The Last Summer Swim Party

When we saw the weather forecast for today was a high of 82 degrees, we sent out emails to the family inviting everyone to the Last Summer Swim Party. Katrina and her kids were the first to respond. When it hit 86 degrees, we knew the swim party was a success. Jane has started swimming without her water wings for a short time/distance, when someone is next to her in the shallow end of the pool. I think just about everyone is on pins and needles when swims without them, especially her private lifeguard right next to her! Grandpa likes being the lifeguard, but he says "It scares me to death!" Thank heavens, she willingly puts the water wings on after her short times without them so she can play in the deep end. She is such a fish and will swim in the pool for quite a long time, even if everyone else has left. She doesn't mind swimming by herself.

Tom is not about to be left out of the swimming accomplishments. He can "swim underwater" with his water wings on. It takes some maneuvering for him to get his face all the way in the water and get his feet up where they can kick the water's surface, but he can do it. In fact, he can do just about anything in the water if he has on his goggles. Mind you, these goggles have about the same success in keeping the water out of his eyes as they do in keeping the water in the goggles. His goggles are frequently half full of water - or half empty of air - depending on the perspective. He doesn't seem to mind, he just giggles and keeps swimming or jumping off the diving board by himself. He loves to go down the slide, but needs someone to go with him. Grandpa was the favorite one today. Listen closely to learn who Tom wanted to watch as he went down the slide (again). He definitely has confidence!

(I included Marla's dive so we could hear Tom's opinion about going down the slide.)

5k Foam Fest

I tried a different kind of 5k. It was a "foam fest" in Ogden. I think the following videos speak for themselves. The first two miles were up a big hill in 85 degree heat. Then we went down the hill and through a dozen or so "obstacles".

This first video is going through a "car wash". They told us not to breathe the bubbles. Tammy and I talked earlier about how the bubbles stick, she called it surfactant. Well, if you breathe them in, they definitely stick to your lungs. You were supposed to slide through this thing. I got half way through it and stopped sliding. So I am huffing and puffing bubbles, with no oxygen in sight. I climbed through this thing for maybe 30 seconds without being able to breathe any air in. I was not amused. I think my body language speaks for itself.

(New author) I tried to wash off the bubbles in the sprinkler, they were stinging my eyes and I couldn't breathe because my lungs were full of them. The sprinklers didn't help much! The next plastic thing I couldn't figure out what to do with it, so I just walked over it - the "Slip-N-Slide".

Another obstacle was the "tire bridge". I had to wait in line about 5 mins before I could start on this one. That was not enough time to get re-energized or to rest. It also was not enough time to figure out the best way to cross the Ogden River! By the end of the tires, I think I figured out the best way.

(I can't get the end to post here, so read it in the next post.)

Ogden 5k Foam Fest Ending

By now, I figure the end must be close. Yes, in fact it was! It was just like the song says, "Over the river and through the woods." Thankfully, there was a bridge I could just 'run' over and I didn't have to go all the way to Grandma's house for the race to end.

It had been about one hour since I started this 5k race. All I had left to do was hike about a quarter of a mile uphill, back to the car, change out of the wet clothes, and then we could head home. Yes, I was thrilled to do that because it meant I was DONE!

(Sorry about taking 2 posts for this. I couldn't get these pictures and text to load on the first post, so I just made the ending post separately. )