The Wonderbutt Years
Despite the fact that her father never learned how to swim and her mother has absolutely no coordination, our daughter, Dimples, did well in her synchronized swimming events this weekend. I don’t think that she has aspirations to go to the Olympics in the future. But, if she did, I can imagine the video that they would show as a short biography during the Olympic coverage. You know, one of those moving chronicles in which the narrator, Bob Costas, outlines all of the obstacles the athlete has had to overcome to get this far – beginning with the genetic disasters who spawned her and ending with the tragic, near career-ending injury that occurred six months before the Olympic Games. In between those dramatic bookends would be the years that she fought putting her face in the water for her teachers at the Y.M.C.A., her amazing breakthrough when she turned 5 and took lessons at our new neighborhood pool, and the time she nearly drowned in 6 inches of water at the river after taking 3 hours to get confident enough to skip from stone to stone.
And then there would be the Wonderbutt Years, the suspenseful part of the story when a new puppy entered our household and threatened to turn all of our lives upside down. This turn of events was particularly challenging for the budding young athlete, Bob Costas would say, because her vital equipment such as nose clips, goggles, and even her nearly indestructible duct tape swim bag, were in constant peril of being devoured by the bellicose bulldog. And the family would nearly be wiped out, financially, by the dog’s ravenous appetite for furniture and floor coverings – making the cost of extracurricular activities nearly prohibitive.
But, through all of these hardships and unusual complications, Dimples prevailed. Financing her college education with full-tuition scholarships, and gaining a sponsorship from Knox gelatin, Dimples was able to work her way to become one of the best swimancers* in the world. Once she moved away from home, and Wonderbutt could no longer thwart her, Dimples –
Hmm. Sorry. Got a bit carried away there with that.
*swimancer=swim+dancer, of course!
Posted on April 23, 2012, in Children, Dimples, Dogs, Family, Humor, Parenting, Wonderbutt and tagged Dimples, humor, parenting, pets, synchronized swimming, wonderbutt. Bookmark the permalink. 37 Comments.
LOL! Love the post and I can see Bob Costas doing it. 🙂 I was horrified about almost drowning in 6 inches of water though. Wonderbutt looks like he can;t wait to taste the medals! Congrat Dimples!!!
Your impressed friends,
the collies and chuck 🙂
It was certainly one of those scary moments, but I was right there when she went under and fished her out pretty quickly.
OMG! (Can hardly believe I actually wrote OMG) – I have learnt a new word. Bellicose. BELL-i-cose. Bell-I-cose. Bell-i-COSE. LOVE this new word. Woohoo! Cheers WIM2S! 🙂
Isn’t that a great word? I heard it the other day, and was so glad when I could finally use it!
Brilliant word. 🙂
Have you seen that video? I think it is sweet. You never know, Dimples could be headed there- knoxed and all.
You totally just made me cry!
I know it made me, too. I didn’t think it was just the hormones. 🙂
He wears it well, and congratulations Dimples!
He does kind of look like he’s posing, doesn’t he?
Yes, I think he knows how to read your blog. He must look at it when you aren’t watching because he plays the part so well. 😉
Go Dimples!!!
🙂
Hooray Dimples! I love the story. I used to watch The Wonder Years. Now I’m trying to picture a version of it with your family…
Gosh, I can’t believe you’ve seen it! I loved it too. But our family is definitely nothing like theirs!
If only our kids knew what we dream for them. I hope Wonderbutt got a treat for participating.
I tried to tell him that it was a treat for him to have his pic included in this post – but that did not seem satisfactory to him.
Wonderbutt strikes again! Making off with all the prizes, as if chewing up those goggles wasn’t bad enough… 😉
I have a feeling that his mission is not yet complete.
He looks so modest…
Yes – he’s very deceiving, isn’t he?
yay dimples! wonderbutt was made to wear medals.
Or eat them. He can’t quite decide.
I can tell you from experience that if he eats the ribbon, it will pass and be good as new.
What about the medal?
Howl! This is too much. We hope Dimples makes it to the Olympics and Wonderbutt is poolside. Great post!
Bella and DiDi
That would certainly make some interesting Olympic footage!
🙂
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Awesome! You rock!
No…YOU do.
Wonderbutt too;)
Hooray for Dimples, future Olympian champion!
Um, Olympics champion.
Whatever makes her happy works for me!
Awww. Wonderbutt is too handsome and charming to be doing all those bad things. I think he’s been framed.
Congrats, to Dimples!
Though, admittedly, that could be drool on that medal…..
Is Wonderbutt modelling the medal or about to eat it? 🙂