drawing our happy lines and standing behind them

 I am probably too tired to express what I want to say properly but I'm going to try.  Somewhere between writing the words 'I honestly didn't know' what she would decide and hitting publish I realized that wasn't true.  I knew. 

Out of all of Beach's gym shots this has always been my favorite one.  It has nothing to do with form or the golds that followed.  It is about the look on her coaches face.  It is about investment in the whole person not just the part of the person doing the sport.  What I told the Owner yesterday over the phone is how much we can now appreciate the philosophy & coaching style of her gym.  Being outsiders in this world I never thought it possible to ignore that these athletes are children.   

Beach popped up this morning and announced she is staying at GTC.  

Of course she is...she deserves only the best.  We needed to know that for ourselves. 

And this is far from an apology for going out into the Unknowns. I am so very glad we did. It answered questions I have had for a long time.  I actually wish we would have done it sooner.  I would tell any parent who asks me to go see for themselves what is out there.

But we are accepting 'I told you so's' especially if her coaches wish to. 

And I keep my fingers crosses about class sizes, about the possibility of a day class, about keeping our current coaches near us.  See you on the group W bench tonight. 

who she is today...

I snapped this pic at Beach's first private as she was warming up.  There are a lot of things I could say, things like how lucky we are to have the coaches we have (& have had), lucky to have met so many wonderful new friends, grateful for Beach's triumphs, and for the generosity of so many.  But really when I look at this as her mother I think: holy shit she's 8?!?!?

I love you Boo~

I contributed to Saturday's Artist

red.rocks.red.rocks.red.rocks.

Parts of the GTC Group W bench reassembled themselves at the U

for the Lady Utes last night. 

The crowd was pretty wild.

But we managed not to get thrown out of the event center

even with Wild Nickie & me sitting together in the middle of the boys, Colby down one end where Nickie could nag him about the ghetto & cell phones & Fire Dad with me at the other.  The Gym Rats, the Gym Rat drop out, & the little brother?

They took over the row behind us. 

The poor folks seated around us knew they were in for a strange night right off the bat.

And we got to see the Utes take the meet.

Thanks to the K family for the seats & thanks for the company Fire Dad

(hope you feel better fast, sushi from the grocery store....lol).

~red rocks~

oh the toe

Some days being Beach's mom is easier than others. I really think (long story short) she has a stress fracture somewhere in the big toe (& has for about 3 weeks) but getting medical info from Beach relating to pain is like trying to milk a cat. 

As far as I can tell it doesn't hurt unless you count feeling "stuffed like that two headed lamb in the museum" when she isn't on it but when she "kicks it against the beam" or lands split jumps then it hurts "like hitting your funny bone". 

"Bad enough to cry about?" I ask. 

Honest to god answer: "What does that mean?"

She cannot confirm or deny if it is comparable to cracking open her head but gave getting staples a 9 on the 1-10 scale then retracted that statement "actually more like an 8, or a 7 & 3/4."  "If you crumple it (the toe) up & stand on it with all your body weight (wait, do what?!?! wth?) it is a 7, if I'm having fun doing back handsprings then it only hurts when I am in line that is an 8 or more like half an 8..."

Okay like I said I think something is halfway broken, but what or how serious it is, I have no idea.  The solution is tape it at practice and stop letting her listen to political banter on NPR.

party on ice

Gym Rats on Ice!

 Boo's great friend and teammate had a birthday party at the local skate rink.

 Get all those gym rats into skates and out on the ice, then oh man get out of the way.

 A skate with the Birthday Girl.  Happy Birthday Tessa!

 Monkey down!

  

 

Wow, imagine finding the two of you together. 

 Thanks for inviting us.  What a wonderful party!

Happy Birthday Tessa!



cartoons & castles

Beach's gymnastics schedule doesn't often allow for long Saturday mornings lounging in front of the tv watching cartoons but an out of state meet changed our schedule this week. We traded our Saturday morning practice for a Friday night one & our regular coaches for subs. 

It is a good thing we don't have gym today poor Boo doing cartwheels on high beam fell & split the beam. It was bound to happen.  The sad-sweet part of it was as she fell on the beam she grabbed hold of it with all she had ending up upside down like a opossum, eyes closed, legs & arms wrapped so tight.  I know what she was thinking 'just don't fall off' as if not hitting the padded mats was a small victory.  She denied being injured despite the angry red lines running up her inner thighs.  The coach sent her for a drink and Boo without any one telling her to remounted the beam and nailed the next set of cartwheels.   

She also failed to inform the guest coaches about her vision or lack of.  When I asked why she didn't warn them (at least for bars) she laughed, "I forgot."  "We need to know stuff like that," the coach said.  "Well, if it isn't bugging me it shouldn't be bugging you." She retorted.

But even Saturday mornings can't hold on forever...haunted cardboard castle construction on hold for a trip to dad's work with dad and then a birthday party in the park with good friends. 

                 Beach frowned when I told her it was time to go,  "The ghosts can wait." 

                                            "No they can't mom, they are dying to get in."  

joy at the gym

The gift exchange

Some of the usually suspects like Fire Dad & his lovely lady

The Gym Moms & Colby

What do you mean you can't tell that is Colby?

                                                                How about now?

 When you have a room full of gymnasts the hardest thing to train them to do is sit...

Then the flinging started

  Of course the parents are super well behaved they would never fling themselves off of things.  I'm sure Fire Dad has a very good reason for jumping.

Yeah see, I'm right that is his emergency face

 

         The girls got a huge kick out of this Colby, Fire Dad, & Fire Dad's lovely lady on the bars

Ninjas, you be nice to the old people

Then there is the pit of death

 

And the holiday trolls

Merry Christmas GTC see you bright & early tomorrow.