swim meets

I think I've discovered the new 'hell on earth'. It's called a swim meet.

I've heard moms talk about them for years. Usually of how fun they are and how they can't wait for it.

This year, we thought we'd try it out. Both Isabela and Joaquin are on the team. Practices are daily. I knew this ahead of time. That means a big commitment on my part...getting the three kids to a pool 25 minutes away from the house ....on time. Oh, and practice is at 8:25am. We actually haven't made the morning practice yet since the kids are in camp this week.

But last night was a meet. Really, how bad could it be?
Let's just see.

We arrive at the other team's pool at 4:30pm. It's beautiful! Colorful umbrellas surrounding a sparkling pool that flows under bridges and even has a high dive! There's a grill going and a snack shack serving up snow cones. My favorite!

Only everyone's already staked out their spot in the shade. The sun's beaming down and it's muggy. I've brought no money for snow cones. And YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED IN THE POOL. Even the part that's not being used.

We make our way over to the boiling sand pit for the last bit of shade up against a slightly rusty wire fence near some wild marsh weeds. We'd brought our own snacks, watermelon, string cheese, carrots, trail mix, and water......which we dive right into because it's SO hot.

We head over to see which races the kids are in. Just one for both. Events 10 and 13. (Figuring out when they swim is another whole post in itself, filled with words and terms we're still getting used to.)

Then the waiting begins.

While the other team's warming up, we piddle around in the sand, talk to some other moms about how hot it is, look for a coach to ask a question, answer a million questions from the kids about what's going on, most of which I don't know the answers to, and then wait some more.

Finally it's our turn to warm up. The kids are confused. "Which lane do I swim in?' they ask. I'm so HOT, I'm about to jump in and start freestyling.

Then they're done and Joaquin comes over crying. He doesn't want to swim. I can't imagine why, but it turns out he was scared of jumping off the stand instead of the edge of the pool. My daredevil Joaquin. But we work it out.

A little more waiting...then it happens...thunder. In the bluest sky you've ever seen. And more thunder. That means the meet gets pushed back...and back.

People are milling around. We're wondering what's going on. The kids are hot and bored. I'm holding Diego since he's started picking up random swim caps and throwing them around.

Sure enough, the skies cloud over and people start packing up. So we do the same and head to the car. Much better. We sit in the trunk and pull out some cards. By the time we figure out how to play the game, people start heading back in and the meet's on again.

So we start back up the little hill, which to me could have very well been a mountain, dragging our cooler. After Joaquin forgets something in the car, we finally make it to a better spot in the grass. But somehow in all the fuss, Isabela loses the rubber around one of her goggles! We head BACK to the car to search but don't find it. Now she could easily use her brother's, except he's a boy and she can't wear a boy's goggles. It's all I can do not to LOSE it in the middle of this heat, carrying a toddler, calming eight-year-old concerns, entertaining six-year-old boredom while WAITING FOR A 20 SECOND RACE TO START!!!

But it finally does. Oh, did you want to actually SEE your kid swim? Then be prepared to stand on your tippy toes and peek over shoulders. The edge of the pool is lined with adults. I did have a momentary vision of pushing everyone in front of me into the pool, but I didn't act on it.

Then, before you know it, it's all over.

And except for the ants somehow finding their way into the cooler, the rest of the meet is uneventful. We're home by 8:15pm. Eat dinner at 9pm and kids in bed by 9:30pm. It's late for us, but much earlier than the rest of the swimmers.

We learn a little more at each meet. The first one, it was bring snacks. This one, bring cards, games, anything to pass the time. Next one?

Now, I'm not a complete pessimist. I can see how a meet could be fun. Your close group of friends all have kids on the same team, you sit back and relax with a cold drink and the right snacks chatting away, while the kids are having fun playing and swimming. But that's not our meet. Right now. And every Tuesday until the end of July, know that I'm doing my best to keep out of that flaming land of fire.