Pole Dancer

We told Sarah she had to find a job to support her yogurt raisin habit.

Uh oh.

Into the Deep

Where do sharks and minnows go after practicing swimming?

To a bigger pond!

Three Creatures from the Deep

Cade, Max, and Charlie

Big and Little Fish love Jocassee!

And the littlest minnow of all - Celia!

O Captain, My Captain!

You have to wear the hat if you want to drive the boat!

A Giant Squid!

A trip to the lake wouldn't be complete without a monster thunderstorm! The Gower Guppies found plenty of games to amuse them inside...

And outside after the storm passed!

Bubble Wand Battle

Back on the water for an evening cruise

Typical Sarah Expression

"Uhhhh, Daddy? Do you know where we are?"

The little waterfall is not-so-little after the rain!

Jumping contest

Glow Wand Battle

Ready for another beautiful day at the lake!

Can he make it all the way across by himself?

Well…maybe not.

"Fishing"

My Favorite Lake Creatures!

Minnows

If Max is the Pool Shark this summer, then these girls are the Minnows!

Despite a less-than-stellar experience with swim lessons for Max at this age, I was coaxed into letting Sarah try lessons with her two best friends. When will this Mommy ever learn?

The three girls covered every part of the spectrum: one is a daredevil who will try everyhing; one is overly cautious and refuses to try anything; and one is precisely in the middle. Guess which one is mine?

She started off by politely saying "no thank you" whenever the coach would ask her to do something like put her face in the water or blow bubbles. I gently encouraged the coach to TELL her what to do instead of phrasing it as a question. But when kids started getting really wet, she progressed to crying, screaming, and getting out of the pool. The final lesson was a slight improvement when the Mommies moved inside the house where she couldn't see me.

The crazy part is that she really likes the water! She loves playing and "swimming" at other pools, as long as there is no attempt to organize it into a so-called lesson and pay money for it.

She was only in it for the snacks.

Gower Power, Guppy Style

Since the moment he picked up a banner to cheer at a swim meet last year, Max has dreamed about swimming for Gower. After braving frigid water temperatures during practice and suffering through multiple delays for try-outs it was official:

Our Gower Guppy!

Gower Power!

Cheering on the brothers!

Ready to Race at first Intrasquad Meet!

Accepting adoration from his fans!

We got home from Washington just in time for the Guppy Fairy to leave treats on our doorstep!

The everlasting star balloon

and LOTS of Gower swag!

Plus enough glitter to decorate our doormat for the next year.

Pep Rally and Guppy Parade

Swim Buddies 

(and a photo bombing baby)

Meet versus Stone Lake

Not quite ready to dive in yet.

Freestyle

Second in his heat!

The cheering section

Full of crazy fans!

There is a lot of waiting during swim meets. Sarah socialized with a friend on the opposing side long enough to take his snacks and walk away when he tried to put his arm around her. That's how we roll at Gower - we eat your food and tell you to eat our bubbles.

The team learned the backstroke while we were on vacation, so the coaches demonstrated it to Max on the pool deck as he waited for his turn to race. Undaunted, Max jumped in to try his "favorite stroke"!

Backstroke

Max the Shark!

Max was chosen as "Most Likely to Make People Smile"!

Like a pro!

Final race

Strong finish for the tie!

With the Superhero Guppy Mom

And more family support!

Gower Power

Couldn't be prouder

If you can't hear us

Shout a little louder!