There's nothing in the world quite like the strange experience of a swim meet. If you're considering a foray into the aquatics world next summer here are some points to consider:
1) Prepare yourself for pre-meet tantrums. Your children will moan and grumble, "I don't want to go." But you won't try to talk them into going because frankly, it's not really your idea of fun to sit in 112 degree heat, huddling under the tiny patch of shade you were able to shoulder your way into. Somehow your reluctance to convince them to go will persuade them that they really do want to go after all and at the last minute they'll stumble into their suits and goggles and into the car.
2) Don't be embarrassed that your son is wearing shorts that are basically painted on. All the boys are wearing them. It could be worse. It could be a Speedo.
3) There some really, really fast kids. And even though your kids have gotten faster and faster, there are just some incredibly fast kids. It's amazing.
4) Everyone gets a ribbon. But not the same ribbon. Every place, down to the 8th gets a different color. I'm sure you know that blue is 1st, but did you know that 8th is pink? Or that 6th is maroon? These colors will become very important to your children.
5) Especially when he gets a color he doesn't like.
6) You'll forget your camera when they finally get a color they do like.
7) When it's all over go home and wash off the salt deposits left from the rivers of sweat coursing down your bodily ravines. By the time you're clean you'll find that your kids have proudly hung their 7th and 8th place ribbons on the wall, right next to their 2nd and 3rd place ribbons without any hesitation.
3 comments:
So with you on the swim meets, although I can boast a measly 92 degrees on Wednesday. I'll take it over 112. And the painted on shorts! McQueen was wearing his today for an intersquad meet they had this morning. He left them on for a couple of hours and suddenly I found him sidled up to me in the kitchen. "Mom, my (cajones) hurt. Bad," he whispered as he tugged the front of his suit to give his privates a bit of room. Poor kid!
But I agree that it could be worse. There are a few older boys (read: men) who wear Speedos, I think just for the shock value. I was timing one of them on Wednesday and he had no less than 2" of backside ravine showing. Say no to crack!
How fun! Hopefully they stick with it a little longer than Brig ;)
I was on the swim team for my entire childhood, and I still have hundreds of pink ribbons to show for it. It never occured to me that as a parent, swim meets might not be that fun :).
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