I suppose it would be perfectly normal for a family living in Iowa to feel all the way sick of winter by the middle of February. So that makes us perfectly normal. We've had little glimpses that the end might, maybe just maybe, be in sight. The days are getting a tiny bit longer, there's been a couple of unexpectedly warm days.... but I am ready to declare myself officially done with winter and start complaining about the heat already!
Saturday morning it was 15 degrees with a -3 windchill and 25 mile per hour winds. This did not stop a group of my crazy friends from planning a 7 mile run. We hatched a plan to drop cars and coordinate rides so we could run point to point with the wind at our backs. Six of us ran from Banner State Park along the trail to the trailhead and only had about half a mile with the wind in our face. That half a mile was enough to be quite grateful to turn the corner and finish the run.
When we got back to park to fetch our cars we laughed about how we were all lined up in the parking lot - not another soul taking advantage of the trail that day....
Sunday was the girls Sectional Swim Meet. This is the last meet of the regular season and their only chance to qualify for the State Swim Meet. Amelia proclaims, "Eat My Bubbles!"
There were nearly 500 swimmers participating in the meet and emotions were running high. The kids had all worked so hard and everyone had their eyes set on qualifying for the state swim meet. Except it is really hard to qualify for the state swim meet.
Right out of the chute Amelia's Medley Relay team qualified for state with a cushion of almost 12 seconds... They could actually place at the state meet next month. Then came a long pull of individual events which saw Ava setting personal best times, but falling short of state qualifying times. It should be noted that the 11-12 girls age group is the most difficult age group - that only two 11 year olds on the team qualified for state in their individual events. Ava had so much to be proud of, but she was having a hard time seeing it that way.
It was a tough parenting day for me. Watching my kids swim with such heart and such determination makes me so proud I think my heart could burst right out of my chest. The outcome is, at best, secondary to me. I care because they care, but qualifying or not qualifying does not have any effect on the pride I feel watching them in the water. Watching Amelia's elation and Ava's disappointment left me at a bit of a loss. Sitting with a teary Ava I told her I would give anything to take her sadness and disappointment away, to carry it for her, if only it were possible. But if anything that sadness and disappointment made me more proud of her for how much she cared about doing well in a sport she's come to love.
Then Amelia qualified in the 25 breast stroke. A weepy Ava was generous and loving to her sister and I started giving myself pep talks about life lessons for my kids, trying to figure out how to navigate this without leaving permanent scars.
Finally, here come the freestyle relays. Ava's last and best chance to go to the state swim meet. Amelia's relay team was supposed to be a long shot.... But, of course, they coast to a qualifying time, making that three state events for Amelia.
For Ava's free relay her coach (and my friend) Tiffany mixed up the "A" and "B" relay teams, putting the best swimmer on the "A" relay team on the "B" team giving all 8 girls a chance to go to state if they all have a personal best time. Ava stayed on the "A" relay team, but without their best swimmer they were all going to have to really bring their "A" game to swim a Q time. For the two minutes it took them to swim that relay my hands were shaking and my heart was in my throat. The "A" and "B" relays were side by side the whole way, everyone hit that personal best and both relays qualified for state with a few seconds to spare. I will admit, I cried.
It's not because the achievement is so important to me - it really isn't. But to see my girl dig in after a long day of disappointment (and personal bests!) and swim her fastest 50 free to date..... almost half a second faster than she swam the 50 free earlier in the day.... To see the stronger, older swimmers on the team who had already qualified in individual events give their very best to make sure the relay team qualified.... to bring their friends and teammates along... well it was almost more than I could take.
I tried to tell Tiffany how impressed I was with what she did. She could have guaranteed a Q time for the "A" relay and most certainly left the "B" relay behind. She took some heat from some parents for rearranging the relay teams. But those girls all stepped up and were rewarded for it with more than just a state qualifying relay. All Tiffany would give me was a flick of the hand and tell me, "I knew they could do it."
Ava, with some of her teammates after their relay.... Those are some happy humans.
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