Happy Valentine's Day!

First and foremost -- HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY. I hope your day is filled with hugs and kisses, and that you are in the company of good friends and loved ones. I hope your day is overflowing with laughter and love. I hope that today, more than ever, you are reminded of all the good things that makes up your life.

With that out of the way (LOL)....

OK -- I really don't intend to give a weekly gymnastics update, but I just had to share ....

Katherine is in a class called Kinderbunnies and it's the last class for "little kids" until they graduate into the big gym. Typically, the kids are kept in this class until they are 6 or 6.5.

After class today, I'm getting the kids dressed and ready to head to the car, when Mr. Terry came up and started talking to me. It was perfect timing because I wanted to talk to him anyway. Katherine really wants gymnastics mats for her birthday, and I wanted to ask him which ones I should invest in. We head over to the "customer service" counter where you can pay bills etc... and he hauls out this book and we start to look at it. The receptionist comes over and she says, "Terry, is this your 'Superbunny'?". He started laughing, and said, "yep, this her in the flesh". Katherine looked at me with the most amazing twinkle in her eye and grin on her lips. She was glowing -- and proud.

We started talking about mats and he asked Katherine if she'd like to go into the big gym and try out a few. No brainer there! LOL. So while he and I are discussing which mats I should buy and in what sizes, Katherine hops up on the high beam. He looks at her and says....

Terry: Hey, Sister, get down. You're on the wrong side.

Me: (Thinking -- that I didn't realize that there was a 'wrong side' of the balance beam, but whatever...) Yea, get down sweetie. You shouldn't be up there with your shoes on.

Terry: That's not what I was talking about. She doesn't belong on this side of the gym at all.

Me: (OK, how do you think I'm going to take a comment like that? It really surprised me... He brought us in there and then told Katherine she didn't belong there? What's up with that????). Oh, I'm sorry...

Terry: (Walking over to Katherine....) I don't think your mom understands what you and I already know.... See that bright red mat over there Katherine? That's where you belong. That's the competitive side of the gym. The balance beam that you're standing on is on the recreational side and you don't belong on this side of the gym at all. You have way too much potential. This is the side of the gym for kids who physically won't be able to, or don't have the drive to compete. You have it all, and I don't ever want you to get used to being on this side of the gym, because you don't belong here.

Talk about making her day! Every Thursday morning, she walks past the big windows to the "big girl" gym and looks in, wanting more than anything to be able to go in there. I think after today, she believes that someday she may truly belong in there, and it's that hope that motivates her more than anything.