National Qualifier!

Cooper!! Qualified all 3 of his events to USA Diving junior nationals! He qualified all 3 from regionals (there are 12 regionals across the country) to zones last month, but last weekend was the big test-- could he make it from zones to nationals as a 13 year-old competing in the 14/15 age group (he has a poorly timed dive birthday). HE COULD!!

He got third place in platform, which was AMAZING because the top 3 finishers from each zone make it to the national semifinal round and don't have to compete in prelims. He finished 4th place in both 3-meter and 1-meter, which is still so awesome because the top 10 in each zone (there are 6 zones) qualify to nationals. 4th place means he will have to compete in prelims for those events, but last year, he made to semifinals out of a prelim, so he knows he can do it (to make semis at nationals, he needs to be in the top 6 from the prelim).

Competition was stiff, and look how close he was to 3rd place in 3-meter:

He was amazing, and we are just SO PROUD of him. (I mean duh we are proud of him regardless of how he places).

He and Ben flew to Cleveland early on Thursday where Cooper warmed up at the facility before they even checked into their hotel. (Madison sent them to Cleveland by way of Charlotte, which is also where they flew for regionals and where Ben flew on his way to Charleston and back-- that airport is practically his new home). Then he warmed up in the morning, dove in competition in the afternoon, and warmed up again on Friday and repeated that schedule on Saturday. Sunday morning, he did early warm ups and competed in his last event just after lunch-- then he and Ben went straight from his last dive to the airport-- no time for a medal, even. Ben said it was kind of terrible when Cooper asked him in the cab if he finished in second place (because of dive order, that's what the score board was showing when they left) and Ben had to be like um, no, you were 4th by .10.

It was a fabulous weekend!

Back home, Minnie finally went down the water slide by herself-- and she liked it so much that she did it about 150 times in a row over the course of 3 days. It was also finally warm enough for me to get in the water, so she got to live her dream of playing in the deep end. She doesn't actually need help on the diving board, but she feels like she does. I think in a few days, I can just sit on the edge and watch, but for now, she prefers to jump when Jack or I are waiting under the board-- but we don't grab her or help her get to the side.

Harry had his adorable girlfriend over for the weekend, so they did fun Madison things. Jack worked a TON because he gets his wisdom teeth out next week and has to take some time off, and Dorothy went to a water park with friends, which was fab because then I didn't have to go, but she can check that summer box.

Yay summer!