Jalapeno Gumbo: Go Speed Racer! (ie: swimmer Girl)

Since that day, we've only had a couple phone calls and each time he's talked about goodies he's gotten us - but won't tell us what. And he says theres a surprise for all of us that we'll get when he gets here that will be blatantly obvious when we see him - but no tattoos or piercings. Hmmmm. It's been 8 days now! Vacation bible school is over. He survived! It sounds like he had a good time though he held back some socially until the last day. Wednesday he did go to the mall w/ the kids for one's bday but other than that he didn't interact much - it doens't sound like. And he's still holding back w/ his spanish. It sounds like he's really insecure more than anything. Pati says his accent is really good and he knows his stuff but he he just gives a blank stare or resorts to english. Poor kid. He'll get it though. I hve faith in him! Every time we talk to him though it sounds like he's have a really good time! It also sounds like there are a lot of people in their church that are trying really hard to help him get a good experience out of this. And that makes me feel SO wonderful about all of this! I couldn't ask for better friends. It may be a different religion but it's all the same God we worship overall and it makes us all I believe have the same giving spirit and same heart. I really love these 2 people that have taken in my son and are trying hard to give him the opportunity to learn and grow right now! T is a great great kid and will come back having learned so much and I know he will be dying to go back. I just hope he doens't hold back the entire time.

In other news:

steve sent me flowers the other day!

How SWEET is that??????? It totally made my day! What a keeper!

Grace had her swim meet today. We decided a few days back not to go to the state meet afterall. First of all we did time trials this week. (well, that should be 2nd of all. first would be - she qualified w/ free and back at the last swim meet.) So the time trials for US was trying to get her qualified for the other races she could swim in - which was 25m breast and fly - the 50 anything and the 100 IM. Well, right off the bat we knew she wouldn't qualify for the 50 anything b/c she's too slow. And that's fine. We tried the 25 other 2 and the breast was really slow but the fly was good - except her stroke was bad. (she was fast but dq'd based on her stroke) So we would try again another day. Only it was like that all week. It was either 1 race she was okay on stroke and too slow or fast enough but bad stroke - in one race or another - or something was just wrong. And she didn't qualify for the IM. She was almost a minute too slow. That's fine too. So the probably I had was the coaches were really TEACHING anything until THIS week! NOW they want to get on them about their strokes being off. WHAT? They aren't in the water w/ them very often, if at all. TJ stands on the sides or sits down and shouts at them (he's 18) from a chair to do this or that. Laura tries to show more and is the one that does get in the water more often than not. But how do you explain how to do something if you aren't going to actually SHOW them IN the water??? These are kids for one thing! And some have never done it. Some have swam on different leagues, some have bad technique already that you need to correct and how do you correct bad habits - if you aren't going to actually PUT YOUR HANDS ON THEIR BODIES to show them what they are doing wrong??? Frustrating. So this week was the week they decided to do that. That and endurance. And sprints. Whatever.

So I got tired of trying over and over to get her qualified for something OTHER than 2 races - to make going to Dallas justifiable in my mind. (the races are like 30 seconds long and are on 2 separate days! But shoot - even if she qual'd for the other 2 races - that would have put her racing on THREE days so what ever) I got to the point of not really seeing the benefit for Grace - of trying and trying and trying to get her qual'd to go to a state meet - when #1 that tells me that she's not ready to go (if it takes THAT many tries????) and#2 if she's having stroke issues, I'd hate to see her go and get dq'd and then what? We wasted gas b/c she didn't get proper teaching before hand to correct her strokes. IMO.

It's her first year. She can swim in the fall team if she wants (and we decide and/or can afford; they are contemplating a separate technique class - I'm trying to push for one - thanks to Heidi! lol!) Then swim again in the summer and go to state next year. Plus there's a city meet the same day as state and about half the families are staying here instead of going - so it will work out. And Laura is the coach staying - so I KNOW Grace can swim at the meet here in races she she actually wants to swim in, or needs to swim in. TJ is forever not thinking about who needs to swim in what! (Like today - today was the cutoff for state and 2 kids needed to swim in certain races to qual for state still - and he didn't even put them IN those races!)

SO - back to today. She had her meet and she did AWESOME! Today was the first meet she swam in FOUR races! She swam in all 25 m races - free, back, fly and breast. She came in FIRST in her heats in the first 2 (free and back), 2nd in her fly heat and she didn't do as well in her breast heat. But that's okay! She felt really bad b/c her time was like 47 seconds but dang! She'd never raced it and it's her "worst" stroke, and it was her LAST race! Still! She totally kicked butt in her other races! Check out the pics and vids! I put of the vids of her 1st 2 races. The fly vid I have no idea WHO I was videoing - lol! I couldn't see so I was just estimating where my camera was pionting - but it wasn't on Grace for awhile! LOL! So I didn't include that one. Excuse all my yelling. I sound like an idiot (or an enthusiastic proud mom holding the camera - take your pick - but it's loud so sorry). So turn the volume down. I video'd all the races b/c dh can't make her meets and I'm always taking pics but he's never seen her swim except once - and also at practice but she NEVER does as well at practice! She ROCKED today! OH - and Devin volunteered so graciously to be a timer! So there's a pic of him too! lol!

(((her times for today:
freestyle 28.06 down from 32.25!
backstroke 29.06 down from 38.50!!!!!!!!
butterfly 39.25 in practice she got as low as 34something but she dq'd on stroke and today Dale (our spotter) said she did GREAT!!
breaststroke 47.63)))

Hi MOM!

Coach Laura giving instruction (who knows where C. TJ was today - off chit chatting w/ some girl or eating or taking a nap - but not coaching, that's for sure)