DONE with swimming lessons

We're done.

24 hours before each lesson, Katrina works herself into a fit. She can't eat and she starts complaining that she doesn't feel good. The morning of swim lessons she can't function. I can't even distract her with TV. Her stomach hurts, her head hurts and she starts looking for any scrape or bruise on her body that might make it too hard for her to do swim lessons that day.

Trent has started with the anxiety, too. While his is not nearly as bad as Kat's, he's gotten to the point where he will just NOT do what the instructor asks him to do because he is too scared.

He wouldn't even swim today. Since it was their last day, they were to do one thing the instructor asked them to do and the rest of the time was going to be super fun time. Nope. Trent wouldn't do it so he sat out next to me.

So, I made the decision (with Erik's agreement) this morning that we were done.



You can see the relief on Katrina's face.

They CAN swim. I'm pretty sure if they accidentally fall into a pool, they can make it back to the edge. They'll doggie paddle back to the edge. That's all I can ask for. We'll probably pick up swimming lessons again in the spring but for now I'm just going to accept that my kids will not be swim team material...

just like I've accepted the fact that I will never have nice looking upper arms.

Blog Hop

Good Morning!! Hopefully, you've made it here from my buddy, Ms. Carole's blog.

Thank you for playing along with the blog hop this week. All you need to do to win the little prize package below is leave a comment in the comment section. I LOVE comments. :D Also, please sign up to be a follower on my blog.

When you're done visiting me, PLEASE go visit Marina for a chance to win something else.

Have fun!! We love visitors from BBTB2. :D

George and Martha

Why do you think the sculpter made Martha so old, frail and homely looking while standing next to her tall, strong and much younger looking husband?

I felt like rolling paper. I obviously need a little more practice. I'm not sure where I got the idea. Sorry if I'm lifting it from someone and not giving you credit.

BasicGrey Olivia

a few projects

October Afternoon. This was at Arlington cemetary. The groundskeeper sprayed the kids down with the sprinkler he was adjusting.

Mostly Pink Paislee. The kids at the Capitol building.

BBTB2 post. Shelly's Images hosted us this month. We also had to use the hinges from Fabulous Finds.
Thanks for looking. :D

Pics for my friends that aren't on Facebook. ;)

WW2 Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Ford's Theatre

Arlington. It was so hot and humid. I love that the groundskeeper sprayed the kids with water to cool them off.

Happy Birthday

This week at Bitten by the Bug, it was Reader's Choice. We had several requests to use the Going Places cart. I gave thd handbook to Katrina and she chose the dog or cat cut.

I decided to turn mine into a birthday card. I used the new Cherry Limeade font the Cricut Lite series for the sentiment. Be sure to visit the other projects on the BBTB2 blog.

Thanks for visiting! :D

Happy 4th

It is hot here! Whew!

Trent finally got his hair cut. He's not going for the Justin Bieber look anymore. I made the kids stand in front of the garden with their little flags for a photo op. They're both dressed in all the American stuff they could find.

Look at Trent's hand. Katrina wanted to hold his hand but he wanted nothing to do with that. I'm sure he's thinking, "If I keep my hand as straight as a board, she can't hold it".

Have a happy, safe holiday!

You & Me

The title is from one of my new Cricut Lite carts, Lacy Labels.



New BasicGrey Oliver and a little bit of Glimmer Mist.

Thanks for looking. :D

Finally....she's smiling in the pool. Oh, and some cards...

 Well, look at that. A little smile. See, it's not sad bad in the 6 foot section, is it?

Here are the cards I made from the cardover from last weekend.



Can you tell that Katrina finished up this one? There is bling all over it.

See, I do have friends IRL

I had so much fun today at Sandy's house. I got to meet Carole, Debbie, Sandy & Kris. Carole is from The Bitten by the Bug 2 team. I could only stay for 5 hours, but I was able to get 4.5 cards done. We had a delicious lunch and got lots of lovin' from Buddy the cute cocker spaniel.

Carole made us all matching hats.

Isn't he cute? Katrina is in love with him. I knew she would be. She loves all dogs.

I'm still wearing my hat. I love it!

Thanks for a great afternoon girls!! I'll post my cards later. As soon as I got home, Kat had to add a little this and a little that to some of the cards. *sigh*

Anxiety

A few projects that I've been doing this week. I also have this week's BBTB2 card up. I'm so late this week. We were to use a rainbow from the Princess cart. I don't have that one, so I used Create A Critter (which I think is my new favorite cart).

Fancy Pants, October Afternoon, Pink Paislee, Basic Grey & Scenic Route

New Fancy Pants, Daisy D's, Junkitz and 7gypsies

I used my Martha Stewart fancy scissors for the grass.

Thanks for looking. :D

We're not even in the water yet

and she's already upset. BUT, I have good news!!! The very last thing she did in lessons today was tread water for 6 seconds in 6 feet. She is so proud of herself. I wish I had gotten a picture of that.

Today she said:

"I'm lucky 5 times today because I can read, I can swim in 6 feet, I have pretty earrings, I can jump rope and I got my hair cut".

If you've ever seen Katrina's hair IRL, you know what a disaster it is. She FINALLY let me get it cut today. I would say that I was more of the lucky one.

Fabulous

I worked on another layout. I've been afraid that I would lose motivation since Peek is closing. :( I just have to push myself a little harder.

Making Memories Just Chillin
Hambly
BasicGrey
October Afternoon

Thanks for looking. :D

From this...

to this....

she was doing so well until they had to swim without the kick board to the end of the pool. That was when all hell broke loose. Overall, it was an improvement over Monday's lesson.

Trenton almost went off the diving board. Almost. He says he'll do it next week.

Kat's tail

This is what happens when I'm not paying attention. Kat helps herself to my good cardstock, chops it up into 4-6 inch strips, staples it together and makes a tail.

She wore this for several days. It was long enough to drag on the floor.

Kat still hates swimming.....and some projects!

Another summer and that means more swimming lessons. Trent has been brave and has done everything the instructor tells him. Kat, on the other hand, does not.

I have one of those kids that screams at the top of her lungs in a panic when her head has to go under water. The guests at the pool stop and look to see where the screaming is coming from.

Katrina pushes and tries to fight off the instructor. The guests at the pool continue looking around and find me, the one with the towel over her head in embarrassment and realize that I'm that screaming kid's mother.

When does this end? She's been in swimming lessons for 3 years (at least). She is obsessed with the 3 foot marker. If anyone tries to take her to the 4 foot marker, she panics. She thinks she can't float, swim, glide, etc at 4 feet. I can hear her screaming at the top of her lungs, "I can do it at 3 feet! Take me back to 3 feet!"

At Bitten by the Bug 2 this week, it was Reader's Choice. A reader asked us to do something from the Camp Out cart. I chose the curved fishie.

and OMGosh, I actually did a layout. It's been weeks. It felt kinda good. ;) This is new We R.

Thanks for your comments. :D