Panic at the Pool

I now know that in a real emergency I do not want Melia and Alesha with me. The announcement of a THREAT (bomb to be exact) at the King County Aquatics center in Federal Way ,where Alesha, Melia and myself were working caused the two to Panic!!! Melia exclaimed " that she did not want to die" and Alesha frantically went running off to find me by the pool to see if I was leaving. As if they hadn't told all of us down stairs that we must leave immediately! I was grabbing my camera gear when a man ushered me outside very quickly stating there had been a threat and I was slowing him down. Guess it was his job to clear the building.

After I was rushed out of the room, I reconnected with Alesha and Melia outside in front of the building.

In their PANIC!! they had forgotten to grab the key to the car. They did get the cash box which is a plus. They both seemed a little shaken. Police were everywhere. People were being ushered across the street and away from the building. Alesha decided that maybe she could get one of the officers to let her back in for the car key. Some how making it sound like we needed the key to the cash box sounded more urgent to her. But, her attempt failed. Got to give her credit for walking back towards the building and approaching a police officer though. Gutsy.

I could only imagine how long they would keep us outside. It was a bit sunny at the time. The hill side across from the pool was covered with people all waiting like us. Visions of going to the mall, or eating at Olive garden slowly evaporated as we found a nice rock to sit on.

Melia felt really bad about forgetting to grab the key, but, she mostly just keep saying how she couldn't believe she forgot her book!!! Would have like to see Alesha go back and ask them to let her in to get her distressed sisters' book!!!!
Anyway.... More police came. They would shout across the road to all us little people with a bull horn. At first they said it was going to be a very long wait. We called lots of people and were even trying to get someone to bring us a key. Alesha thought we should call AAA for their roadside service. I explained they could get us into the car...but not provide a new key.

After about an hour they called all the life guards together. You start wondering...did they call in the threat to get out of work????. But, no, they had to go back inside and secure the "pool" before they would let anyone else in. Who knew lifeguards had so much power. Once they felt the " pool " was guarded and safe, they let the rest of us back in.
It was a really really strange day!!! Glad it ended with us all in one piece!! HA HA

Be careful what you ask for-you might get it!

Normally my summer work is pretty predictable. I work alot the end of June and first couple weeks of July. Then it starts to wind down as the month of July rolls on. Then comes to a screeching halt by the end of July. Aug. I'm as free as a bird. ( or as free as a bird with children and grandchildren).

This summer work-did not start off with the usual fury of the past. As the first week of July started I was getting a little worried. Thrilled at all the time off I had to help Erica with Parker... but there were bills to pay, mouths to feed! I put a call into my boss to express my want for work. A call I have lived to regret..sort of.

I have worked soooo much since then. All my dreams of playing with the grandkids and holding newborns have only appeared in bits and pieces among my heavy load of work!!!

Though any other summer and I probably won't have minded the constant 7am to 10pm grind. Yes my work days are long!
I have gotten to go to U of W and shoot baseball, spend the hottest days of the summer so far there and at a very nice private golf course in Belleuve. Golf would not rank as the most exciting thing I shoot.

One of the perks of the regional babe ruth baseball at U of W was watching the "Blue Angles" practice for Seafair. The first day I was there they were buzzing over us all day! The next day it was just in the morning.

Then the last couple of weeks have included huge water events. First I got to attend the "US Open Swim". There was a couple Olympic swimmers there. And some who should have been in Beijing. It was a best of the best in swimming. Many swimmers were there from other countries.( the girls were doing some of the boothing and did not enjoy trying to understand some of them). It was five long but, kind of fun days. ( did get to take one day off).

Most exciting was watching new world records being set! I was right there shooting when Jessica Hardy set the new world record in the "100m breaststroke". The place went crazy.

I also got to witness the finalists in the men's 200m IM make a statement about all the fuss over the banning of the suits that help swimmers swim faster, by all making a pact to wear only their speedo's. The place was packed and everyone went wild, shouting, clapping and giving them a standing ovation even before the race started!

Well this week I'm finishing up the Jr. National swim at the Aquatics center in Federal Way.

After that I will finally have a week or so off. Hopefully I can squeeze in all the stuff I had wanted to do earlier, spend time with Alesha before she heads back to the Y, have a getaway with my hubby, and hold those babies and play with the other 3.

Next summer I'll have to be a little more careful what I ask for as I've learned this summer- I just may get it!

Shadle Park reunion

Went to my 30th class reunion on August 1st and took the trip down memory lane but also had a lot of thought provoking conversations.

First off it was great to see so many of my class mates doing well. The friends we make during our school years can be quite important to our personality and make-up. I was fortunate to have to very good people whom I had as friends. Those early friends helped me to develop self confidence and self image. Most of the people I hung out with knew who they were and what they wanted to do with their lives by the time we left high school.

The interaction of the reunion was quite interesting to me. Most of the people that I talked to I haven't seen for at least 10 years (the last reunion) yet we picked up our relationship as if we had visited just yesterday. For the most part people where just there to see old friends with very little concern of trying to impress anyone. We did have one person who drank to much and then of course started talking too much and too loud.

One conversation I had, has kept me thinking on it for quite some time now. I was talking with a girl I got to know my senior year as the friend of a friend of mine. She was a person I thought had everything going for her during school as she was very intelligent, nice personality, friendly and beautiful, you know the ideal high school kid. When I got the chance to hang out with her and get to know her during school I felt quite fortunate. Anyway when talking about the school years she said that she wasn't really fond of them for she didn't have many friends and didn't feel a real part of it, kind of like she was institutionalized. I spent most of the drive home thinking about that conversation and was worried by it. She is doing great now as she is a lawyer and has a good family and is enjoying life, she just saw high school as a stepping stone and not a trampoline. The reason it worried me is that if it was like that for her a person who had/has a lot going for them what is it like for some of my students today who don't know where they want to go or do.

I felt bad that I never told her what a neat person she was back in high school, something that many of my friends had done for me. How many times do we have those people in our lives that are special to us but we never let them know? So once again I come away from my association with my classmates having learned something. I would love to get some of them to come to Onalaska and do a career day type thing with my Seniors and hopefully help them out some. I might have to make a few calls and see if I can get that done.

baby updates

Yesterday Parker was 3-weeks old and Brady was 1-week old. They are so cute together. Reminds me of when I had twins ( OK I still have them but, when they were babies.)

Parker 3-weeks old



Brady 1 week old

Actually Madison and Isabell really remind me of the twins when they were little.

Madison(16 month) and Isabell (13.5 months) dancing
Now that Madison stands and walks, her and Isabell interact alot more. Madison is our sweet mild mannered granddaughter and Isabell will be telling Peyton what to do in another year or two.

Madison gives the very best hugs!!!!!
The other day Isabell was standing in front of Mads sing what sounded like patty cake patty cake. Like she was try to teach it to Madison(as if she didn't know it already!!). It was so cute she'd do the hand motions some then laugh and laugh. Then another time she just grab Madison hand and pulled on her like she was going to drag her along where ever she wanted her to go. At the time Madison was not that sturdy on her legs- she just kept falling down.

Madison and Peyton having a snack

Madison is getting around pretty good with walking ,and her and Peyton do really well together. Isabell has been cutting two top teeth and has not been to much fun. She is talking some. she goes up to Brady or Parker and says "Baby" and even says "Bailey" the dogs' name. If you really listen you can tell the difference between Grandma and mama. and even Grandpa.

Madison likes to talk with her mouth closed some of the time which is kind of creepy. She is jabbering alot. But, every now and then she talks clear as a bell. One of these days I think she'll just start talking in complete sentences.

Peyton has really grown taller. He can open my car door. I've had to make sure it is locked or he would be out playing (destroying) in it all the time. We'll think we have something on the counter or table out of his reach and the next thing we know, he has it. Won't be long till he can open the front door and run outside on his own. Scary!!

Madison seems to like her new brother. she'll give him hugs and loves some. Peyton... Seems to be interacting with Brady more each day. At first he didn't seem to really notice him or care. Yesterday I was holding Brady and watching a movie. Brady started to fuss, next thing I know Peyton has grabbed his bottle and put it in his mouth.

As far as the newborns go...Parker has been a really easy baby. At three weeks he is sleeping 5 or 6 hrs at a time. Nate and Erica are actually get enough sleep at night for the first time since Madison was born. He is a really good eater and is at almost 10 lbs. He doesn't have that fragile newborn feel.

Brady took to Tressa right off the bat. He loves to nurse and nurse and nurse and nurse. Tressa is really getting exhausted. She has started pumping so others can feed some and she can sleep. He has been a pretty good baby. He is just either eating or sleeping right now, not much in between. It has really been fun to have the two newborns around they are so sweet!

And really fun (most of the time) to have the three older ones around more. I love to sit and watch them all interact. And Isabell loves to sit on the porch swing we have out front and swing with me. Then the other two see and want to join in. It a great time in our family. Alesha is home so I have all my girls and grandkids around. Just wish I didn't have to work so much and could enjoy this all a little bit more.

Isabell and Madison cooling off on a hot day!!
Still one of their favorite things to do: share a big bowl of popcorn with grandpa