Move it on Monday: Project 52 update (just a little late!)

...and better late than never, right?
I survived Competition Weekend!  (that really should have been on the list as well).  Now, there should be room in my days for a few of the regular things that have fallen off to the side in the past two weeks.

So where are we at with the list of 52...
1. I have been looking for a new novel to read...Tine lent me "The Help", and since the competition is over, I can find some time to start it.
3. January 2011 had 457 page views and13 entries.  This is entry number 14 for January 2012, so I didn't double this month's posts, but January 2012 did have 1502 page views, which is encouraging!
6. And I have sold 1 pair of the skates from the crawlspace.  So only three more to go.
29. The February Calendar is ready to go up...that is 2/12!  Yay me!
35. I put together one page for Kate's scrapbook, just need to finish it this weekend.
42. I signed up for the A to Z challenge for April 2012.  Now to start planning!
49. We had a birthday supper for everyone before our girls left for their home countries.

Still plugging along!  How is everyone else doing?

Happy Packing!

Kim

A couple of other Project 52's to check out:
A Peek At Karen's World
Jennee Thompson

Move it on Monday : Project 52 Update

Wow, volunteer work sure does get in the way of things!  But who am I kidding?  I do it because I love it!
However, it doesn't fit on the list anywhere. (why didn't I put it on there?  Because I never have a hard time doing it or saying yes, when sometimes I should be saying no!)..
#16. I did find a non fiction book to read this week and I even started reading it.
#17. And I had breakfast with Tine this month!  That is 1/12 in Month number one.
The non fiction book is called "Stepping Up" by John Izzo.  Heard him interviewed by Sheila McKay on CBC Radio 1 on Saturday morning, and I made Tine wait in the parking lot until I had heard the name of the book, because I wanted to read it.

Short and sweet, but I must cook!  More later!

Happy Packing!

Kim

A little Time on the Ice...

First Comp age 4

Occasionally, I do spend time thinking about something other than food!  One thing that keeps me busy is driving to and from the ice rink or arena.  As some of you already know, my now 8 year old skates a few days a week...  Actually, last week, it was 6!  But that was an anomaly, normally it is 3 or 4 days a week.   Currently, we are preparing for the upcoming Lynn Hetherington Memorial competition, which is also now the Vancouver Island Championships, and just a week away!  It has been exciting to watch the noticeable changes in her skating since Christmas break.  At the last competition, in October, it was her first time in Pre Preliminary...The first time that not everyone in the group gets recognition for their performance.  Top 6 only (and there are usually 10-12 in a group).  We came 9th out of 10.  After her skate, I knew she wouldn't place very high.  While she had a wonderful performance (if there is one thing she can always do its put on a show), she missed the three key elements for pre preliminary: Her lutz jump, her flip jump and her camel-sit spin.  Other skaters in her group, while they weren't as fast nor were they as bright and sparkly or light on their feet, had all completed the jumps and managed 3 rotations of each position in their combination spins.  Yes, she had the highest spiral, and the biggest smile, but Pre Preliminary is about the elements first, the show second.

Age 8

As a former skater, (and an active member of our club's executive), I have a bit of knowledge that allows me to sit there and think, "Oh dear."  but then you are prepared to deal with the child's disappointment later, when the results are posted.  It reminded me of her first competition, where I don't think she knew there were going to be medals until the actual moment they were given out.  And she whispered to me "Mummy, maybe I came first!"  I said, "Maybe you came 5th!"  in an excited voice, but she shook her head and said, "no I think I came first"...This was at four and a half.  She came 5th, but  was more disappointed that her friend (who came 6th) had a purple ribbon while hers was green.  Interestingly enough, she spent the next two years coming 2nd or 3rd (no, never first), and was always very pleased with herself.  She developed such poise.  And given that she was always in the youngest group (in her category), we logged more than our share of early morning starts, which can mean being privy to some technical difficulties.  One time, she had to start her solo four times, because of music problems.  Each time she went out with a huge grin on her face and a big "ta da!  Here I am!"  only to be returned to her coach on the boards to wait.  She came 2nd that time.  Another time, someone blew  a fuse in the arena and it was the one for the music system.  She (and all the kids in her group...cannot say girls, because there were two boys as well) had to skate to their music played on a portable CD player!  She came 3rd that time.

Age 7

So, in the past few weeks, I can see a marked change in her skating, and preparation. This is in part, I am sure, to growth both physically and emotionally.  It has me excited to see how (in a group of 12) she will be in competition next week.  I would never share this much with her, however.  That is not her style, so I keep my comments to recognition of hard work and great jumps and when I notice improvement.  I let her coach funnel the psychology part..
Her focus this weekend though is on the televised Canadian championships.  Last year, Nationals were held here on the Island, in Victoria, and I spent a week down there volunteering.  She was able to be there with me for a portion of it (at 7 she was not old enough to volunteer), and she got to watch the Senior pairs practices.  What a treat to meet the likes of Dylan and Kristen, and Rudy and Paige, Megan and Eric,  and they were so silly all the time (that is what made the biggest mark on her), and yet they worked so hard.  She found this amazing, and much more fun than watching the ladies practice (it's so quiet Mum!).  This year, Nationals are in New Brunswick, so we are watching them on TV (and the internet!  Thank you, Skate buzz!).  And they are providing so much inspiration for this skating household!

Happy Packing!

First Comp as Pre Preliminary