Eat Their Bubbles!

Less than two months ago, our daughters joined the swim team (remember?). Today they competed in their first-ever swim meet (for which they wrote "Eat my bubbles!" in marker on their backs--thus the title of this post): the 2009 Winter Freeze hosted by the Dickinson Dolphins. It was my first-ever swim meet, too, so it was quite a learning experience for us all--including Susan, who volunteered to serve as a timer all day long (what she learned: timers should wear shoes that they don't mind getting wet). I asked the girls to share some thoughts about the day:

mixed 200-yard freestyle relay, girls' 100-yard backstroke, girls' 50-yard freestyle, girls' 100-yard individual medley (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle)

Suzanna: "It was fun to be there cheering on my teammates, and it was fun to hear them cheering me on when I was in the pool. I loved seeing all the different swimmers, and it was fun to see how packed with people the pool area was. It was so noisy that I thought I was going to be deaf after that experience. I liked watching my mom and dad cheering me on, and I loved hanging out with the friends whom I'm made through swim team. Even though I didn't qualify for state yet with any of my times, I know now what times I'm trying to beat for the next meet. Before I went into the pool, my coaches wished me luck, and Mommy said that she loved me no matter what happened."

mixed 200-yard freestyle relay, girls' 100-yard backstroke, girls' 50-yard freestyle, girls' 100-yard individual medley (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle)

Abigail: "After I did the first relay, I got out of the pool, and I could barely walk! I had a swim buddy named Justine who sat with me, talked with me, ushered me to the right lanes at the right times, and cheered me on as I swam. It was so hard and nerve-racking, but at the same time it was fun and so amazingly awesome. I wanted to stay under the water the whole time and breathe there and stay there and live there because everybody on the deck was shouting, and it seemed as though I would go deaf! Swimming is a lifelong sport, and even parents and grownups and grandparents can swim!"

mixed 100-yard freestyle relay, girls' 25-yard backstroke, girls' 50-yard freestyle, girls' 25-yard breaststroke

Hillary: "It was really exciting for me because I came in first in two heats and got a coupon each time to go get a free Powerade. It was surprising for me to see a lot of people all around the whole lap pool. I had four events: four heats, four lanes, and four swims. My swim buddy was Madison, and she had her friend Rachael with her. My swim buddy showed me where to go at the correct times and when I should do the thing. When I wasn't swimming, I was hanging around with my swim buddy and her friend. I can't wait until our next meet!"

It may have been a cold winter morning outside, but it was hot as Hades in the pool area--and that place truly was packed! The competing teams were from Center, Bismarck, Mandan, Minot, and Williston, and we all filled the bleachers that lined three sides of the pool. The far end of the pool in the photo above is where Susan and the other timers stood and where the blocks are from which swimmers leap into the pool when starting an event. I took lots of photos of each girl in action in the pool, but "in action" equals "photos of splashes of water," so I won't bother sharing those.

We were so proud of our little dolphins and delighted to take them out for a late dinner afterward over which to hear all about the swim meet from their perspectives. Having been on the swim team only a few weeks, the girls had realistic expectations for today and were glad to have completed each event without cramping up in fatigue and sinking to the bottom! But who knows? Faithful reader, perhaps soon you'll check out Pensive? No, Just Thinking and read about their qualifying for the state meet! Stay tuned!

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