Olympic Dreams
I could totally win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics. You know, if I had any talent. And wasn't old. And maybe knew how to ski or snowboard or curl. Or anything. Except! I really do know how to figure skate. I even took lessons for a couple of years. If I had any idea where it was, I would even post a photo of me wearing a shiny gold figure skating costume that had a poofy tulle tutu and gold sequins all over the sleeveless bodice. (I truly don't have a copy of the photo--I would happily post it because OMG! I was CUTE! way back then.)
Anyway, the whole "I Could Do This" attitude has been alive and well each evening as Alexis and I have sat down to watch the Olympics on TV. She has informed me that she is going to luge when she is 16-years old. She's going to bobsled when she's 18-years old. She's going to snowboard when she's 20-years old. In other words, she has it all figured out.
Tonight we sat down to watch the beginning of the ladies figure skating. We've watched more than our fair share of skating all this week, but since this was the first opportunity to watch women skate alone, Alexis was even more mesmerized than usual. After a few minutes of her saying, "I want to do that!" I decided it was time to teach the kid a thing or two.
Dude. I can still do a waltz jump. Er . . . at least I can do it barefoot on carpet. And! And! I still remember how to do a Sow Cow!
Like I said, I could have won that gold medal.
So this evening Alexis and I "ice skated" our way all over the family room, imitating as much as we could.
After about half an hour of acting like a pair of skating fools, Alexis turned to me and said, "I'm going to be an ice skater when I'm 12."
I wouldn't put it past her.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Reader Comments (21)
Aww, waltz jumps were my favorite! Hopefully Alexis will love practicing edges too. : )
Get that girl some lessons! ;-) I am thinking 2020 and 2024 we will be seeing her!
You have to find those pictues. Seeing you in a tutu would be awesome.
Fabulous! It's always good to have fun like that, and who knows? You might just inspire a long-term love of something just from an hour of running around the living room.
You need to get video of her skating in her jammies! Too cute.
My husband has been trying to talk me into putting an ice rink in my back yard, although I can't tell if he is really serious or not. There is a thought for you...
My almost-4-yo told me she wanted to be a Barack Obama when she grew up.
We all have dreams, babe. We all have dreams.
It's never too young to start skating... just see how she reacts once she bounces her tailbone off the ice a couple of times.
My brother and I used to always go out and play at whatever we'd just watched on the Olympics. I clearly remember trying to "high jump" over our neighbor's front hedges. We tried to build a proper high-jump bar, but realized we had nothing to jump into. Good times...
Go Alexis! (Just don't let her take lessons at the Rostraver Ice Gardens. Too soon?)
FYI - I recently learned that skeleton is safer than luge. The sled is heavier and has a lower center of gravity (i.e. less likely to flip), and going head first mean you can see better and react better. I suggest you steer her toward that for her age 16 goal. Of course, ice skating is safer still, assuming Tonya Harding doesn't have a daughter. Just try to steer her toward figure skating rather than ice dancing. The world would be better with fewer "twizzles."
when i was barely older than alexis my brother and i strapped huge sponges to our feet and dumped warm soapy water all over the kitchen floor so that we could "ice skate" around. fortunately mom was so impressed with our creativity that she didn't kill us for soaking the linoleum tiles right up off the floor.
i love that you know alexis totally could be olympics bound, that you encourage her to be who she wants to be. you are a good momma.
I totally had iceskating aspirations as a kid. I thought I was an AWESOME skater in my kitchen with socks on, so how could my dreams fail me? And then I realized I have absolutely NO talent in that area. Not a lick.
How I love that you are clearly bringing up your kid to know that she can be whatever she wants...she's a lucky girl.
The little girl I watch is 4, and she just started. Just sayin. : ) Love the image of you two skating around the living room!
Aww. That sounds like so much fun! And that girl can do anything she sets her mind to.
You claim to be wearing the same PJ's as Alexis. I say "screenshot or it didn't happen!" I know you don't photograph yourself, but you could at least catch one flamingo!
Awesome post. I think she'll like figure skating... until she tries hockey and realizes it is much more fun! :)
How soon can she trade in those dance lessons, mama? :-)
Let her start now! Let her start now! Then she can play for the Penguins!
i love this photo- and the post SOOOO much!
Um, no. You will spend hours, weeks, and years driving her to COLD stinky rinks at 5 am. Your weekends will start at 4 am and you will have stupid competitive paretns all around you. DON"T GO THERE. Have her pick something nicer that doesn't have early morning practices and cold places that Moms have to sit it. Trust.
Gosh. I need an edit button. Sorry about all the typos but I think my comment can still be figured out. I hope. Sigh.
OMG. Those jammies are the cutest thing EVAH!!!
That is awesome! Skate away, little one!