She Is Not Much of a Feminist

Because I like to make sure Alexis has every reason in the world to put me into a REALLY good nursing home when I'm old and crotchety, I let her add a tumbling class to her already busy schedule. That makes for three nights per week that we're not home until it's time for bed. It also makes for one night per week that Alexis is completely focused on figuring out how to best use the springs she apparently has built into her legs. 

Which, can we talk about that for a second? I jump like a white girl. Back when I played basketball, the joke was that you could barely slip a piece of paper between my feet and the floor when I jumped. I thought I was jumping, but nope. I have no vertical leap. None.

Alexis mastered her round-off back tuck this week. I can't comprehend how it's possible for a human to flip their feet over their head and not touch the ground at all, but there she is. Doing that. And doing it well.

ANYWAY, we added that tumbling class and Alexis loving it like crazy. The coach is fantastic, the other kids in the class are great, and it's all good.

This week as we were headed home from the Most Awesome Tumbling Class, Alexis was on her mission to prevent any silence from occurring. She talked and she talked and she talked. ALL OF THE TALKING. She was super-excited because she had landed her back tuck on the floor a bunch of times. I made some sort of comment that I was impressed that she had worked hard to get it very quickly and blah, blah, blah. Alexis ended up loudly analyzing why she had gone from trying to get it for months to BAM. Got it.

"I think it's because of the coach. He's really good," she explained. She went on to tell me that she prefers male gymnastic coaches because, and I quote, "They're stronger and better at spotting."

Did you just slam on the brakes in your head? Because I sure did when I first heard her say that a male could do something better than a female. I thought I toned down my response, but I guess not because when I was done saying that some women could absolutely be as strong as some men, Alexis said, "Wow, mom. I guess I touched a nerve."

Who taught her that phrase? I need to have words with that person. NOW.

She continued, "Now that I know it bothers you, you know I'm going to jump all over that nerve, right?"

That's my girl, all right.