Wow, Who Are Those Big Kids?

matthew, will, bob, madeline and sarah.
when i see pictures like this, i have to accept the fact that my kids are well on their way to adulthood.

The Recessive Dancing Gene

finally taking a break. the things you don't know about your own children. who knew mike and tom were such wild men out on the dance floor? and just where did mike learn how to brakedance?
fantastic 11 piece band from the city had us dancing into the wee hours of the morning.

Now I Recognize Them

the real mike and tom resurface. got to love them.

bathing beauties

bathing beauties
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

steffi, amy, audrey and madeline spent every waking hour in the water. even the jellyfish did not deter them.
it may be hard to believe, but these 4 teenage girls were a pleasure to have on vacation with us- and any one with teenage daughters will appreciate what a monumental statement that is.

riding the waves

riding the waves
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

mike seems to have conquered his fear of sharks. he rode the waves with the best of them, even venturing out into the deep water with the dolphins.

tom to shore

tom to shore
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

tom must have ridden 1500 waves to shore in our 4 days at the beach. he has always said that he wants to live in hawaii- i am beginning to think he knows what he is talking about.

mike at the beach

mike at the beach
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

looking for clams.
this was the first year that mike and tom spent more time in the water than in the sand.

a walk along the beach

a wallk along the beach
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

revived our spirits and kept our thoughts away from the usual stressors.

minivan to the beach

minivan to the beach
Originally uploaded by funnkds5.

The first trip of the week was to Bethany Beach to spend four utterly relaxing days on the beach, courtesy of our generous neighbor, Sylvia, who, witnessing the insanity of our lives on a daily basis, felt compelled to offer us her beach house for the week! THANK YOU SYLVIA! Eight of us piled into the minivan (Madeline had to bring 3 friends, since teenage girls only travel in packs) and had a fabulous week of fun in the sun.

Tux shopping with twin 8 year old boys

is an exercise in frustration.

yesterday, we had to go pick up the tuxedos for the boys for saturday's wedding. i, in some delusional state, allotted ten minutes for this errand.
we arrived at the store and the boys were immediately drawn to the sensor that rings every time someone enters the store, drawn to it like moths to a light, and completely incapable of leaving it alone until they had figured out EVERY possible angle to its functioning. did it ring when you leapt over it? at all angles? all heights? how many times in a row woulld it ring? how close together could the rings sound? etc etc. and all this while we discovered that they had mismeasured each boy and the jacket sleeves ended at their elbows but the 100% polyester shirts were large enough to make up for that, as those hung down 3 inches below their hands.
it took about 30 minutes to call the company and have the correct (we hope) sizes ordered to be picked up in new jersey today, as we are on our way to the horse farm for the wedding.
and all the while, the ringing fun. not to mention the three mannequins that were knocked over by my little scientists trying to investigate whether their over vigorous leaps could trick the sensor.

Jerry Bowser

Mike + Tom + Time on their Hands = TROUBLE

My little insurgents were quiet for 15 minutes yesterday and created this lovely image of their school superintendent's ( Jerry Weast) face on Bowser's (bad guy from super mario) body.

They made a similar one with George Bush.

I think it is time to move back to Berkeley- my boys semm to personify the Question Authority bumperstickers there.

Give me strength

I am preparing for battle with MCPS- Montgomery County Public Schools.
We are trying to get the twins transferred to a school out of district to accomodate Mike and his academic needs.
It would be easier to wish down the moon.
I think I will permanently affix a bike helmet to my head to protect myself as I will inevitably feel the urge to bang my head against the wall as I speak to the long line of road block administrators that will litter my path.
Let the fun begin.

Ingrid Returns

What dedication! Ingrid has not been our swim coach for five years, yet every year she returns, driving down from New Haven, to cheer on the team. Swimmers and parents savor these visits, for Ingrid will always remain dear to our hearts. And this time, she brings a fiancee. He is an exceptionally lucky guy- Ingrid is a special woman!
The big kids flock around her- Brendan, Brett, Madeline, Sarah, Ingrid, Audrey, Bailey, Natasha and Allyssa.

Goodbye Barb

Today, my friend Barb lost her hard-fought battle with breast cancer.
Barb's soft spoken words and gentle spirit combined with her strength of character to make one amazing woman.
She died peacefully in her sleep,in her home, as she had wanted. I think in her mind, causing as little fuss as possible.
As if things could just go on without her.
But it will never be the same.

Last Swim in Their Last Home Meet

Our graduating seniors, including Sarah, swam their last event in their last home meet yesterday.
The bittersweet moments of parenthood, watching your child turn into a young adult, leaving the vestiges of childhood behind.
As the four of them move on in the years ahead, it is heartwarming, as a parent, to know that the friendships and the spirit of swim team will stay with them forever.
And of course, they will return each summer, for at least one meet, to cheer on their fellow sharks and catch up on shark news. Right guys?!?
GO SHARKS!

Jason

Little did we know that when we said goodbye last summer, that the good-bye would be so final. You will always be in our hearts, your quiet strength and gentle spirit guiding us. Rest in peace.

Independence Day

Happy July 4th!
Spent the morning helping to orchestrate our swim team July 4th breakfast. Everything was inhaled. Having a diverse community like we do, the assortment of foods is impressive- from potstickers to flan. And enough Krispy Kreme to satiate even my little ones.
Barbecue in the afternoon and fireworks tonight under the stars.
God Blesss America.

It is summer swim season!!!

We are in the midst of summer swim season. GO SHARKS!!
I think we win the prize for cute 8 and under girls. They are too adorable!

Ben, Mike and Tom

Yes, boys are cute in their own way too,

Madeline and Friends

Winning the race is great, but I think Madeline enjoys the social scene even more!