The Fallons: summer camps

This summer was HUGE for both kids in completing both the Little Nippers program for Thatcher and East Beach Junior Guards for Samantha. There are not many nine-year-olds that do a junior lifeguard program for the first time and choose East Beach (Sam was one of the youngest and smallest). East Beach is definitely one of the more stricter programs. You can't even say that you are cold because if you do, you are in for some sort of "punishment" and there is a lot (A LOT) of long distance swims and running, and while there is definitely some fun during the program, it is overall very challenging even for the most skilled kids out there. Both programs are the exact opposite of what they have done previously for camps which were just good ole' fashion fun camps (sports or dance or art or basically something pleasant) ;)

The first hurdle we had to get over was having the kids pass the swim test which is taken in a pool and while I see some correlation between the pool and the ocean, the freezing cold, choppy ocean with waves is not really the same as a semi-heated pool (not as cold as the ocean but still definitely not bath water much to their dismay).

We enrolled both kids in the lifeguard swim program through Los Banos. For a month, three times a week, they went and took lessons starting at 7:15 pm from lifeguards on how to pass the test.

The treading water part for four minutes wasn't going to be a problem for either kid. There was an underwater part that we weren't exactly sure what it was which proved to be easy but the timed distance swim was not so easy for two kids who can swim but never learned how to do a proper swim stroke.

There were some familiar faces in the course which was great for the kids.

I don't think either kid really loved the lessons. It was cold. It was late. Off to a good start I'd say ;)

Test time had arrived! Thatcher was throwing up so he'd have to do a makeup test. I stayed home with Thatcher and received texts from Todd. Basically I was banking on both kids passing the tests because I really REALLY wanted them to experience a summer of junior guards.

Samantha passed the first two tests no problem but Todd texted me halfway through the timed test and told me she wasn't going to make it. She had gotten tired. Kids who were on the swim team (I learned to identify these fast kids because they always had goggles and a swim cap on, smart!) flew by and even non-swim team kids had no problem with the test IF they had a proper swim stroke and knew how to pace themselves.

Samantha clocked in a time JUST over passing. I was crushed for her. And also panicked that I had to scramble to find some camp alternatives.

Fast forward to when Sam and Todd walked in the door and SHE PASSED! When Todd went over to ask if she could have another chance, the head lifeguard said that she was a strong swimmer during the classes and that he would watch her in the ocean test on the first day and unless she couldn't make that then she was in! Phew!

A few weeks later, this guy passed the Little Nippers test which is the exact same as the Jr. Lifeguard test except the timed swim is shorter. Thatcher barely, BARELY, passed the timed test as well but I think letting a few seconds slide for the Little Nippers is normal.

I asked both kids if they were interested in getting into some type of swim program to improve their swimming skills and both had no interest. Surfing and paddling in the ocean, yes. Swimming laps in a pool, no. So there's that.

Little Nippers started the week that school got out and a week before Samantha's program started.

Super pumped!

A little apprehensive when we arrived.

Familiar faces, yay!

The lifeguards laid the ground rules and I began to realize that Little Nippers, as cute as it sounds, was not going to be an intro/beginner program. It truly was a two-week program to give kids a taste of Junior Guards.

Every day they kicked off with stretching and exercises.

And then it was swim time. And by swim time, it was the FIRST ocean swim where you had to make it around the buoy in a decent time or you were out.

I could tell Thatcher was nervous. He loves the ocean. He loves to surf. He will spend all day in the water, in the waves, diving over and under, with a board or without a board IN A WETSUIT. And, the buoys they placed were far.

They blew the whistle and all the kids began to run in and you could see a few stragglers hanging back, one of which was Thatcher. He then came running over to me and said, "I DO NOT WANT TO DO THIS!"

I think I promised him a Lego set or something. That only kind of worked because at first he said okay but then looked at the ocean and said no way.

Here is where I also learned that Little Nippers wasn't an intro program. Not one lifeguard instructor came over to help Thatcher or the other kids that were too afraid to put their toes in the water. I am guessing this is where they separate those who shouldn't be in the program because after all, you've got to be willing to dive in and swim and if you aren't, it's not really safe to have that kid in the program.

I tried my best to bribe Thatcher with something as I walked him towards the water and I sort of took his hand and put it in one of the instructors who could tell I really REALLY needed them to lend a hand. I can't remember who exactly it was but they walked Thatcher right in the water and whatever they said to him, he began to follow them. Maybe they promised a Lego set?! They also let him hang onto their float thing but as soon as they got out past that first wave, they removed it. My heart was pounding so fast because while I knew he could swim, he was so afraid that I worried he was going to panic and also it was SO COLD!

That is Samantha and her two buddies down on the left, cheering on Thatcher.

He made it, one of the last ones as you can see.

And this is the end of the first day of Little Nippers and I am 100% sure this is a fake smile.

I had to come up with something to get him to come back. I arranged for all the Little Nippers in the area to meet at our house and we'd all bike down together. And what was super awesome was that many of the older siblings who would be starting regular guards the following week, came along to ride with the little ones.

Here we go, day two!

Thatcher's big buddies were body surfing while Thatcher was doing the warm-up.

The girls were building sand castles.

And we all watched to see what Thatcher would do. You can see him on the far right with his buddy, Kieren, who has the black rash guard on. I had to find them an instructor that would give them a little "push" and that instructor was John who ended up being a lifesaver which I guess is the same as a lifeguard. lol

Thatcher and Kieren made it in AND they weren't the last ones! ;)

You can see that Thatcher is smiling but putting his head down not to make too big of a deal but I could tell he was proud of himself.

Super proud!

And it was right here that these two formed a very special bond.

They were inseparable during the two week program because they needed each other.

I would overhear them encouraging each other, lamenting how much they didn't want to do a long swim AGAIN, or how cold it was or this or that but then when they finished a challenge, they'd be high fiving and hugging. It was so cute!

Sam's turn!

I think Thatcher was happy to have her experience a little bit of what he was going through.

It's about a five mile ride round trip bike ride so these kids were getting quite the workout each day. I was fine with Samantha riding by herself with her friends but I wasn't comfortable letting Thatcher go just yet so I was the helicopter mom flying behind the gang. Also, my kids were the very few that didn't have a cell phone so that was kind of unsettling not knowing that they made it to East Beach or if they had an accident or worse.

I actually loved this part each day. Seeing all the kids from around the neighborhood appear on bikes.

This was the meeting spot and it would fill up to twice as many bikers as you see here and then they'd all make the downhill ride to East Beach.

Ready for day one!

We met so many new kids this summer as well as their families. Halden is one of my favorites and we live around the corner from each other! He's polite, super sweet to Thatcher and is one of those kids that is mature beyond his years. He'd ride his bike with us each day and would have just as many conversations with the adults as the kids.

Hearing all the rules.

And off to that first swim test they went. Samantha was in the C group which is 9 to 12-year-olds and I am pretty sure there were only a few 9-year-olds and only two almost 4th graders in the group. They definitely weren't sprinting into the water like the older kids.

It doesn't look like it is that far but it was. And now my heart was pounding for Sam.

She did it! One of the last ones in but she did it ;)

These four stuck together from riding their bikes to and from and being each others support system all seven weeks. So thankful for these friends that Samantha has.

Successful first day!

The Harbor Market is a SCENE with junior guards over the summer. It's hard to control the sugar when they've just worked out more in one day than I have in an entire year so I had to let that one go. Although, I did end up limiting the Harbor Market stops to two times a week after that first week.

Always a surf check when they made it up the hill.

Bags are packed for a sleepover which was also hard to say no to this summer when they were putting in so much work. The program doesn't start until 10:30AM which was perfect for our family since a). my kids don't go to bed at a decent time, ever and b). they can easily sleep until noon during the summer if I don't wake them up earlier.

I began to let Samantha ride her bike alone. Every single kid has some independence and as long as they were following the rules, they deserved it for all the hard work they were putting in. Plus, we had a group text of about 30 moms, who between all of us, they couldn't get away with much ;)

I'd take Lollipop down for a long walk sometimes and we met another Italian Greyhound. I am trying to remember the name, it was like Dolce? or Despisito? Decadence? Some "D" name.

Each day the white board gave a menu of what the day would be. Often times it was full of sarcasm.

The A-group paired up with the Little Nippers and gave each little one a big buddy. Thatcher can't remember his name but he was SO sweet to Thatcher and they got to do the long swims together and paddle board together.

Thatcher didn't become comfortable with wanting to actually go to Little Nippers until the program was almost over. It is only two weeks and I'd say he complained or cried 10 of the 14 days that he didn't want to go. Thank goodness for Kieren and Halden to get him through. His other buddy, Mateo, was there but missed a good portion due to a planned vacation. Thatcher will be a big 8-year-old next time so it's got to get better ;) And maybe, MAYBE, he'll test into the bigger program....wishful thinking but Halden did it and so did a first grader that we met in the swim test program so perhaps that will entice him to go for it next time. It would be SO great to have both kids do all seven weeks!

Thatcher's last day of camp!

I rode down with them. I was so proud of Thatcher for sticking with it. And despite all the complaining, he really did have fun. When they weren't swimming, they were playing dodge ball, football, sand racing and all sorts of other games which is right up his alley.

OMG, the sunscreen! We went through SO MUCH SUNSCREEN!

And our house, HAD SO MUCH SAND in it!

I bought a new manual vacuum online that said it was great for picking up sand and well, it wasn't.

Our house is in a pretty prime spot for when the kids are coming and going so that meant MORE sand EVERYWHERE.

Sometimes the kids would be out of the house too early and the instructors didn't want them down there before 10AM so they'd just hang here and Thatcher would always try to do a pogo stick contest with anyone who would challenge him.

He's at like 500 hundred or something crazy like that so no one challenges him.

All done! He had an option to do a long swim and test into the regular guard program but when I suggested that he ran and unlocked his bike and would have taken off quickly home if I didn't offer up ice cream for his last day.

If Sam looks upset here, it is because she was. On this particular day, they did something called the Box of Pain. It is basically a series of really hard exercises (burpees, squats, push-ups etc.) and then swimming out to a buoy and back, repeat. Over and over. The hardest part for Samantha wasn't necessarily swimming or exercises, it was the temperature of the water. She doesn't have a lot of body fat on her and within a few weeks of doing the program she got even smaller (with crazy arm muscles and abs) and she would be purple and shivering. Her body never adjusted to the temperature, ever.

There were several kids out there that had the same problem. Many in tears like Samantha and this is the part of the program I did not like. They didn't allow the kids to get towels sometimes because they were punishing them. So if anyone in the group was acting up, they'd add on more rounds of the Box of Pain. Samantha was purple and crying. I had a couple parents call me who had seen this happen and suggested on cold days we keep Sam home which is what they did because their kids had the same issue.

Fueling up at Shoreline.

Samantha trying to convince her buddy Asher to join in the program next year.

The program had movie nights for the kids which were drop off and included pizza and candy.

Which meant that Todd and I could go out to dinner kidless! Fishhouse this night!

Arigato on another night!

There were also competitions between all the different lifeguard programs. Some were other Santa Barbara programs that included friends that we knew and some were far, all the way from Orange County and San Diego beaches.

These two seemed way more comfortable with their hot coco and being on the sidelines.

The competitions were competitive between the other programs and A LOT of work, lasting all day long and quite a bit of pressure. For East Beach, you had to always enter the long swim, run-swim-run and long run. And then you were selected by the instructors to compete in the more individual competitions to represent East Beach (run relay, flags, paddle relay, individual paddle etc.). Samantha was chosen to compete in several of the individual competitions which was really awesome given her limited experience. Although, I wasn't that surprised about the competitions that involved running, she'd most likely do a better job saving someone in the sand over the water. ;)

Prepping for the run relay at the first competition which was held at East Beach.

Pep talk from their instructor. I think the instructors really REALLY wanted East Beach to come out on top over the other programs.

I think they ended up placing second.

Prepping for the long swim.

Vela and Sam disliked the long swims. They weren't the strongest in the water and they were always shivering but neither would quit and while other programs let the kids skip the events they didn't want to participate in, East Beach required a note from a parent should you want to "sit out" and I was very proud of these girls that they stuck with it.

No popsicle sticks awarded (that's for the top 10) but she made it!

The annual sandwich competition which brought out a big smile from Samantha. She was happy to have something to look forward to this day besides swimming.

Sam obviously entered the "worst" sandwich category.

We had also arrived home from a vacation late the night before so this was what we had in our fridge.

She wasn't a winner.

Headed to the Carp competition!

A little unsettling but we dealt with this the entire program. It was a summer of lots and lots of shark sitings. And the way the program dealt with it was to keep the kids out of the water for 24 hours after one was seen. I have no idea where they thought the shark went after 24 hours but I tried not to ask too many questions.

We showed up and the instructors instantly handed Samantha a board and told her she was chosen for the individual and team paddle relay and to get out and start practicing.

It was FREEZING this morning!

Sam and Vela both representing East Beach in the paddle! They were a little nervous as you can see.

Only three C's were picked for the individual paddle and while Sam is comfortable surfing in the ocean, I was shocked and super proud that she made it out of all the other C's to represent East Beach. Vela, on the other hand, is on a surfing team and so not so surprising that she was picked. And she won first place!

No popsicle sticks here either, but she wasn't last ;)

That was definitely out of Sam's comfort zone.

Run relay. This is definitely more in her comfort zone! I think they placed second again.

Run-Swim-Run. I don't know where Sam is in this picture.

But there she is coming in from the swim.

Next up, paddle relay. Again, this is one you have to be picked for. After the individual paddle in the morning, I don't think Sam was looking forward to this however it was MUCH warmer now that the sun was out and she had a strong group of girls to help support her.

Sam did MUCH better!

Rock star girls placing second!

Sam was also picked for flags which is the most random and dangerous competition ever. When they blow the whistle, you've got to sprint to the other end of the course and grab a hose stuck in the sand. There are less hoses than runners so a handful get out each time until you get down to the final two. The danger comes in when they all dive for the same hose and knock each other in the head. I have no idea what this has to do with being a lifeguard but it's not in the water and has to do with running so Sam was happy to participate.

They start off with three heats of 20 so not bad to get out at this point.

I'd rather have lunch too.

And finally, the long run!

Look at Sam's face, as she grabs a popsicle stick!

8th girl in of all the 9 to 12-year-olds across all the lifeguard programs! whoop whoop!

Early A.M. wakeup call for the boat trip to the islands.

Thatcher was intrigued by the unicycle rider on our way to East Beach.

Back and forth all summer.

And well deserved Hostess cupcakes.

Samantha and Lolo on there way in to their last leg of the Stud Ironman competition. You start at the pier and you go back and forth from running and swimming buoys until you make it to East Beach. The prize is a hat and not all the lifeguards make it in. I wasn't sure if Sam would make it but I made sure to be at the finish line in case she did.

Rockstars! #120 and #121. It took them 1 hour and 24 minutes to finish.

Lolo made it in quicker. Lolo is a really REALLY good swimmer.

She earned the hat but wasn't ready to smile. That was NOT easy.

I got some versions of a smile when we got home.

Poppy and Grandma came to watch the Fiesta Competition.

Keeping warm in the sand.

First up, Sam was selected for flags.

She kept making it through heat after heat.

Besides my parents, Samantha had extra special cheerleaders to support her. Laurie, Connor and Jessie got to see Sam keep going and going in flags.

I am not sure how many there were to start but upwards of at least 60 and Sam made it to the final three before she got out!

Fellow East Beach friend, Savanah, took second.

It was quite a day for Sam because she got to record another score at the judges table.

8th place out of all the girls in the long run, again! Lucky #8 ;)

FINAL day of junior guards! Last bike ride down of the summer.

It happened to be Fiesta and we rode right by all the people dressed for the horse parade.

The days before this were the final two challenges, the pier run and pier swim. Samantha took first place of the C-group girls and third place overall for the run. And the dreaded pier swim was something weighing on all the kids in the neighborhood. While many kids don't make it to the Ironman Stud finish line, even more don't make it to the pier swim finish line. I can't remember how many buoys she made before she and a group of friends swam to shore but given the high shark alert and harbor patrol following the kids as the swam out in the deep part of the ocean, I was happy to see her try and then get the heck out of there.

No thanks on that final swim ;)

The kids thought it was their final bike ride but we made them ride to the awards banquet.

The kids were happy being kids and playing in the sand.

Picnic on the sand.

The kids are all called up individually for their certificate of completion.

They only give out six special awards. They give out an all-around lifeguard award (I can't remember what it was called) and then a "Good Vibes" award which is for the lifeguard that impressed the instructors with their attitude and was an all-around supporter and friend.

So proud of Lolo for getting the "Good Vibes" award and I missed getting a picture of Vela but she won that second award for the C-group. Pretty impressive!