Seven Quick Takes

Well, I missed Seven Quick Takes, but here they are anyway.

1. Swim Team is over except for a party Tuesday night. Everyone who has read my crazy summaries will wonder why I'm sad. Here's a bit of unsolicited advice for parents not interested in swim team: Keep you kids in swim lessons. My kids all learned to swim the summer they were three, soon to turn four. We spend lots of time in pools and lakes. The boys have always been comfortable in the water. But here's the thing: I never continued with lessons, so they never learned any stroke but the front crawl. Do a swim team for a year or two or continue with lessons.

End of pitch.

2. The Division Meet was short and sweet, mostly because Tim, who would have swum one of the later races, was out of town. Kolbe shaved nine seconds off his freestyle! I'm so proud of him (and that's not just what he refers to as "Parent Speak").

3. Are you a fan of Pinterest? You know what I look up? Red kitchens, cozy bedrooms, and hairstyles for little girls. Today was a rare Sunday that offered a small window to tinker with Ainsley's hair. She didn't put up too much of a fuss, and she didn't pull it out until we arrived home. I should have snapped a pic as proof that, yes, I styled my daughter's hair, and it actually looked cute. Years ago, I swore if I ever produced a girl, I would style her hair and take up sewing again.

Maybe in the fall.

4. John is much better after a week of sore throat and fever that kept coming and going. I have to say this: He is the sweetest little sick boy you've ever seen. Maybe some of you are married to men who are just pathetic when they're sick? I think it starts at age five. They're just so darn cute, their mamas baby them like crazy, and they kind of enjoy doing it (that is, both the mamas and the boys enjoy it). I''ll have to ask my mother-in-law about Dave in this regard. And to John's future wife: Sorry, honey. He was just too adorable. I couldn't stop myself.

5. So the boys were intrigued by this parenting CD I've been playing in the car. Catch your child doing things right, advises the encouraging doctor. You finished your homework without any prodding! You shared with you brother! Kolbe chimes right in: Thanks for smoking outside, son!

If we could bottle it, it would be scary. We'd be rich, but it would be scary.

6. With no swim practice this week, everyone gets to sleep in. We are going to be lethargic lumps who do a few afternoon chores. I have to pick up Tim's now repaired glasses. And John broke his yesterday, so I hope Cynthia is back on duty. Other than that, slow week. Blessedly, mercifully slow.

7. Blogger ate my seventh quick take. Blogger -- along with two of my four offspring -- has been acting up all day and I'm too tired to deal with the kids or the computer probs.

It's too late to add you quick takes, but visit Jen's blog anyway.