Last Friday night I got to take Danny and Nicole to the Braves game at Turner Field. We had a great time. Danny’s team had all gotten tickets and we sat together. The team got to march on the field ahead of time, but Danny opted to watch hitting practice instead. Good idea!

Standing along the outfield wall, a ball was hit our way. The people standing next to us deflected it to my feet. I picked it up, but somehow it got to be Danny’s ball.

We left the game at the end of the 7th because of the big swim meet at GA Tech’s Olympic pool. It was also very nice, but long. We left the house at 7:15AM and returned at 8:00PM. I suppose Nicole’s bronze medal and Danny’s 2 golds were worth it. Pretty awesome to swim in the same pool at the 1996 world champions.

The one thing that wasn’t cool was when Danny and Greg Bower got stuck in the elevator. They had already witnessed other kids being trapped in there for 30 minutes that morning. I even told Danny that one of the trapped boys had a Dad just like his. Once the boy got off the elevator, the Dad put his hand around his boy’s neck, led him off to the side, and gave him a firm talking to. Little did I know I’d witness the same scene with my son that day. But…

He was holding back the tears when he got off. He says he won’t ride an elevator again, unless a parent is with him.

We ordered Nicole’s letter jacket. That was exciting… and expensive. It will look good and she will really enjoy wearing it. Thank goodness she earned a letter as a freshman rather than as a senior.

Danny was playing at the Halpins today and they met us at the pool later. It was unplanned, but I brought his swim suit, and the Speedo he likes to wear under it, and his favorite daytime goggles. When he showed up with Michael, Michael commented to Danny about the different swim articles I brought for him. “She brought all the extras.” I figured Danny had worried before they came that I would only bring his suit.

I said to him, “Aren’t I a good mom?”

“Yes”, he said, “You’re the best mom.” I had tears in my eyes.

Kelly could see I enjoyed that and added, “You’re the best mom in the whole world”. I gave her a big and kiss for that one.

A group of kids Kelly’s age were taking swim lessons at the pool tonight. Claire was very interested in what they were doing, especially when the lifeguard pulled out kickboards for them to use. It just so happened that we had also brought a kickboard. Claire asked if she could use it. I gave the okay as long as she did not interfere with the kids.

She had her wings on and started kicking around the shallow end of the pool while holding onto the board. Sometimes the board would pop out from underneath her and she would swim to get back to it.

I got in the pool to help her swim without wings or kickboard. I held Claire around her middle while she “swam”. She was doing well, but with a lot of support from me.

I had just discovered that she was tall enough to touch in the shallow end. She asked to touch while we were in the deep end. I told her it was too deep and then she asked to hold onto the sides of the pool. She started scooting on down the wall at a remarkably fast pace. Once she made it to the break for the steps in the shallow end (I was right behind her) she said, “Let me try it.”

Claire let go of the wall and completely submerged underwater. Panicking, I scooped her out and was surprised that she had held her breath and seemed to have anticipated exactly what had happened.

“You did a good job”, I told her. And then I gave her a big hug before getting out of the pool.

Fortunately, Nicole was right there when I had gotten out. As I was toweling off, I heard that little voice say, “Let me try it again.”

I turned around to see her completely underwater again. This time Nicole scooped her out and I made sure Claire did not get back into the water without wings.

Nicole made her first batch of cookies from scratch- Lemonade Frosties. They were quite good. She was surprised how long the whole process took and couldn’t believe it made her so tired.

At dinner, we had corn on the cob. Kelly complained that something hard was in her corn. I asked her where it felt hard and she pointed to her middle right bottom tooth. She must have a loose tooth, I told her.

“It’s wiggling!”, she giggled. She came right over to let me check whether or not she was right. Yes, she was. I gave her a hug, then reminded her of the pact she made to always stay little. She doesn’t know why she keeps on growing.

Kelly also told me that when Jeb and I fell in love that she was the one who shot the arrow. When we married, it was Claire who had done the honors.

She claims that she has been with me since my teenage years, watching over me. I like that thought. I’m just glad I get to return the favor to her.

The kids did it. They all made it through another school year. Danny and Kelly were certainly promoted. We’ll have to wait another week for Nicole’s grades.

Claire and I got to go to Kelly’s end of the year party, a Mexican fiesta. Claire brought her lunch in a brown bag and sat with the big kids while I helped serve tacos. Later, she and Haley Hodgson’s sister, Alyssa, made ice cream sundaes and played outside with the big kids.

Mrs. McKinzey and Mrs. Harris also received gifts from the class: gift certificates and a calendar. I nearly cried looking at the calendar. The room mother took pictures of the class throughout the year and had a picture of class activities that matched the month. Kelly was in the first picture. I saw how much she has grown in Kindergarten. It’s just amazing. My memory – her as a new baby, sitting in her baby carrier and me on the couch, tired like I have never been before- it’s too fresh for her even be thinking about being a first grader. But, when I put her to bed tonight, she was really big. At least she still says that she is always going to live with us.

After the party, Alyssa invited Claire over to play. Apparently they have a Barbie car that you can drive in. I imagine that it was most fun.

Nicole was so thrilled to be finished with exams that she announced she would sit down and watch The Brady Bunch marathon. She has worked so hard throughout 9th grade that I’d let her be a vegetable for a few days.

The week of Danny continues. I took him to a market research on shows about kids who make up sports. In the waiting room, the most precocious child I have ever seen came in. I think he believed he was on a stage the whole time. His mother told us twice that he sings and dances and acts. He did sing, but we never saw him dance.

Danny was much funnier than the actor. I think he had a hard time trying to think of what to make of this kid. Or, maybe that was me. I kept watching Danny watch the kid. Danny was paid $40 for his time, so now he’s starting off his summer as a rich guy.

Jeb took this morning off so he could see the 5th grade awards and Time Trek put on by Mrs. Higgs’ and Mrs. Layson’s classes. On the way to the ceremony, I spotted the yearbook seller and was able to buy another yearbook for Kelly. She was so sad Friday that she didn’t get one. We surprised her with it after the awards.

Danny got the President’s Academic Award, a Media Festival award, and an art award.

The funny part was while we were waiting to go into Time Trek, Darlene Long, Greer Long’s mother, introduced herself to me. She told me that they hear so much about Danny. I wanted to laugh because just last night Jeb was saying how he wondered if Greer’s family knew anything about Danny because we sure know about Greer. Ever since first grade, when the yearbook comes out we’ve stopped a few minutes to look at Greer’s picture and ask about her.

He did a great job with Time Trek. The program was a history time line put together by the students and based on the kids’ studies throughout the past school year. I wish I had gone to see it twice. Afterwards, Mrs. Higgs talked about what a good job the kids had done, “Especially Danny. He’s such a ham.”

The only person who did a better job than Danny was Claire. She could not have been better sitting through the hour long awards and then another 30 minutes for Time Trek. This is a definite positive of her getting bigger. I had to reward her afterwards, so we got Happy Meals with teenie beanies from McDonalds.

Danny’s team won their first play off game. It was an intense game for most of its duration.

They finished with enough time left for Danny to spend the final 20 minutes at his 5th grade class party. His classmates were all glad to see him. I guess they like him for some reason. All the boys were yelling his name. He got to eat one piece of cake and swim one length of the pool before the lifeguard blew the whistle for everyone to get out.

Danny also informed me, tonight, that ours is not the party kind of house. Imagine that.