Diving and Dribbling

Posing with some Sunkist friends at the blocks before a swim event...Caroline is the one on the far right, missing the tooth.

Wow! These last couple of months have been a whirlwind! I've been learning what it's like to have a child in many activities, as well as to be a coach in one of them. And I've been loving every minute of it!

Sunkist 8 and Under Relay Team

Caroline has continued on the swim team, and she has steadily improved throughout the season. She just competed in the 8 and Under Developmental State Swim Meet, and all of her hard work paid off - she won first place in the 25 yard and 50 yard backstroke in the 7 year old age division, making her the fastest 7-year old backstroker currently in the state of MS! Can I get a WHOOP WHOOP!?! She had a time of 49.72 seconds in the 50 backstroke, which cut 3 seconds off her fastest time yet. We're obviously very proud of her! She also did her first FLIP turn in the 50 free style! All sorts of first's for the little one...

She just finished the 50 yard backstroke in first place at the State Meet!

We're also playing basketball this year, and I'm coaching Caroline's team of first and second grade girls. I asked Shawn the other day if he thought I looked like I was being too hard on them during the game, and he said I just looked "really intense." Haha! Most of the other coaches just stand there during the game and don't say much...well, I coach them, for heavens sake! I almost made them run suicides at practice this week because they weren't paying attention and kept goofing off. (Okay, that might have been a little much, but I expect each one to give 100% and nothing less.) They are a great group of girls and very talented...I have one player that scored 26 points during one game! Caroline has developed a real love for the sport and will even be outside after dark shooting baskets...reminds me of someone else I know. :) She has come a long way since her first game as well, with her highest score being 6 points. It's amazing to me how fast she learns and adapts to sports. I love it!!

Team Lady Lightening

Caroline and "Coach Mommy"

I can't close out this post without mentioning the little man! John Michael is signed up to play t-ball this spring, so I'm looking forward to seeing what he looks like in that sweet uniform. Shawn is excited about playing ball with him too, so I'll be sure to get some pictures up here as soon as I take them. Right now, JM is happy playing Transformers and Spiderman, running back and forth in the living room. He's perfectly content entertaining himself and has quite an imagination.

Helping Daddy fix the washer.

All I Want for Christmas...

We spent Thanksgiving in Destin this year with Dad and Betsy, and the Village was filled with all sorts of fun holiday activities for the kids. Santa Claus stopped by one night, and we let the kids visit with him and tell them what they wanted to see under our tree this year.

Caroline's list was quite long this year and included a chemistry set, geodes, a clock, a doll, a stuffed animal, a perfume making kit, a mega-bubble blowing set, etc., etc. She wrote all of her gift requests on a list and gave it to Santa as she sat on his lap.

John Michael's list was very succinct. The only item he'd requested up to this point was "Batman Wegos," meaning Batman legos, which truly meant the Imaginext Batman Cave. However, when the time came to actually tell Santa what he wanted, John Michael was obviously re-thinking his game plan...he said: "Wait, wait, wait. Actually, I want Batman Wegos and Toy Story 3! And that's all."

Sounds easy enough to me.

If you know my children well, you'd know that they don't like each other very much, and they usually argue more than they get along. Well, Santa Claus really brought them together, because the rest of the night, Caroline and John Michael were so happy and loving. As you can see in the photo below, they actually touched each other and smiled! We enjoy these rare moments when we get them!

Don't they look sweet?!

Birmingham Swim Meet

We took our first Sunkist road trip, and we had a blast! Caroline swam her best events yet, and we had a lot of fun spending time with the team and getting to know everyone better. We visited the Birmingham Zoo after the first morning of events, then ate dinner with the team that night.

Waiting for one of the relays

Ready to dive off the block

This was Caroline's first time to swim in the all 8 and under category, so we really weren't expecting her to do as well as she did when swimming in the age 6 and under. But she ended up winning three of her heats - 25 backstroke, 25 freestyle, and 50 backstroke. She also cut her time in all individual events, the most in 50 back and 50 free, by nearly seven seconds in each! It's so much fun to see how she is developing and improving along the way, and to watch her hard work pay off.

Painted nails - BLUE and ORANGE!

Go Sunkist!

She's Turning 7!

The Divas

We celebrated Caroline's 7th birthday at The Pampered Princess with seven of her best little friends. She had a "Hollywood Diva Party," and all of the girls had their fingernails painted, their makeup done, and their hair styled. Then, they all had a chance to walk the red carpet with their best "diva" strut and pose. It was all very cute, and everyone had a great time...well, John Michael and Shawn felt a little left out, since they were the only guys in the whole building, but they survived!

The birthday girl

My nieces, Molly and Grace

JM wanted to walk the red carpet too, so we let him do it after the girls were finished...poor guy felt so left out!

Trick or Treat 2010

John Michael, Caroline, Grace, and Molly

We had Iron Man, a werewolf, a zombie cheerleader, and a witch on our trick-or-treat crew this year. No one could recognize Caroline beneath all of the werewolf fur, and she was even able to scare away many of the ghosts and goblins that came to spook our path! BOO!

He is Three!

Even though JM is getting to be a big boy, he comforts me when he says:

"I'm your baby boy, Mommy."

"Yes, you are," I reply.

"Yes, I am."

Happy birthday, Baby Boy.

Worn Slap Out!

After spending the weekend at their MawMaw and PawPaw's house in Richton, Caroline and John Michael gave into their exhaustion on the ride back home.