Achieve a goal

It's something I strive to do every day.  Achieve a goal.  Any goal. It could be as simple as taking a shower, or as involved as reorganizing our food storage.

I also encourage my boys to do the same.  It can be simple, complex, easy, hard, monotonous, or new; but it must be something.

Tanner and I set a goal in September to practice the piano every day for 20 minutes.  We also have set a goal for Tanner to learn to swim by the end of May.  This might be more on the part of my desire for him to have some sort of musical education and get some energy out while learning a valuable skill, but still.  A goal is a goal.  The first one has been more of a challenge, and to be frank, we haven't practiced since January.  But Tanner is making great progress on the second one!

Tanner started swimming with the Idaho Falls Swim Team at the beginning of March.  We have an amazing coach, who is much more patient than yours truly.  In fact, I had the awesome experience of swimming in a Western Zone meet in Hawaii in 2001, with coach Denise, known lovingly by Tanner as "Coach A'nise".  She is simply amazing with children and has Tanner wrapped around her little finger.

Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, we are up and out the door by 7:25 am so we can be to the pool, dressed, and ready to go.  He 'swims' from 7:35-8:20, and I'm loving EVERY minute of it.

A recent goal has been for Tanner to 'go underwater' and be completely submerged without having a tizzy fit.  Together, Tanner and I made a chart, and even bought a Lego set as incentive.  For two weeks, Denise and I have been building up his confidence...and you know what?  It has paid off.

Today, Tanner achieved an awesome goal.  He was my brave and courageous little boy that went under water THREE times!!!

He earned himself a Lego set, and has been playing with it since we got home.  In case you can't do the math, that's about 10 hours.  The boy has barely stopped long enough to go to the bathroom, and eat  meals.

Check out the 278 13 pictures I got this morning.

That is the face of 'sound effects'. 

Luggage truck driver dude with a mullet.  No kidding.
 Legos have come a long way in the last 20 years! 

He figured out how to 'read' the 'distructions' and
put each creation together WITHOUT my help!

Yes, he built this ALL. BY. HIMSELF.
I did a little staging, but he put it all together!

"Cargo plane about to crash land!"

"Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr."

"Engines have power!"

"Safe landing....everybody off!"

The 'distruction' book had more pictures than instructions,
so he took EVERYTHING apart, and made new creations for seven hours.

Showing Taylor the tool that takes apart the Legos.  

Where were these little tools when I was a kid?
 I was the designated 'Lego Biter' to get them apart for my brothers. 

Taylor was pretty amused, but was good not to touch anything...

...only when Tanner said it was "okay" did he dare get close to it!

Today has been a beautiful day.  Tanner and I haven't fought AT ALL, and neither have Tanner and Taylor.  Come to think of it, it's been quite nice and quiet!  Taylor watch Tangled 3 times, and Kortlen played with the cardboard lid to a paperbox while I cleaned and did laundry.  (Don't worry, tomorrow will be MUCH different.  They're gonna have to EARN their 'free' time!  But it was nice while it lasted.  LOL!)

Now, if I could find something that could keep Taylor's attention BESIDES a movie, we'd be accomplishing yet another goal.

P.S.  Anybody have a box of Legos that you're tired of stepping over or your kids are tired of playing with??? I'd be willing to buy them and take them off your hands for you!!!