Baby Girl on Bus

Well, here is a photo that captures how excited Emma is to finally get away from her parents. 

I didn't Photoshop her face. The sun was shining onto the bus, and on her face, so it looks like I pasted the obligatory smile. 

She is off with her swim team to a land far, far away from Mom, Dad, and little brother. Oddly enough she wasn't interested in us chaperoning this event. Although, back in the day, I was one of the fun adults on the bus, now I'm just Emma's mom, who can be slightly embarrassing at times. 

She'll be gone until Monday night, but I won't see her until Wednesday, as I'll be in Klamath Falls for a Classical Conversations seminar. 

She went away to overnight camp (which is down the road) last year, but we haven't had this long a stint away from each other since. She'll be just fine. I was a little teary as she was loading onto the bus, as I thought of her being, "Travelin' Em." 

After the bus left, and as we were headed home, one of those sentimental "Cinderella" country music songs was playing on the radio, and again I was teary.

38 Seconds of Love

It must have started with the "Parent/Child" swims. Emma's love for swimming that is. She's always enjoyed the water, taking lessons or swimming at Triangle Lake, so about three summers ago, she joined a local athletic club's swim team. I dropped her off at the first practice knowing there was going to be some athletic training involved, and she hadn't necessarily had that kind of experience, yet. It wasn't soon after that first practice that she said, "Mom, we just go back and forth." This spring, she's going into her third year of being a member of the Eugene City Swim Club. That's a lot of back and forth!

We spent part of this weekend at the Oregon A's Championships in Corvallis. Emma swam on two relay teams, one swimming Friday, the other on Sunday. She was still recovering from the cold that has occupied our house these past couple of weeks, but she had committed to swimming her events. 

If you've never attended a swim meet, it is difficult to describe what actually takes place, or even how it works. It is a complicated machine of swimmers, coaches, parents, volunteers, officials, and those brave enough to come and watch-the spectators.

We've gone to meets long enough to have a feel for which meets and pools we like and dislike.  I seem to be most concerned about whether or not they have good concessions. 

Waiting is a main event at a swim meet. I cannot say I have mastered all the things one could do while waiting at a swim meet, but I have done one or more of the following: cleaned the car, read, sunbathed, slept, talked on the phone, played cards, and watched movie. The list goes on an on...

It's not only spending most of the weekends that is a time consuming commitment.  There are the drop off/pick-ups at practices, the negotiations of which days Emma will practice, and determining which meets would be the most beneficial for the entire family to attend. But the commitment is worth it. I'm sure the memories she's made with her teammates will last a lifetime. I have watched her grow into a strong athlete and encouraging team member.  Most importantly, she has become a young woman who is respectful of those who have dedicated their time and energy to developing such attributes, her coaches.

 So, for the fam, and Gram to travel to Corvallis, and to wait five hours-plus, is well worth the 38 second swim.