Another YMCA day!

Interesting trip to the YMCA! There was drama, fun, and sun to be had! First--the drama--every hour they have everyone get out of the pool. Probably to switch lifeguards, check the pool, etc. Well--there was a teenager and his father there. The teenager--a big kid, probably 13 or 14 years old--would not get out of the pool. Kind of funny at first, but then as the lifeguards chased him and tried to box him in, it got not so funny! The kid was running up the stairs to the slides--getting away from the lifeguards--and then when he got to the bottom they were right there so he tried to climb up the waterslide! He then got away again and went in the Kiddie area and kept dodging the lifeguards! The lifeguards were pretty frustrated by now and getting irritated! They brought out more reinforcements--upper management--and they tried to get him too! Then he ran over to two girls on the loungechairs and grabbed her hot dog and started eating it!!! She was shocked! Then he went over to the concessions stand and bothered all patrons in line. Okay--now it is getting ridiculous! I wondered why the dad wasn't involved in trying to get him but I guess since he was a really big guy he just couldn't chase him! Lastly--the boy locked himself in the boys bathroom! About 5 lifeguards tried and tried to open the locked door but couldn't! At this point my kids are all scared and want to go home!! Finally--they get the door open and escort him and his father out of the YMCA! Wow!! Swimming and entertainment!!



Footnote--The lifeguards actually came to me and told me I was not allowed to take pictures! It is posted everywhere she says and tells me to put my camera away! Too bad! I snuck a few pictures but was unable to take a short movie of the fun whirlpool they have there! (I guess they had a guy that was coming to just take pictures of the kids swimming!! SCARY!!--Okay--so this location (by the Meadows mall) is a little ghetto but it was really not crowded and the kids had a ball--AFTER the 'show'!! ;)

Summer at the YMCA Waterparks!

Okay--I know I have a ton of pictures from swimming at the YMCA but I guess since that is mostly what we have done since school got out I don't have much of anything else! We sure love it there! We have even ventured out to another one a few miles away! It is a little different--bigger kiddie area with a slide, only one large water slide, only 1 diving board--so we plan to venture out to others! In fact, Thursday we decided we are going to the one by Meadows Mall! It is said to have a lazy river too!! I love being members of the YMCA! Lots of benefits!! One being--Park Hopping!! :)

We even started getting snow cones because it is so blasted hot this week!!



Emerie wasn't supposed to be in the heat or the sun for a couple weeks so I tried to keep her in the shade and brought her an Mp3 player to listen to and a leapster to play with! But she eventually got in the pool! She is doing great so I didn't worry too much! Her voice is getting better but it is still 'nasely' is that a word? She talks through her nose!



Madison and Payton, Me and Payton

Laurel, Taylor and Haylee, Emerie

These are pictures from the Durango Hills YMCA. The kids love it! It has grass!! It also looks like a mini-waterpark! I love the beach-entry kiddie area too! I think it has helped Payton learn to 'swim' a little better without floaties (they don't allow anything but life jackets).

Madison, Taylor and Haylee in front of the Kiddie Land water slide!


Madison in the tube, Madison and Haylee

YMCA Pool Day!

What a great day it was to swim! It almost hit 100 degrees! The YMCA has a great outdoor pool with waterslides and diving boards and a little beach entry kiddie area!

They have a new policy that requires everyone (yes--even adults) to take a 25 yard swim test--swim across the pool without touching the sides or the bottom. Once you take the test and get the wristband to prove it you can swim in the regular pool--the one with the deep end. Taylor and Emerie and Mom went to take the test. Madison refused to take it--stating she didn't want to swim in that pool anyway! She later told me she didn't want to take the swim test because she doesn't swim the way everyone else does--arms outstretched and face in the water. But I told her it didn't matter HOW you swam to get to the other side--just that you got to the other side with out help! And also that it was not a race--they test 6 swimmers at once and she thought it was a race.


Here is Payton with her little arm floaties until they came over and said she was not allowed to wear them. The kids are only allowed to wear a life jacket or nothing at all! It was okay--she only swallowed water a few times and then went back to swimming. She loved it! I think it will help her with her swimming skills having the beach entry and only going to 2 feet deep!

Emerie is a great swimmer but for some reason was a scaredy cat when it came to the slides and the diving boards. We finally coaxed her into the waterslides--not the fully closed one but the open air one and she had a ball! We got her up to the diving board and then she cried and turned around and climbed back down the ladder! The video is great of this!

Madison is just about to hit the water coming off the purple slide. I just missed Taylor so all I got was the splash! But you can see her in the pool anyway!

Here is the kiddie area! Daddy decided to hang out in this area with Payton so Mom got to be the one to ride the slides with the girls!! Here is Dad with Emerie and Payton!




Here is the diving board video of Madison! The kids did great! I thought this was their first time on a diving board but both girls corrected me and said the had swam at Michele's and jumped off the diving board there!



Taylor didn't get scared and jumped the first time! Then she and Maddie went back several more times on their own!



We thought Emerie might actually jump! But--in the end she got scared and wouldn't do it!




Payton LOVED the kiddie pool! She didn't have a nap due to the time of day we went but she was a trooper and never stopped all day!! She did, however, crash on the 5 minute drive home!

107 Degrees and Counting...

Yes, it hit 107 and might still be climbing!! We actually chose to swim right after school to 'cool off' but the pool gauge was reading 95 degrees!! Well--that was the temperature on the top 6-8 inches under the cover! After sloshing around in it it stirred it up enough to lower it to 88 degrees!! We never had our pool that high in Tucson!! It doesn't feel as nice and cool when it gets so hot but the kids still had a ball!

No wind today--of course! When you wish for wind or a breeze to cool you down it's not around! It is only around when you don't want it!!

I'm back on the workout schedule! How frustrating it was when I went to put my purse in the locker room and ALL the lockers were taken!! That hasn't happened yet--I guess it might just be that it is a Monday and it is a little more busy! I tried to see if there were any left in the fitness room (they are smaller but it would have still worked) but they were ALL taken too!! Well--I decided to just take my purse out to my car and lock it in there--not really smart but I didn't have a choice at this point--I had already checked Payton into the kids gym. So out to the car I went. I then realized I hadn't even locked it before I went into the gym!! Oh well--now I will for sure lock it after putting my purse in it--and looking around to see if anyone sees me (yeah right, like that would stop anybody!) !! :)

I then walk into the fitness room and go to the bike and I then realized I left my earphones in the car!! What a frustrating day! No--I didn't go back out to the car to get my earphones. I just watched the TV with no sound and pedaled on the bike! Time didn't seem to go as fast with nothing to do as I exercised but I guess I will be better prepared tomorrow!! Oops--I won't need my earphones because Laurel wants to do the 'Boot Camp' class again! She is in so much better shape than me!! I guess I need a good kick in the butt!! :)

Mother's Day Memories

Well--they are not the memories you might be thinking of. Think 1 year old barfarama. Yes, it's true! Payton started throwing up Saturday night about 10:30pm! It continued every 15-20 minutes till about 12:30am. So, needless to say, we did not make it out to the Mother's Day Brunch we were all excited about and that our mouths were watering for! Kerby tried to convince me to have a day with just the older two but that just didn't seem right! So we all stayed home and dealt with the throw up baby together!

It has been a crazy week with all the Emerie stuff. We finally scheduled the surgery and then shortly after found out that is the same day as her Kindergarten program! Go figure! I think I am going to try to see if we can change it, again! Or maybe find out what time she is scheduled for on the 30th--that probably won't help because they usually schedule them by age!

During all this I at least am getting some exercise in! I went Friday, Saturday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I even took a "Boot Camp" class with Laurel that completely kicked my butt! I liked it but I was definitely hurting the following day! On Thursday she wants us to try a spinning class! I wonder if I'll survive?! Payton goes to the kids gym and somedays she likes it and somedays she doesn't. I am trying to get her used to it so I don't feel bad dropping her off!

It's a Family Affair

Well--Saturday all the kids wanted to go to the YMCA! They had heard me talk about it and the fact that they would let them work-out with me so they wanted to try it out! Taylor and I started out on the treadmills and Kerby and Madison started out on the bikes. I ran about a mile on the treadmill (running with an incline) and Kerby did 6 miles on the bike. We were sweating like dogs! Of course, Taylor and Madison were just trotting along not even breaking a sweat! I love that we can do this together! Then Taylor and I went to the bikes and I did about 6 miles. There isn't a whole lot Taylor can do because of her height--her legs are not long enough for the bikes, stair stepper, eliptical machines... I felt bad because she wanted to do all of these so bad! I hope she has a growth spurt soon! I wasn't hurting too bad Saturday but by Sunday I was feeling it!!

In the picture I tried to get Madison to smile but she was just like--"Take the picture Mom, I feel stupid!" They are going to thank me someday when I have all these pictures of their life, right!? Payton was so excited to have me pick her up from the kids gym that she isn't in the picture but Emerie is always ready for a picture!

Fitness Here I Come!

Well--I joined the YMCA today!! Laurel and I signed up for the 3-month summer membership deal they had going. No sign-up fee and then there was also a discount. It is a fairly brand-new center and it is really nice! It is kind of small but not really that busy so it's great!! After the sign-up we did the treadmill and the eliptical bike! It definitely kicked my butt! Then we did some weight machines for our arms and legs! Payton loved the kids gym! She walked right in and never cried! Which is good because I plan to try to go at least 3 mornings (5 if I really try) a week!

They have indoor pools and a great outdoor pool with waterslides and everything! It will be really fun in the summer when the outdoor pool opens!! They will even let the older girls workout with me!! They are excited too!

I hope to try to tone my muscles and have more energy! I know I will be hurting tomorrow but if that is what it takes--I'm game!!