Keeping up

In the effort of recording things that will be special to remember but will never be remembered if not written down, here we go again! On Thursdays at the end of each week of swim team, one boy and one girl are awarded "swimmer of the week." They each get two bite-sized donuts, and Jaxon has been looking enviously at those donuts all summer, and just in general, really wanting to be recognized.  Well yesterday, IT HAPPENED!! He ran over after his "team meeting" after practice with two small donuts and one HUGE grin! He said, "MOM!  I'm 'Boy Swimmer Of The Week'! That doesn't even mean I'm the best, it means I WORKED THE HARDEST!!!" I'm not sure why that meant so much to him, but it warmed my heart (again) to see him recognize and enjoy the fruits of hard work!!!.  The first few days at swim practice he would try to get out of going in the morning by telling me he had an awful stomach ache (which is entirely possible because he was so nervous) and in the ONE SINGLE FULL LAP they had to swim at practice he would only swim about 10 feet before clinging to a lane line.  Now he swims at least 4-5 full laps in a practice and never stops to hold on (unless he needs to empty the water from his goggles due to a particularly awesome, belly-floppish water entry from the blocks!)  He works so hard to get his little body to move just the way they show him, and he was really REALLY proud he didn't get disqualified at the butterfly meet (like 2/3 of his 6-and-under team) because they all got tired and gave upon Butterfly and swam the rest of the way freestyle. He was awfully slow, and I wasn't sure he was even going to make it across, but he was determined to do it correctly! He came in dead last in his heat (by a long margin) but ended up getting 4th place because 4 swimmers in his heat were disqualified for giving up on butterfly and swiming freestyle.
    I am watching my little boy grow up a little everyday (and just grow in general, he has NEVER in his life had an appetite like this!!!) and while it hurts my heart a little to watch the little boy disappear, it warms me to the core to see him learn and grow to do what's right.  And on that note, his sassy and emotional outbursts are pretty much gone now that the anxiety of the move is over, and I actually have time to sit down and play with him.  I wanted to make sure to get that in writing, because it's so easy to get mad and "blame" him when his is misbehaving, but I know at this age it is a direct corrolation to our relationship and quality time at that moment.  I love my little turkey to death, and I am looking forward to starting this adventure all over in just a few months!!!
  Lastly, we were having some down time this afternoon and grandpa walked into the room with a sly smile. He said outloud to himself, "Well I sure am thirsty. Guess I better head over to Circle K and get a Soda."  Jaxon didn't miss a beat, hopped off the couch and said, "Not without me your not! See ya mom!"

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