Summer Living Part I

The first week of summer is always a huge mental and emotional shift for me.  It's a hard week and I tend to forget how much I don't like it.  I start to get excited that we'll all be home together all the time and then when it actually happens that first week, I go into shock.  My normally quiet house from 9:00-2:45 each day is filled with voices, sometimes generous and kind, other times selfish and flat out mean. Then there is the sheer activity of 4 boys.....and four boys who are getting used to each other like I'm getting used to them.  Then something magical happens after that first week, we start to gel in our rhythm and routines and when it comes time to say good-bye to them at the end of the summer, my heart aches.

With the exception of a few camps scattered here and there, here is our typical routine:  7:10 wake up, eat a quick bowl of hot or cold cereal, swim suits on, pack for tennis, out the door.  C, L, and G all have the exact same routine with swim team for 60-90 minutes followed by tennis team for 2 hours (or 6 on tournament day).  Then they come home and play together some more.....Caleb and Liam are on a bike ride as I type, Jonah and Gavin were playing Legos until Gavin decided to start his music practice (he is such a creature of routine and habit.....I love it).

Now for some of what was going on over the last two weeks:

USTA Tennis Tournament:  This was an all day event where Gavin came off victorious against 3 different opponents with a 4-2, 4-0, 4-0, 4-0, 4-0, 4-0 record and came home with a huge trophy:

Caleb and Liam lost both their matches, but were happy to be on the courts again.  The following Monday, tennis team started and this weeks tournaments were much more successful and the photos better, as Jared was back home:

Gavin and Jonah trying to stay entertained and cool as the day wore on:

First and Second Swim meets of the season:

Jonah's here for some smack talk with his good buddy Zach, body art, socializing and an occasional heat winner.  He is in the 7-8 year old category, so competing against Gavin and others 1-2 years older than him.  Tough year, really.

Caleb was the anchor for his relay team in both meets.  He was soooo very nervous because he suspected that the other swimmers would get him a great lead, which they did and he would have to hold it, which he did.  When he gets really nervous he yawns and has to go to the bathroom 20 times:

Liam was all over his breast stroke and his 100 meter freestyle which didn't start until 10:05 pm.  He was very nervous about the 100 free and said he didn't want to do it.  I told him that was fine as long as he went and told his coach.  He decided to go for it and took 7th place overall....pretty impressive given his competition.

Awaiting the results of his relay:

Gavin had a great first meet with some heat winners and then unleashed himself in the second meet, beating both his freestyle and backstroke by nearly 2 seconds and moving himself up to second place in freestyle and 1st in backstroke.  This was his first meet to swim butterfly....his favorite stroke and he came in 4th overall, so was thrilled about that!  Here he is on his backstroke start: