We Canoe, Can You?

We had planned to be out of town this weekend, but at the last minute we opted to stay home and enjoy some of the goings-on around here. It turned out to be a jam-packed weekend full of fun and friends.

We hit a SLO Blues game and a picnic in Sinsheimer Park. Then yesterday, we enjoyed a pool party complete with canoe races. The kids were psyched to participate and after dragging his feet just a little, Brian got into the spirit (helped by a beer and a friend) and helped them fashion not one but two canoes. Each Clausen boy prepped and then rode with a buddy.



Here are E and his pal T getting serious about decorating.



Miss F had her own things to do, namely crafts and getting her face painted again and again. She also had a buddy of her own.







Then it was finally time for the races. I thought about putting these shots into a collage, but that would prohibit me from the storytelling that is necessary to fully appreciate them.

First up, N & his pal B. These images are from their first heat. They were pumped at first, and in the lead. Then N got a little bit overwhelmed...







... and then downright scared.



But he rallied and they finished the heat.



Then it was time to watch E and his buddy race. Unfortunately, they got the less stable of the two Clausen boats. After a good start, it didn't end well.







Fortunately, they were no worse for the wear. Still very cute, if you ask me.



Then it was time for N & B to race again. The craziness of it all got to N again, and he had a mini-meltdown. Fortunately, B's dad talked him down.



(I should point out that at no point were we pressuring N to do anything. He would stop sobbing and then insist that he race again.)

Fortunately, it all got better from there. The littlest canoers performed like champs. Note the "tongues of concentration."





They were waved in by an excited Daddy...



And they beat three other lanes of much bigger kids. Way to go, boys!! (Brian is wet here from canonballing in celebration.)



I present the champs of SLOCC Canoe Races 2010:



And one more shot of my boys, post-race:



Seriously, we're not a very competitive family -- to us, it's really about getting in there and having a great time -- but I admit that it was fun to see the littlest dudes triumph.

I took many more photos this weekend, including several at the BBQ we hit after the pool party, but I'm going to give it a rest for now. Brian has the day off and we're going to do a little winetasting, I think. Woohoo!