Amazing Athletes in the Lewis Household

It's time for YMCA Swim Team Regionals!  This year we are in Federal Way, Washington at the King County Aquatics Center, a huge Olympic size pool built in the 90s when Seattle hosted the Goodwill Games.  It is a tremendous pool and facility.  The kids are fascinated by the length of the pool and the use of the bulkheads that split the pool in half two create two 25 yard pools for the races.

I truly am a gushing mom this year.  I sincerely did not think either kid would make regional times this year.  Both of them are at the bottom of their age group, which means they have to work very hard to get regional times.  They both did, though!  Robby made regional times in 50 freestyle and 50 butterfly.  Katie made regional time in 50 backstroke.  So exciting.  They each get to  swim one more event and relays which adds to the experience.

Four states take part in the regional competition.  Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, and Washington.  In total, there are probably 400 swimmers that make regional times.  Robby swam in two events today and has 3 tomorrow.  Katie swims in two events tomorrow. They are really tired tonight since we had to get up early to get a move on. 

This year Arnie decided to come with us.  For Arnie this is a big deal.  He really hates swim meets so the kids don't get to have him there very often.  He mustered a lot of courage or will power to get himself to this one. He worries about the crowd and having to talk to people.  It seems to him that people always want to talk to him about work.  I hope it wasn't too bad at a the swim meet since there weren't any of his students there.

Anyway, we are staying at a Marriott in Federal Way.  It's a typical Marriott.  Clean, organized, friendly, comfortable.  Federal Way has lots of restaurants and shopping which has kept us happy.  One of my students gave me a Sees Candy certificate for Christmas.  I haven't used it until now.  I'm never in a place that has a Sees Candy store, until now!  There is an enormous one right across the street from our hotel.  Robby and I walked over and bought a pound of chocolate creams today.  Yum.  We walked to an Outback steakhouse and had a nice dinner. 

We are ready for bed so that we can get another early start tomorrow.  Our goal is a better parking spot and a quieter place for Arnie to sit.  We are so proud of our swimmers. 



Here is our Grays Harbor Swim Team (GH2O) preparing for the national anthem.

The teams line up all around the pool.  We sing the anthem and then, of course, the YMCA theme song by the Village People.

An enormous place.