It's about time!

So it has been 5 months since I last posted- a lot has happened since then...nathan learned to walk, both boys had their birthdays, dad got home from Afghanistan, Jared learned to ride a two wheeler, Jay and I had our 8th anniversary, I did my first triathlon, Jay started school again... We have had a busy but great summer, I think honestly part of my problem and why I have not been blogging (and other things like putting off Jared's birthday party) is that I don't want Jared to grow up- he starts kindergarten on Tuesday and I am sad...but today I had a break thru, Jared did his first triathlon. Coeur d'alene since hosting Iron Man has become a triathlon town, me and jay have caught the bug and we just assumed that Jared would think it was cool that they were having a kids one and up until last night I think he was excited, then we headed to the pool to help him feel more comfortable on race day, well he is my child and although I am now a swimmer I was not always at home in the pool, infact I think one of my earliest memories is of my swim teacher bribing me with a stuffed animal just to get my face wet, I think she thought if I would just trust her and do it I would realize how safe it was- well let me tell you I did it, took my bunny, and didn't put my face in water again until 6th grade when mom and dad tossed me on the swim team. At any rate last night as my lifevest clad child clung to me in pure terror I realized we might have a problem. So on the ride home from the pool we reasoned, we bribed, we planned- the funniest was jared's little voice in the back go "no they won't let me do that", when asked what he replied "bring my little boat"- he has a small inflatable raft...we all laughed, we finally settled on the lifevest and a kickboard, he was nervous but atleast he was willing to try, I honestly though had my doubts, I figured we would get there and he would just refuse to do it. We got there, he was nervous but he was focused. He was in the fourth heat which was good and bad because he saw other kids doing it but he also saw all the splashing-the mom next to us advised her child to hurry up and swim as fast as you can to get away from the splashing, I told him just the opposite we were going for a completion not a blue ribbon. I put him in the water and held my breath- then he turned around and handed me back the kick board and said he didn't need it, I tried to convince him because without it he tries to do this dog paddle type stroke with his legs under him and he doesn't go anywhere, see he doesn't like to just stretch his legs out behind him because it puts his face closer to the danger zone. So with no time left they counted down 3..2..1 and my little trooper takes the make shift lane line in his hands and pulls himself across the pool and back, terrified the whole time, I could literally see him hanging on for dear life... but when he crossed that finish line he was so happy, and I couldn't be prouder, he did it all on his own, I didn't have to use the swimsuit I was wearing under my clothes.