Still swimming, despite a rather cool summer

We haven't been swimming as much as in previous summers, as the temperatures are not sufficient to heat the pool much! However, we still are over at the Hunters' about once a week.

Abigail is determined to swim just like Frances, so I am thankful for that floaty suit! Her latest thing is that she does not want me to catch her when she jumps off the diving board! After all, JieJie doesn't need anyone catching her...

Frances has been working on her backdive, as well as trying to make a bigger cannonball. Last summer, I called her the "golfball," because her splash was not very big, but this summer, she is experimenting with different ways to make a more spectacular splash!

Abigail also wants to swim around the pool unassisted. There is always an adult close by her, but if I swim right next to her, she tells me, "Move!" She does not like her swim lessons, probably because she can't be the boss, but I have a feeling that swimming with Frances and trying to imitate her is going to be the way Abigail learns fastest.

Getting ready for 4th grade

This school year, Frances will study California History, so on the spur of the moment one day, we hooked up with the Waites (Fran's friend Colby & family) and headed down to San Juan Capistrano. Of course, the trip was for the two soon-to-be fourth graders, but we had to bring everyone else along as well. We were quite a group: Frances and Colby (age 9), Clayton (age 6), Abigail and Karley (age 3), baby Corbin (about 15 weeks) and the three parents!


I think that the kids all had a good time. Frances & Colby had the kids' version of the recorded self-guided tour, and we wandered around for about 90 minutes. The history was really interesting (at least for me). Abigail and Karley hung out together, giggling and running all over the mission grounds.




We may try and get to the missions at Santa Barbara and Ventura as well this summer. I had thought about doing a road trip, to see lots of the missions, but with gymnastics four nights a week, a weekday road trip is out...

Abby learns to swim

Abigail is taking swim lessons twice a week, while Frances is at gymnastics. During her first lesson, Abigail was crying almost the entire time. She wasn't scared; she was mad! For her second lesson, I told her that she could cry if she needed to, but that I could not stay and watch if she cried. She only shed two tears that day. Since then, she has been cooperative with her teacher, and is even starting to enjoy herself. The teacher is amazed with Abigail's progress; she has no idea that at the Hunters' pool (in her floaty suit), Abby leaps off the diving board and does not want me to catch her!



Usually I prefer one-piece bathing suits for my girls, for both the modesty and functionality issues. Frances used to beg for a two-piece bathing suit, until I finally let her wear one. She quickly realized that when you jump in the water, the top goes up, and when you dive, the pants go down! She willingly wears a one-piece suit. With Abigail, I could not resist this ladybug patterned bathing suit, and it was only available in a two-piece! And a two-piece is convenient when Abigail (inevitably) tells me, "I have to go baffroom..."

Laundry day for the gymnast

These are only a few of Frances' leotards. She has more in her dresser drawer, and a few more in the hamper (she was too lazy to sort all of her laundry. I think she only went about halfway down).

Swimming at the Hunters' house

We ride our bikes to Grandma and Grandpa Hunter's house as often as possible (it would be every day if it was up to the girls) to swim in their fabulous pool. Although Abigail has started taking swim lessons twice a week, when we swim for fun, she wears a "floaty suit." Abigail watches Frances, and wants to do everything she does, so a few days ago, Abby wanted to jump off the diving board! Frances can do all sorts of fancy things off the board, including a flawless backdive. When it's Abby's turn, I tread water in the deep end, and she launches off the board. The challenge has been to slow her down as she hits the water (flat, like a pancake) without having her land on my head! Yesterday, Abigail announced that she wanted to jump off the diving board all by herself, without me catching her. I thought that once she went under the water, she would decide it was not such a good idea, and want me to catch her again. Boy, was I wrong! I still tread water there in the deep end, but Abby jumps off, hits the water and goes under, pops up, and starts paddling for the side. She has also decided that she can "swim" all by herself. She can dogpaddle around in the floaty suit, as long as there are no waves to hit her in the nose!


And when she is done swimming (usually when she needs to use the bathroom, and it is too hard to get her back into that floaty suit!) she gets to wrap up in a towel, sit in the warm sunshine, and eat a cookie!

Our newest mode of transportation

Last summer, we rode bikes often, usually to the Hunters' house to swim in their pool. This summer, Abigail was getting too big for the seat on the back of my bicycle. I looked on the internet for a used trailer, but they were more expensive than the new, one-seat trailer that I found on Amazon.com, and the shipping was free! Abigail loves her new ride, and I love that we can again take bike rides all over the community.

The fair...revisited

We got some tickets for "Friends of the Fair" day from Abigail's sitter. Entry and rides are free from 9 to 12 a.m., so I called my friend Marcy, who brought her daughter Jaclyn, and we went to the fair again (Frances was at VBS). Again, we enjoyed the animals (the baby pigs were born) and this time, we went on a few rides.


Another good time at the fair. My opinion of the fair is changing...