What is biggest??

Marley and I were playing with our counting blocks today, making towers and such. So I gave her a job, to put blocks in the boxes in this order: small, big, bigger, biggest. And here was her order. Green was small, white was big, red was bigger, and yellow was biggest.

Before you tell her that she is wrong... she wasn't looking at block size. She was looking at size from the perspective of which has more.

Many times we go through workbooks and answer questions, and we are wrong. Not because we are wrong. But instead because we were thinking about the question differently. In real life this is commended. In school learning, teaching, and knowledge should be standard. In real life nothing is.

I am so blessed to have an opportunity to notice these things throughout my day.

Marley said, "Come on, Mom, you are my teacher." We are playing with the blocks and workbooks again. I tell her 'she is her own teacher. And did I teach her to talk or walk? No she taught herself.'

So she told me, 'well you did get excited and try to get me to do it again after I did it.'

I tell her 'That is not a teacher. That is a cheerleader. I am your cheerleader.' :-)

Girl Scouts host Winton Woods Park Pet Parade

What a great opportunity to get in some community service time and earn our Pet Care badge at the same time! We helped set up the parade and in spite of the heat, led the pets through the park. Here is Brenda with Jade. We planned to bring the Elenore and Leroy (our baby turtles) but in light of the heat, we kept them behind.

 Our guest speaker couldn't come. It was supposed to storm and she was coming from far away. But she assured us the opportunity to come to one of our meetings and finish our badgework with us.

In the end we shared ice cream and took a paddle boat ride together. Boy did we get a workout!

Hat Trick

After a year of hard work. These kids have really put in the extra energy to make this season what it is. Coach Iris, Coach Zack, and Coack Patrick are amazing with the kids. St Bernard allowed extra pratices throughout the school year to help us prepare. Actually the amount of time, energy, and resources that went into this championship (it was held at St B Aquatic Center this year) I am sure I can only imagine. For all the parents, coaches, kids, city workers, and community helpers, you were all fabulous! This first photo was taken by Tricia Hackney who owns a phototography shop in town, the moment the team found out they won the small teams division of championships. Everyone was on pins and needles awaiting the decision. Brenda is on the right next to coach Iris. Bret is in the back. Marley is at home, due to all the commotion I didn't want her there.

BUT Marley placed 8th in her back stroke and 10th in her freestyle (thanks in part to Linda Woolridge who bribed the kids with free snow cones if they placed in the top 12, Marley took almost 4 seconds off her back stroke! Amazing!!) She has been in 6 and under for three years now. She moves up to 8 and under. Which means fly and breast. Yay!

BUT Marley placed 8th in her back stroke and 10th in her freestyle (thanks in part to Linda Woolridge who bribed the kids with free snow cones if they placed in the top 12, Marley took almost 4 seconds off her back stroke! Amazing!!) She has been in 6 and under for three years now. She moves up to 8 and under. Which means fly and breast. Yay!

While we wait for the final team scores each year there are adult relays. The first one was coach/parent relay scored by the audience for best creativity, which we won thanks to such loud cheers and Coaches swimming in drag :-)

Here are all three coaches in tears while the kids crowd around them for hugs! Zack holds the golden flipper awarded for their swim in drag. What a moment. BTW this was a hat trick for our team. The third championship in a row we placed number 1 in small teams. It was a very touching moment for everyone.

Brenda, who was ready to throw in the towel (pun intended) after this season due to the early swim practice times, is now all prepared to hustle through another swim season! She will move from 11-12 to 13-15. Little girl's growing up.