Anna Grows

The Swim Gang - Leo, Aidan, Megan & Anna Tonight Anna completed her third season with the Division II Lakevale Dolphins.  It was a great season for Anna as she improved her strokes and her times and made it to the "A"team to compete at Saturday meets.  It was an educational season for Joe and Theresa, who learned the ins and outs of life as swim team parents. The neighborhood swim team is the hub of neighborhood social activity in the summer.  There are events throughout the season, including Friday night pep rallies, and Sunday night fund events that include such things as the neighborhood scavenger hunt, laser tag night, bingo night, and even a team night at the Washington Nationals game.  In between the fun is the seriousness of the swimming, and there are definitely some top notch swimmers on the team. Anna with her lollipop for getting a "personal best" time Kids are motivated by different things. Some kids love to race.  Other kids try to beat

Anna, Sofia and one of the counselors, "Hoot" Anna just returned from her first ever sleep away camp thanks to the girl scouts.  Anna and her friend Sofia participated in a one week horseback riding camp at Camp Potomac Woods in Leesburg, VA.  The week was full of excitement and adventure for the girls and anxiety for their parents. Finding the camp proved to be the first challenge as google maps clearly did not distinguish between paved and gravel roads.  Thanks to the trusty suburu (and the wonders of texting Sofia's Mom), Anna at last made it through the back roads of Loudon County Virginia to the camp.  The camp was located on a beautiful wooded property on the banks of the Potomac river.  After a very organized check-in (the girl scouts are nothing if not organized), the girls met their counselor (much of the staff was British), quickly said goodbye to their parents and were wisked away to their cabin.  The cabin was a screened in shelter with 4 cots to a shelt