Rocken' Roller

For the last several months, my Brown Eyed Girl has been asking to take gymnastics classes. She has been practicing her cartwheels and handstands in the living room for a while now. I echo the words of my own mother on an almost daily basis, "Stop flipping in my living room!" My sister, Rah-Rah, was always doing handstands against the coat closet door, splits and back-bends in the living room. Gymnastics was Rah-Rah's thing and she was constantly flipping or dancing around the house.

My Brown Eyed Girl asked for formal classes around Christmas time.
She asked for classes again as her birthday grew near.

A year ago, I wouldn't have even thought twice about signing my Brown Eyed Girl up for gymnastics.

It's really, really hard as a parent to see a desire in your child's eyes and not do everything in your power to foster that desire. Make those dreams possible. Give them every opportunity to find themselves and build those memories together.

The uncertainty of the last few months with my Brown Eyed Girl's health has been emotionally challenging for me as a parent. Just deciding what kind of a birthday party to have was a challenge. Should we plan an ice skating party like she wants? What happens if she is having a bad pain day and can't skate that day with all of her friends? Should we play it safe and plan a more low key painting party instead? Am I pushing this painting party idea on her? Am I really listening to what she wants to do? But what if...

I struggled so much with one day of physical activity and the off chance that Murphy's Law would strike us with full force and that would be the one day she would wake up with bone pain. Gymnastics classes - we are talking about 8 weeks of jumping, flipping, and bouncing around. Can she handle that? Should I try to convince her that she should go back to non-impact, swimming lessons? But she really wants gymnastics lessons... What if we wait a year? What if in a year she has a really bad flare up and gymnastics is completely out of the question. Will I have regrets of not letting her try it now?

The final word came back on her full body MRI and my Brown Eyed Girl only has one bone lesion at this time, in her left knee. I did a lot of soul searching and I decided to live in the moment!

If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change us.


My Brown Eyed Girl got a brand new leotard and gymnastics classes for her birthday!

Yesterday was her very first class, a new Rocken' Roller gymnast! I was so nervous looking down at her from the parent crow's nest. Please have fun, please don't hurt yourself.

She got right to work and was following directions well. She practiced those hand stands. 

She learned how to run fast for vaulting some day.

The coach would tell her to run hard and then jog back into line. She did not jog. She skipped and bounced and frolicked in excitement from point A to point B. She was bubbling over with excitement and having the time of her life!  

She learned some moves on the bars. 

The coach was so impressed with how strong she is. She kept asking my Brown Eyed Girl, "Are you sure you have never done this?"

Only my daughter would be allergic to horses. But we make it work. So what if she has to take some allergy medicine before we head out to the barn. She still rides and spends time with me in the barn petting and feeding the horses. We do what we need to do to do what we love to do.

She looked so cute out there in her little leotard.
More importantly, she looked so capable and strong.

She can do this.
She can do anything she sets her mind to.

And for the record, we had that ice skating party too!