nadia comaneci times deux and the couch potatoe
fridays are a full day for the triumverate. playgroup in the morning tires them out, and i am tired tired tired of a weekfull of parenting by this point. it has been a long week, and knowing the weekend is coming, which is in this case means no charles and tonnes of social obligations, means no rest for the weary is ahead. there are also other details, sebastian said something really hurtful, and takes so long eating his lunch that i have to veto his playdate with adam and annie and order him to have a nap instead. terrible mummy. i sit down and do a bit of reading.
after lunch and nap, everyone gets up and a friend, harry comes over to play for a bit. today, i went up to visit harry’s mum while the kids played here. oh how grateful i am to have help. and then at 4pm, i announced to the kids, "it’s time for gymnastics class!" and they started yelling and running about the place. disciplined sebastian for the 801th time this week for saying a hurtful phrase, and wonder why i even bother.
off to gymnastics.
i watch them climbing, feet bare and teeth gritted in determination as they climb up a ladder, tongue poking the side of their cheek as they walk a bench, eyes looking downwards as they find their way from the box horse to the ground, the nervy laughter before they jump. the girls are so enthusiastic, and even though lazy jasper would rather be watching everyone, he has fun as well.
the kids love gymnastics and i love this class as well, because i see them moving and climbing and challenging themselves and falling and achieving and i know, despite the tiredness of a long week, how incredible this is. how amazing my children are. seeing the triumph on their face, i remember that these kids know struggle. and determination. the parallels are too obvious to go into, so let’s just say despite the fact that i race around for an hour, i leave gymnastics a refreshed mother.
i need that time. it all seems so worthwhile to see them there.
it also makes me feel good, becuase in the guesswork of patches that make up the parenting quilt, i know that i have struck gold with gymnastics. they love it. other things, they’re not so fond of. gymastics, they love.
i love that they’re happy there and that they try really hard while having a good time. i love that i try so hard too.
so despite several slips, the judges have awarded tess a 10.
which means i should be asleep by 10pm.
