Waterblogged

My boys picked this out at the library last night (how proud was I?) and all four of us watched it with chills of excitement. Having dedicated a good portion of my life to soccer, I couldn't be happier that the kids are interested in the sport, and in women's soccer particularly (especially since they are male). Aside from all the great soccer and inspirational bootstraps story the movie provides, it shows how the women on the team succeeded as some of the most incredible professional athletes ever, while also raising families on the road. This movie will touch you on a "I want to be a rock star just like those girls" level, as well as on a "You go girl" feminist level. This morning my boys woke up and asked to watch Chastain score the winning goal one more time. Never mind that they had devilish little smiles which I knew meant that, specifically, they wanted to see Brandi take off her shirt again. Never mind. W followed up that smile with "Her goal is...

I'd be remiss if I didn't let my fellow swimmers know about a party that two of my favorite organizations (and me :) are throwing. In other words: FREE DRINKS. PARTY. READ ON. Check out Maya's Mom , a great social networking spot for parents that I'm addicted to (it's free), and MomsRising.org, a non-profit organization that is fighting across political party lines to create a more family-friendly America including quality childcare options. How does this relate to swimming? Well, if I didn't have good childcare I certainly couldn't swim. Okay, it's a stretch but I'll use it. On Tuesday March 20 at 7PM in Palo Alto some Maya's Mom folks and myself are throwing a party to screen the MomsRising movie, The Motherhood Manifesto. It's shortish and funny, and we'll be cocktailing throughout. All you need to do is sign up at Maya's Mom and RSVP to the blog invitation . I hope to see you there, and more importantly, I hope some of you are tu...

I'm prepping for the Oscars but I took time out to watch a documentary film about swimming today, and I'm glad I did. If you swim, are a woman, and/or are Jewish (I fit all three categories), or you just plain have a heart (usually I'm good there too), watch this movie. It makes you feel proud to be a swimmer and lucky to be alive. The following is from an amazon.com review. I second it! "Watermarks" is a remarkable documentary, as remarkable as the women whose stories it tells. It harkens back to early 20th century Vienna, Austria, a time when the Jewish community was well-settled, prosperous, and largely assimilated, and tells the true story of Hakoah, a Jewish sports club, the largest membership sports club in the world. We mainly learn about the women's swim team: they are charming, intelligent, high-spirited, and as independent as the times allow them to be. These women were athletes, and in the old footage, you can see that they just loved to swim: there...