Kids Can Make their Parents so Proud

  

All Terrain Vehicle

Nathan:   "Dad, I need an All Terrain Vehicle"
Dean:  "Nathan, you've got one.  It's called a bicycle"

The Latest Wakeboard Video

Nathan Wakeboard Session from Dean Dummitt on Vimeo.

We took the fins off Nathan's board and he's been learning surface tricks (180's, board slides, lip slides and power slides). His jumps have declined a little but are coming back though not evident in this video.

2010 Ski Season Wrap Up

The tournament season has ended for us, at least everything except Nationals (?). Nathan ended up winning his wakeboard division (Mini Outlaw) in both Georgia and South Carolina and qualified for Nationals in October. Maddie was coming on strong late in the season and really put the pressure on her older brother. Maddie also qualified for Nationals by finishing second in Georgia. We haven't decided if we are going yet becasue the kids would miss nearly a week of school.

The attached photo was taken today (8/21/10) with Heather's new camera (Nikon D5000). We hope to get many more great shots. This is a new trick Nathan is learning called a "power slide". We took the fins off the kids boards this week and in addition to the "power slide" Nathan is learning several new tricks ("board slide", "lip slide", "back side lip slide") . His jumps will suffer a little without the fins until he learns how to edge without them but his board control is really taking off which will really help in the long run. Maddie is also learning "board slide" and will begin working on surface 180's soon.

Bobo and Nippy sittin' in a tree...

Elizabeth (Nathan's girlfriend) and her family got back from the beach Monday and surprised Nathan by coming out to the lake Tuesday evening. She brought Nathan a cool Shark tooth necklace (that he won't take off).  Elizabeth wakeboarded for the first time (so, they say but she made it look too easy). She and Nathan also got to wakeboard together. 

Quotes from the evening:

Nathan: "Wow, I just love that woman"

Nathan: "I can't stop looking at her'

Mommy: "Nathan, why did you keep starring at Elizabeth?"
Nathan: "I was waiting for the right time to kis her"

Maddie's Lost Wakeboard

We were out wakeboarding Friday Evening and I apparently left Maddie's wakeboard on the swim platform (back of the boat) and drove off. Needless to say the board was not in the boat when we went out Saturday. We searched the lake, asked the park rangers, posted a sign on the bridge and I posted an ad on craigslist. I got a phone call today that someone found the wakeboard and saw my ad on craigslist. They had kept an eye for somone looking for it Friday evening but of course we didn't realize it until Saturday. Maddie is smilling once again. :) :)

Thanks Bryan from Fort Valley :) :)

Practice run after the first competition

Just as expected both Nathan and Maddie were inspired by the first c0mpetition of the year, especially Maddie. Maddie added 3 new tricks to her run and is actually getting air on her toe side jumps.

Heather and I actually got to ski today. It was my first time on a slalom this year and Heather's second. I wonder who is hogging all the time on the water.

See more photos http://dummitt.net/family/2010-06-07/

2010 SC INT stop 2

 

The second wakeboard tournament of the year went a little better than the first. Both Nathan and Maddie focused a little more on their trick run and scoring points than "free riding". Nathan nearly double his score putting up 1155 points today vs 610 yesterday and taking home his first Gold Medal. Maddie improve over yesterday and brought home another Bronze Medal. A little more practice and we might finish 1 and 2 :)

2010 South Carolina INT Tour Stop 1

The first wakeboard tournament of the year is in the books. Nathan finished second and Maddie finished third. They have the potential to finish 1st and 2nd but they are accustomed to "free riding" at home and have not learned how to focus on scoring points. We will work on that a little more over the next few weeks. Nathan in particular doesn't like doing the easy stuff just to score points. He'd rather push himself which isn't all bad but it doesn't make for very good tournament finishes.

Cherry Blossom 2010

We had a great time during the first weekend of the 2010 Cherry Blossom Festival. Nathan and Maddie rode their first Farris Wheel, flew for the first time in a Helicopter and saw a Lawn mower race (not your typical backyard mower). See some more pictures at the attached link and a couple video clips are coming right up.

Photos

Visit with Santa

This is our annual visit with Santa at Andrew Brooks Photography.  At least the kids are no longer scared of Santa.

Nathan's "Girlfriend"

Nathan gave Alissa a necklace with her initial "A" and a heart on it for Christmas. Both of them were very shy. I don't know how they ever communicate. Since when do 6 & 7 year old boys and girls like each other.

I didn't wash my feet.

Heather was helping Nathan put his shoes on this morning and he told her, "I didn't wash my feet but they were under water and that counts."

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Nathan Feed Your Dog

We asked Nathan to feed his dog and this is the result.  Either Nathan only wants to feed him once a week or he thinks Pungo is a St. Bernard.

Maddie's BFF

     Maddie told Heather the other night that she was her BFF.  Heather asked Maddie what a BFF was and Maddie responded "I don't know".  As you might expect, Heather was elated to hear that Maddie thought of her as her Best Friend Forever, then a bit disappointed when Maddie didn't know what BFF meant.
     I was talking with Maddie last night and asked her about the conversation.  I said, "Maddie, mommy said you told her that she was your BFF".  Maddie replied, "yes".  I asked, "What is a BFF?" Maddie replied with a passionate tone, "Best Friends Forever... because SHE IS!"
    Heather's not so disappointed anymore.

Roughing it!

More Photos

The kids and I setup a tent down by the lake and spent the weekend roughing it. We did have the luxury of running water, air conditioning, and supplies several hundred feet away but that ground sure was hard. I had to borrow a mattress from the house for the second night or I would have had second sleepless night. Maddie especially enjoyed our late night special time on the dock and by the fire. She told me several times how special and nice it was (I'm beginning to tear up for the second time thinking about it.)

Heather helped out with the meals but she had to work so she wasn't up for a night in the tent... Maybe next time.

Maddie's First Appearance on stage

The Fish n' Pig normally has a band on Saturday night but they chose not to this week because football season started, Nascar in ATL and the opening of Dove season. 

So, Maddie and Nathan stepped up on the stage and provided some entertainment for us.

Waterski Tournament Season is Over

We all competed in the final tournament of the South Carolina INT Tour this weekend. The kids have come a long way this summer and mom and dad now spend more time spectating/driving than skiing.

When the season began Nathan and Maddie were both competing in "Kneeboard Mini Outlaw" and for the most part were just following the boat around the lake. They both competed in Kneeboard Mini Outlaw all season and Maddie ultimately won the South Carolina State title defeating her brother at all the events except one which was a tie. Nathan is more of a free rider and believes in the saying "go big or go home" so he doesn't waste much time on those easy tricks which add up and enabled Maddie to one up him.

Nathan also competed in the Slalom Jr Novice division at all of the events. He had never skiid behind the boat before the first event but wanted to try it any way. He wasn't able to get up at the first event but he has continued to improve. He is a little more focused on wakeboarding than slalom right now, though. None the less, he scored several bouys at the last tournament and finished the season in second place overall. Maddie has expressed no interest in skiing, so she sits this event out for now.

Nathan and Maddie both took up wakeboarding about 2 months ago. Nathan competed in his first wakeboard tournament several weeks ago but this was the first for Maddie. They were not sure if she was the youngest competitor they have ever had wakeboard but they were pretty sure she was the youngest girl (and a crowd favorite). Nathan has really taken to wakeboarding... 2 months ago he didn't have a wakeboard much less had ever ridden one. Now he is he's riding with confidence and improving quickly. Nathan finished 3rd at this event ahead of Maddie and a little boy that his been riding for nearly 2 years. There is stiff competition in this division (wakeboard mini outlaw). The winner of this division also won the Nationals earlier this year and was pushed hard at every event by the boy who finished second...

Heather and I also slalomed at each event. Heather won every event in her division and ultimately the state title. I too won the state title in my division but I did get beat early in the season. We would both improve if we ever got a chance to ski... the kids are taking up all the water time. When we first started going out as a family we each got a turn to ski but somewhere along the line Mommy and Daddy started getting left out of the rotation.

-Dean

Nathan's First Wakeboard tournament and the Interview

Nathan competed in his first wakeboard tournament this weekend. He just started wakeboarding a few weeks ago. We couldn't get decent video because of the distance from the beach to the course.

Maddie Barefootin'

It won't be long...

Maddie is getting more comfortable with the speed... she still complains when I try to push the speed up but she's complaining at 5-8 mph rather than 2 mph.

More time on the water to get used to the speed and continue to work on form and by the end of the summer she could be skiing... barefooting that is.