1st Swim Meet

This past Sunday we had Braeden's first swim meet of the fall season. It was an early start to get to Edina before 7:00am. The kids did great getting up and ready by 5:00am. I was quite impressed. It is amazing what a little bribery can do. Braeden did great at the meet. He beat his times in 2 of the 3 events he swam in. We were really impressed in the improvement he has made. His coach is AMAZING!! He takes the time to work with him during warm-ups to make sure he is ready for his events. Then he sat at the end of the lane to cheer him on. I am always impressed with how he is with the kids. After each race he always talks to Braeden to let him know how well he did and what he needs to work on. Swim meets are the fun part for Braeden and is excited to go to practice this week to gear up for the swim meet this weekend. Here are some pictures from the meet:

Big Steps

The past 6 months has been EXTREMELY busy for my business. I have tripled my business from last year and keep growing. It is amazing and so rewarding. The hard work I have put in the last two years is really paying off. The classes I have been continually taking are helping me learn a lot of new fun techniques. The conversations have started on trying to decide when to get a space that is just mine and I don't have to share with everyone. It would be great to not have to store a ton of stuff at my house. It would be even better to move all my pick-ups and consults to a location that wasn't my home. We have started looking but are taking our time. I want to find the PERFECT spot. The commercial realtor we are working with is awesome. He is young like us and has great ideas for me. We have looked at some awesome spots and now we are taking second looks to see if any of them will work. We have decided to pick something that will work now and as I grow more we can expand. This is a huge step and kind of scary as well. I believe that this is the best thing for me right now. I really need the separation from business and home. It was really evident this summer when I would have people just stop by my house without an appointment. I am looking forward to that ending. It will also be great to have a door to shut and lock and leave work behind as I head home. More news to come as we are just beginning this process.

Times Have Changed

Last week some interesting conversations were had with our 4th grader. I remember as a 4th grader, who had just moved back to Minnesota from Baltimore, I had heard my first swear words. It was such a different thing and I asked my mom about it. The things Braeden has brought to our attention are not as simple as a swear word. Boy..that would've been nice. Who knew that he would have to deal with such complicating issues as a 4th grader. Shouldn't he be worried about video games, friends and activities? This being a parent thing sure has its challenges. I just wish kids could be kids and we could shelter them from these complicated issues or conversations. Our goal as parents are to keep the lines of communication open. I don't want my kids to fear us no matter what. I hope they learn that choices sometimes have consequences they won't like but its better for us to know about things then to hide them. Does it ever get easier or better? Do you ever stop worrying?