Applause Please

Emma had gymnastics again tonight. She actually seems to be getting a little more flexible which is good. The girls were going across the mat practicing the same trick over and over again. Emma was struggling some, but doing okay overall. She got the end and got back in line. Then I realized that I heard clapping. I looked over the where the clapping coming from. Standing by the pole, clapping as loud as she could for Emma was Loredana-the observant, encouraging little sister. It was a sweet little moment for siblings.

Guess who didn't struggle but got NO applause-little miss rubber band. I guess flexibility isn't the only thing in life!

Apology and Mad

I just want to make a blanket apology to everyone who has been in any kind of contact with me for the last four weeks. I've been a little focused on myself in a little pity party and very often after I spend time with someone I think about how distant and uninvolved I was with the conversation. Things are fine, just feeling a little sorry for myself. The things I thought were so difficult and unfair etc... have been shown to me in a more accurate light through the blog world and now I am
REALLY
REALLY
MAD and upset about things happening to other people. People I have never even met. I've been reading about Chad Canipe. I don't know how old he was, but close to my age-early 30's. He died last week of some type of respiratory infection. He has a wife and two young sons. What is THAT? This isn't 1900! This isn't a third world country! I'm very angry by that because it is hard to see a point to it. "Life is uncertain", "God has a plan", "Live everyday..." blah blah blah. I dont' want to hear it. It just sucks. Then there's Mark Palmer-back in the hospital with more tumors. They are trying to make him "comfortable". When I think about his son-PRESCHOOL AGE-I get so ANGRY! What is going on?! BOTH of his parents getting cancer in young adulthood-ANGRY! Then there's Miah's friend who I just read about-40's, lung cancer, two sons---ohhhhhh, ANGER!
What about these children? What do we tell these children? What do we tell ourselves?

I can certainly tell myself to GET OVER MYSELF,that's one. But I think if my girls have to walk down the aisle without Doug beside them-I'm going to tell them to be angry, very angry.....just like their mom.

Gymnastics

Everyone knows that olympic gymnists are short, thin and strong. My daughter Emma is thin, tall, and well-probably not real strong. She takes gymnastics at the community school near our house on Tuesdays. She passed the beginner class with flying colors. It was obvious to me that she was one of the best in the class. I was excited when she was promoted to the intermediate class. She has a new teacher and is doing much harder "tricks", but the thing that is really obvious is that she is the LEAST flexible girl in the class. There are girls who are heavier and more out of shape looking than her, but they can put their hands flat on the floor during stretches and their splits don't look like they are still standing up-like some people, I won't mention any names. So I am watching Emma struggle in this tougher class where you really need to be flexible to be successful at the "tricks." There is also a girl in her class that is about as tall as Jack. That girl can flip her body around like a stuffed animal and rests on her stomach during her middle splits. That girl's mom just sits there SO proud cheering her daughter on, while I sit by and offer lots of smiles and thumbs up to a girl who rests on her knees during the splits. I think it comes down to genetics-poor Emma. We'll keep her enfolled because she enjoys the class and I think the stretching is probably good for those Citizen muscles. I really do just hope little miss rubber band gets promoted to the advanced class soon....it's just a little sickening.

Guess What I Found this Weekend?

It's been warm this past week and I have been excited to get out in to the garden and get things started. Yesterday the kids and I went to Star Nursery and spend almost two hours looking around-I LOVE IT THERE! We bought a few plants, some seeds, fertilizer and ladybugs. When I was digging a hole for one of my new strawberry plants I found a worm. That's right, I found a worm in my own garden at the beginning of the season and I didn't put it there! It was so exciting!! Now, if you are not a gardener I'm sure you think I'm off my rocker, but let me remind you that last year about this time I was digging large numbers of huge rocks out of this same garden and the caliche was impenetrable in places. And now I found a worm. Worms eat organic matter, digest it and excrete it. Their waste makes for EXCELLENT soil and I found one working in my garden to improve my soil. I found it very encouraging! I hope you find your own worm-real or figurative!