Swim girls, swim!

Yes, the girls have started swimming lessons. A long time ago (it seems) we had the boys swimming at the West Jordan swimming pool. They never got past the first session. So now all our hopes for Olympic greatness lies with the girls. They are taking lessons at the South Davis Rec Center here in Bountiful. They are SO happy! Maren can't stop telling EVERYONE she meets about her 25 minutes in the pool. The guy behind the counter at the local Corner 22 convenience store...the kid playing hide and seek at the park...her friends at church...yes, we've heard a lot about her amazing 25 minutes of water time. So today I took some pictures to share with the few people who haven't had the pleasure of Maren or Emma telling their exciting tale.

Connor is Maren's instructor. He's 16 years old according to Maren. And the only other girl in her session is Caitlyn. He lets them splash him in the face with water and the girls think it's great. He's teaching them to jump in by themselves and to bob under water. She has made instant friends.

Emma's class has 3 other girls. She doesn't like going under water, but she does enjoy kicking and splashing with the others. Today they put on life vests and floated around the pool. Emma looked so content I thought she'd fall asleep right there! They also really like being in the shower after their lesson. They stay in there and play almost as long as their lessons take! All in all it is proving to be worth it. The girls are getting along a lot better than before and I get to spend some time reading my book. Win, win situation. Until it's time to go home, that is. Then I get screaming and crying...Oh well. I get 25 minutes of peace anyway. Have fun y'all.

Recent Reads

I thought I'd give an update on some of the books I've read this year. My very first blog entry was a top 10 book list and since then, I've left you hanging. So here goes.
In January we read "How to Read Literature Like a Professor" by Thomas Foster. We really enjoyed this because it taught us some tricks that writers use. What hidden meaning is behind this and what does that character stand for. Very informative.
In February we read "The Bonesetter's Daughter" by Amy Tan. It was about a mother/daughter relationship from different countries. One brought up in China and the other in America.
In May we read "Princess Academy" by Shannon Bryner Hale. It's more for teens than adults but still a good read. Shannon is from Utah and it was interesting to know that from the start. It makes you think that you could be a writer, too.
We are now reading "Team of Rivals" by Doris Kearns Goodwin. It's about Abraham Lincoln and his cabinet during his presidency. Over 900 pages...we should have started this a couple of months ago. I can't be reading a huge book the same month Harry Potter comes out!! I tried to tell book club to do HP instead of a regular book but they didn't want to hear it. I'm just the youngin' in the group. (By 10 years) Most of them haven't read even one of the HP's!!
On the side I read "the Secret Fan" by Lisa See. It's about two girls who are arranged friends in Japan. They bind their feet together and grow up together. And then separated by jealousy and misunderstanding. It was good. I actually cried. It will make a good movie someday.
Have I bored you enough? I only write to inform and entertain. So hopefully I have done a little of both. Either given you an idea of one you want to read or saved you some money on some that you don't. Read on.