Here at the Holding House, we tend to get Olympics fever. By "we" I,
of course am referring to myself and Alexis. Paul is mildly interested,
but he just wants to know the outcome, not watch the full event. Emma is
a toss-up, as always - sometimes she'll watch, sometimes she could not
care less.
Lexi and I have been INVOLVED with these
Olympics. After watching the opening ceremony, she made her own American flag and taped it to a pole so she could also be a flag bearer. She understands the process and the medal count (I was even
awarded a gold medal for 'treadmill' one night!)
From the
very beginning of the opening ceremonies she was hooked: the ski jumping, downhill
everything, skeleton, bobsled, and most importantly the skating. Oh the
skating! Lexi was enthralled! She could quote scores the next day.
I
have been letting her stay up until 8:20 every night (such rebels, we
are!) to watch. It has been so entertaining listening to her gasp and
say "Oh my!" during the performances. My favorite has been when she
yelled, "Are you kidding me?" when one of the skaters fell after a jump -
she told me "This is the Olympics - you aren't supposed to fall during
the Olympics. Save that for practice!"
Well after a
few moments of watching figure skating, Lexi asked me if she could grow
up to be a figure skater. I told her she could, but she would have to
learn how to ice skate. Turns out, you can do that here! I ended up
signing BOTH girls up for lessons and we had our first session
yesterday.
I was apprehensive about how they would
adapt. Paul couldn't come, so my parents accompanied us and dutifully
played photographers while Emma and I attended the Parent and Tot class
and Lexi took her first steps onto the ice (her future home, if you ask
her).
I fully anticipated that both girls would spend
more time on their hineys than on their feet, and tears were definitely a
possibility from both. I can say I was pleasantly surprised. Lexi did
amazing for her first time in skates ever - she fell a few times, but
overall she picked things up very quickly!
Emma
surprised me as well. I figured I was in for more ice wrestling than ice
skating; I didn't think she would be able to stand up, let alone skate.
Turns out that girl can move pretty well in skates for not even being
3! Her poor instructor wanted the class (of 2 students) to spend the
lesson practicing standing and getting up. Emma wanted to SKATE! She
could go 7 or 8 feet before losing her balance, but she was right back
up almost every time.
(I asked her if she was done - she said "I so tired and hot")
When Paul asked how things went, I just told him that I am going to start prepping for my P&G "thank you, mom" Olympic commercial right now.
Lexi's video is coming - she wants to perfect her triple toe loops, first!
