Happy 4th of July!

A happy, safe, and fun Independence Day to everyone!

Lifeguard

CC has wanted to be a lifeguard for the last few years, and she's finally old enough! She completed the training and certification course last weekend, and worked her first shift the very next day.

It didn't come easy, though. She's a strong swimmer and wasn't really worried about the course. They started with the swimming tests -- including swimming while holding a brick in both hands, and treading water with no hands. CC passed, but over half the kids failed and were sent home. For the rest of the weekend, the instruction alternated between classroom lessons and practical demonstrations and practice. But CC was really demoralized when she struggled hard to do the "passive deep water rescue" (rescuing an unconscious adult from the bottom of a 10-foot pool, bringing them to the surface, and getting a backboard underneath them). After many unsuccessful attempts, while battling a bad cold and being outside for 11 hours when it was cloudy and drizzling, she was ready to throw in the towel. She begged us to come pick her up, declared she no longer wanted to be a lifeguard, and insisted it just wasn't worth it.

We were sympathetic, but didn't want to enable her to quit. I told her I couldn't force her to finish the class, but I wouldn't go pick her up early, either. I stopped responding to her texts and spent the rest of the day with a knot in my stomach, wondering how she was doing. Fortunately she got through that day, and was willing to go back the next day. 

The final activity was the exam, which required her to demonstrate everything she learned. She was so proud to tell us that she completed the passive rescue on her first try! Everything else was a breeze compared to that, so she is now officially certified and ready to start making some money.

(First expense: reimbursing Mom for the lifeguarding class!)

Boat Day

I love my group of tennis friends! We have so much fun playing together -- even if we don't win very much -- and our ladies' nights and weekends away are even better. 

Last weekend, Lindsay invited us to spend the day at the lake on her boat. We all jumped at the chance! We had an awesome outing, and turned it into a whole weekend by renting a lake house for several nights. 

There was wine, food, swimming, kayaking, dancing, mahjong, and lounging on the boat. A perfect getaway for a few days.

Huge props to Lindsay, who rented a replacement boat on the spot when hers had engine trouble. She saved our boat day!

Doubles Tournament

For the second year, MJ and I entered in a fun mixed doubles tennis tournament at our club. It's double-elimination, so you're guaranteed to play two matches. This year, we won our first one! It was a close match, but we pulled it out. Unfortunately we lost our second and third matches. So we didn't place, but we had fun (with the exception of one very grumpy -- and good -- old man who played us in our final match).

We've also signed up for a mixed doubles league this summer, so we'll have lots more matches to look forward to!

Fashion Show

As a costume design major, CC participates in her high school's annual fashion show. For months she's been working on her piece in her Apparel class. She was required to select a pattern and fabric, so she chose a cute halter dress and a happy yellow daisy fabric. She worked under her teacher's supervision to measure and cut out all the pieces according to the pattern, hem them and stitch them together, and then fully line the dress. She received a 100%, and the final product is beautiful!

She asked her friend Camry to be her model, and made the dress specifically to fit her. Camry did great! She attended model workshops, had headshots taken, and rehearsed for a week before the show.

The show was in the gym, because the school's black box theater is under renovation. But they did a wonderful job decorating it and installing a runway! Grandpa and Grandma were there too, to cheer her on.

Direct link to video: https://youtu.be/z6GNuhtpcvs

For each piece, the announcer said the designer's name, and then the model walked down the runway and back. Then the designer joined the model, and they walked down together.

It was a really nice show! I'm already looking forward to CC's senior year, when she will likely have at least 5 pieces walking down the runway. Plus, senior parents get the VIP seats!

CC on Pointe!

CC has realized her ballet dream! After a year and a half of hard work, she has been deemed ready to go en pointe. 

She loved every minute of the pointe shoe fitting, which was done by a talented woman who fitted her almost entirely by feeling the shoe and CC's foot, not by looking. It was impressive! The woman also gave CC a ton of advice on how to keep her pointe shoes -- notoriously flimsy -- lasting as long as possible. CC is on cloud nine, and immediately sewed the elastic and ribbons on.

This summer she is required to take four week-long classes on pointe, to continue to develop and strengthen her foot and ankle, and learn to dance in the pointe shoes properly. She can't wait to get started! 

Sweet Pea's Spring Show

Of all the days in April, May and June, Sweet Pea's cirque recital was on the same exact day and time as CC's ballet recital. And since CC only has one recital with her studio -- and Sweet Pea has multiple -- we decided to go to CC's. But I am so thankful that the cirque studio took pictures and videos of all the performances! 

Sweet Pea's trapeze duet with her bestie, Joni, is one of her favorite routines ever. And I have to agree! It's so fun, from the music, to the costumes, to the skills.

Direct link to video: https://youtu.be/0K1WOf9Ukuo