cooooooop!

 While the rest of the family loafed at the pool, Ben and Cooper flew to Charlotte, NC, for the AAU Red-White-Blue Diving Championships. Technically, Cooper only qualified in 3 meter and platform, but he got a call up in 1 meter (he finished 8th at the qualifier, and only the top 6 make it to nationals, but lucky for him, 2 boys ahead of him couldn't go), so he competed in all 3 events.

He placed 14th in 1-meter, just out of the top 12 medal race.

Then the next day, he came back to place 6th in platform. 6th! At nationals! Competing in the 14/15 age group even though he is a tiny little 13 (dive uses your bday by the end of the calendar year, so the later birth month kids are kind of screwed).

He finished out the meet placing 7th (by.4 points!) in 3 meter.

Ben was an excellent sports dad and made sure to join in on all the team fun (Top Golf, escape rom, dinners out, sand volleyball for the kids, etc)-- I am going to  follow this example at dance nationals next month.

Next for Coop is one more national qualifier (USA Diving Zones) and a chance to compete at the USA Diving Junior National Championships is Mission Viejo in July. CROSS YOUR FINGERS.

(Yes there are at least 4 diving nationals: YMCA Swimming and Diving (our club does not compete on this circuit); AAU National Championships (this is something you can qualify for based on a score at a regular season meet. Cooper is qualified, but his club favors RWB and USA Diving); AAU Red White Blue National Championships (the one he went to, slightly more prestigious because you have to place 6th or better at a qualifying meet), and USA Diving Junior National Championships (this is the top tier event).)

What's really cool about AAU is that their have a national team that even winners make, and that team travels all over the world. Coop would love to make that team someday (USA has one, too, and ditto). 

He competes 9 dives per event, but here are a couple faves from last weekend.

Platform:

3 meter:

poooooooool!

In Madison, country club and pool and tennis club pools open on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, and the girls and I were READY, even though it was a cool 60 degrees all weekend.

Minnie and I shopped for pool bag essentials after preschool on Friday

And we were there when doors opened on Saturday

I sat on my chair fully clothes (long sleeves, even) and read the book that made NGS and J HATE Jodi Picoult. I loved the book, surprise ending and all and remain a Picoult stan.

SO COLD. I cannot overstate that.

We were back for round 2 the next day sans Dorothy who went to a pool across town with a friend. I remained fully clothed and on my chair, and I read another book!

Minnie was WIPED OUT after, and we found out on Tuesday that she actually has strep-- ooooops.

Monday, the bog boys joined us because neither of them was working, and we ate garbage pool dinner (well, they did. I am doing NO SUGAR and anti-inflammatory, so I had a chopped mediterranean salad no cheese, no dressing, add chicken-- so basically lettuce, red onion, green pepper, cucumbers, and black olives with grilled chicken on top).

I also read my third book of the pool season, and this one was EXCELLENT.

IT WAS SO COLD ALL WEEKEND, but that's exactly the way I like it, especially with these freaking hot flashes.

I can't wait for a summer full of days exactly like this one (with about 100% less strep).

 

P!O!O!L!!!!!

 POOL SEASON!!!!!!!

Those three were the first kids in the water (always apply your first round of sunscreen at home) and got right back into their summer grooves.

Spirit fingers!

We order a pizza and a giant salad (with, honestly, a surprising mount of meat) first thing and could cross our first trash meal of the summer off the list before the season’s maiden adult swim. WINNING!

Cooper is too cool for a swim shirt/rash guard and also too cool to properly apply sunscreen because he uses a spray and NOT ENOUGH OF IT. Soooooo he is pretty burned on his shoulders and back— even his bro friends were giving him a hard time. Minnie has red cheeks. Dorothy has freckles (really cute ones) on her nose and cheeks, and I have a burned shoulder because I relied on Minnie to put sunscreen on my back, which was maybe not the best plan in retrospect. But! We were at the pool for 6.5 hours and put sunscreen on every single hour, so I feel like we get a solid B.

Dorothy and Minnie ended up eating this pizza all day long.

Dorothy decided she wants to join the summer league dive team and got herself 6 dives: front, back, back half twist, somersault, back summersault, inward.

Minnie’s bestie from preschool was there, and they played for HOURS and even hung out together by themselves at adult swim. Her friend was sitting in the snack area eating a corn dog like a regular person (which made us realize how very much we baby Minnie) and happily joined in for our kids’ second garbage meal of the day (another pizza! With fries!). She also shared her squirt guns with Minnie, and they were SO CUTE.

I wish I would have had someone take my picture in my mom suit because I truly think I found THE PERFECT MOM SUIT from Lands End. I liked it so much I bought it in purple AND black.

My dance mom friend came running over to me mid pool sesh to say THE SUMMER DANCE PLACEMENTS CAME OUT, and we ogled the list for quite awhile (luckily Ben was back from golf by then). But then! When I looked at the class schedule, I noticed a bunch of conflicts (as in classes meeting at the same time)… soooooo I still can’t plan because I imagine the schedule might change again? 

Ben and the boys golfed in the morning, which is adorbs, and they had a tee time for this morning, too, but it rained. And will rain aaaaaaall day.

Harry and Jack came on duty at 4 for their first lifeguard shifts of the summer.

But Jack still had a moment to take his little sister on the slide

We stayed from noon to 6:30 pm and ate TWO garbage meals plus all the snacks, and still it was not long enough for Minnie who was SO SAD to leave. (And slept from 7:15 pm to 6:45 am).

New slide! Same Dorothy!