This year for back to school we were launching from our house as opposed to last year when we were still in the apartment during the renovation. So we wanted to feature the hydrangeas since we don't know how long they are going to last. She had already met her teacher, Mrs. Martinez, and was excited to be in the same class as her good friend Ella Hughes.
And while it is hard to believe, Callie is entering her last year of elementary school. She and her friends are now the fifth graders who know all the teachers and rule the school. Fortunately she has picked up some phenomenal friends and they are going to be benevolent overlords. They are certainly going to ensure that it is going to be a wonderful year.
Another new experience for the girls in 2018 was the YMCA Kids Triathlon. Some friends of ours had done it before and coordinated a training group for a number of kids. Unfortunately our schedule didn't allow us to participate in the group training, but we made sure the girls ran, biked, and swam throughout the weeks leading up to the big day. As you can see here, it was pretty official with the numbers written on arms and legs just like the real deal.
Reese's group was the first to go, and after she finished an excellent swim of 100 yards she made her way to the transition area to get her biking gear and bike. Honestly, the transition area is just as intimidating as it looks, but good thing we had John standing right outside to make sure that Reese could spot her bike and get the guidance she needed to change clothes and not panic.
Meanwhile, back at the pool Callie was stroking her way through her 200 yard swim. She is in the middle of this picture, looking pretty good. She may not have liked when we made her swim laps before she could play every time we went to the pool over the summer, but it paid off.
Here is Callie in action again, this time in the midst of her transition from the swim to the bike. Although we practiced all the individual sports, we failed to practice the all important transition. With that being said, both girls did an excellent job. They took their time, but they did everything they needed to do and didn't stress out. And that latter part was particularly important, because we wanted to make sure they had fun doing this.
After a one mile bike ride, Reese brought it home well in the half-mile run. She has a great stride and it didn't look like she was all that tired as she cruised through the last of the three stages. It was great to see her finish strong.
Callie wasn't that far behind, although she had to bike for three miles and then run a mile. Like her sister she finished strong and we were so proud of her. She beamed when she saw that on the other side of the finish line all participants received a free ice cream from a truck placed strategically within sight.
These two girls have now done something that neither of their parents have done. We believe that this will probably be the story for years to come as the two of them continue explore the world with great curiosity and a willingness to try new things.
Of course, we need to be completely honest as well. The girls were not entirely excited when we reached the staging area the morning of the triathlon and may have even said they didn't want to do it. It is possible that we reminded them of a certain reward they would receive upon completion of the triathlon. And it is very likely that the reward in question was a sundae at Baskin Robbins. And that explains this final picture.
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