Swimming, bowling, and kittens, oh my!
The summer league swim season is done and Hayley and Carson were both happy to receive their trophies. This is Carson's first ever trophy and I know, despite some whining during the course of the short swim season, he was happy to finally have a trophy with his name on it!
We have been spending many hours a week at the pool - this has been a dry, long and HOT summer, with most days hovering around 95-100 degrees, so the water comes as a welcome relief for us all.
Terry and I have had a long-standing tradition with our kids, dating back to when Warrick was young where we have a Mommy/Daddy and Me day. For a long time it was a Daddy and Me day because Terry worked so many hours, and we wanted to ensure he developed a great relationship with them. As they have matured, the kids now choose either he or I to go and do something with. This week Carson asked me if we could have a day. He asked to go bowling and then to watch a movie. It was such fun bowling with him, and he is quite the chatterbox when he is by himself!
Our new kitten, Thandi, has made herself completely at home and it's apparent the other cats are enamoured with her as well, especially Drake, our large ginger male. I have dubbed him "Daddy Drake" because he has taken every kitten under his wing, and little Thandi is no exception, as you can see here!
So, we are in the full swing of summer and loving every moment of it!
Labels: bowling, Carson, Drake, movies, swim team, Thandi
More swim photos
For some reason there are no photos of Carson taken (I work as a timer at the meets, so taking a camera would be a waste of time!) I am sure that in the next meet I will get one of him - perhaps I can ask Clem to specifically take one! Anyway, here are two of Hayley from last week's meet - freestyle and getting ready to dive in for the relay (her goggles broke, so we need to buy some new ones:
Labels: dive, freestyle, Hayley, swim team
Summer's Here, and the Livin's easy
Well the Smelker kids finished school last week and already we are in the full swing of swim meets, swim practice, piano practice, and the like. Actually swim practice started two weeks before school let out. Our team had its first swim meet on Saturday. Hayley and Carson are on the swim team this year. A professional photographer happens to have kids on the team, so he spent Saturday shooting photo after photo. He got a great shot of Hayley as she swam in her breast-stroke race.
She took 3rd, out of 16 - so not bad at all! Carson did not place this week, but he surprised all of us with his turn of speed. He had not been doing well in practices, and I wondered whether he would even finish his race. But he came in 3rd in his heat, and I think took 8th overall (again out of 16 swimmers).
Father's Day is approaching and last week I asked Terry what he wanted for his day. Now, I had just bought him Tom Servo so was unsure of what else to get him. He asked for a lightsaber - one of the ones from The Sharper Image. Part of me thought, "Well, if that's what he wants..." But it seemed so, well, lame.
On Friday (June 6th) Warrick called me and asked if I wanted to go in on a Father's Day gift with him. "What do you want to get?" I asked.
"A Wii," he responded. We had tried to buy one at Christmas but found it impossible. But Warrick knew a local store that got shipments in once a week. He called the store when the shipment came in, and drove over immediately and bought the system. He called me again to let me know he had it. "Do we have to wait until Father's Day to give it to him?" I took pity on him, I think he was more excited than anyone to give the Wii to Terry, so last week Terry his early Father's Day gift. Let me tell you, boxing on the Wii gives you quite the work-out!
Next weekend we are on our way to Houston as the girls will take part in a pageant. We will spend a day at the
Space Center, and on the way home spend some time at the
Houston Aquarium. We had to buy evening gowns for the girls and I got a great deal from a place here in town. When the dresses are altered, and the girls put them on, I will put up some photos - they look stunning!
So, all in all, a busy June, and July is shaping up to be just as busy!
Labels: Carson, Father's Day, Hayley, practice, swim team, Wii
We have been spending many hours a week at the pool - this has been a dry, long and HOT summer, with most days hovering around 95-100 degrees, so the water comes as a welcome relief for us all. 
