five other areas: community services that help the needy; support and comfort for military members and their families; the collection, processing and distribution of lifesaving blood and blood products; educational programs that promote health and safety; and international relief and development programs."

The good thing is, that after I decide which one, I can donate through their website, or JustGive.org can get your donation to most of the charities.

New poll on the side bar...vote for your favorite charity. Or tell me in the comments about another that I should consider.

More Swimming...The WaterSlide!!!

This waterpark is actually in Eunice, NM, 35 minutes away. But, we like it.

Smaller waterslide and playhouse in the shallow end. Like a splash park, but in the water.

This is the water slide that Allie loves. (The little guy walking toward the stairs is Aidan.)

The first time Allie went down the slide, I was waiting at the bottom. All the way down I heard her panicked voice calling, "Mom, help, help, help, Mom" She popped into the water, hopped out and said, "I'm going again. I love that slide."

Toward the end of the day, she took on the blue slide as well...Alex was a good "encourager" (enclosed all the way down.) That one was her other favorite.
$2 per person and it's open from 12-6. The only problem is remembering that Eunice is an hour behind Andrews, so instead of arriving home at 6:30, it's actually already 7:30. It still works. After all, it's summertime. Who cares about the clock, right?!

Happy Twilight Birthday, Aimee!!!

Can she really be 12?! Crazy, crazy!!! Aimee's friends have scattered for the summer, so GNO (her Girl's Night Out from last month) was her get together with her best friends night. She had just one friend over for her official day, and they had plenty of fun. They even got to i.m. with another friend later in the evening.

The happy Birthday Girl!

Our simple, short-on-time birthday cake. She wanted it Twilight. We've seen some total wrecks where people try to put arms on the cake, like the Twilight book cover, but since shading is a little hard with frosting, we stuck with something we could do quickly and have it turn out the way we wanted. The front side of the cake plate is Twilight, with the hands offering the apple; to the right is the New Moon Flower, then the back is the Eclipse Ribbon, and the last side is the Cullens (since the cake itself is more the Breaking Dawn theme.)

Don't you know the end of "Happy Birthday?"
Happy Birthday, Dear Aimee, Happy Birthday to you.
Cha cha cha, Kumbaya, Huh!
(This picture is obviously the "huh!")

She stayed this calm while blowing out the candles...none of this silly tradition of blowing them all out in one breath. She took 3 or 4 breaths to get them all out!

Heading to the wading pool in the backyard (they wanted to play basketball, but decided 105 was too hot), Aimee's friend, Ariel chose to just swim in shorts and a T, rather than a borrowed suit. Aimee let her use some shorts that she wore canooing at girl's camp, which happened to be Alex's old shorts from P.E. in WA. He took great offense at Aimee letting her friend wear his 'beloved' clothing, so he figured he'd just wear hers.I warned him that he really shouldn't

'cut off his nose to spite his face,'

but he felt this was the best revenge.

*sigh*

(In his defense, Aimee did not like him wearing her stuff, so his devious plan worked...even if they still laughed at him!)

Black nails with rhinestones...perfect!
This was originally going to be a pic of their manicures (which I did last night) but everyone wanted their hands in the frame!

Of course, the pedi has to match!

He's a rockstar!

It's the age of poses!

When Alex first made his grand entrance, Aimee was already gasping from the cold, but she gave an extra gasp at the sight of him.

(Water painting a silhouette.)

This was Allie's posed spray outlines!

The Olden Days

The beautiful thing about summer is that it's so easy to abandon plans and form new ones. Everything works out. Today, we had initially planned to head over to the library for movie day. The Tale of Depspereax was showing and as we have yet to see it, it sounded like an okay plan. Our friends, however, were going to check out the city pool, so we abandoned the library for some swim time.

Surprisingly, our city pool is open from 1-6. That's it...no two hour swim sessions. You pay at 1:00, you can stay until 6:00. We got there at 2:15, even though we told Blossom, Grace, and Sarah (our swimming buddies for the day) that we'd be there around 1:30. Better yet, Alex and Allie were first out of the car and as I unbuckled Aidan, Alex ran back to the car.

"Hey, mom. I just saw this guy with a whole stack of towels on his head; did you bring towels?"

Ummm...well....you see...

Of all the things to forget on the way to the pool, one might not think it would be the towels. But, since we were already there and very late to meet our friends, I decided against heading back home. While walking up to the pool, Alex and Allie had the following conversation.

Allie: What are we going to do then?
Alex: I guess just dry like they did in the olden days, just lay in the sun.
Allie: Oh, yeah, I guess they didn't have towels in the old-fashioned days. Wait, they didn't have water in the old days either, so it didn't matter if they had towels.

Since only laughter followed, the conversation ended.

Lucky for us, our friend had an extra towel and there was plenty of sun and warm sidewalk. (Also warm mommies that didn't get fully wet to cuddle up against.)

Homemade Water Slide: A Story In Pictures