Life or Something Like It

It has been a good long time since I have last blogged.  I have tried many times to get on here and always get side-tracked but I am going to try and do better.

My life has been just a little insane since we last met. Quite honestly, I am not even sure that insane even begins to cover it - My days are a blur!  I work, I take Lu to gymnastics, I bring her home from gymnastics and repeat. On a rare occasion, I get the privilege of driving Abigail and/or Sarah to dance. I even let Lu skip gymnastics once *GASP* to go to her sisters' dance rehearsal.  I think her coach wanted to tar and feather me because when I told him she wouldn't be at practice, he seemed a bit irritated and confused when I said, "Her sisters' have dance rehearsal! You know, I have do have three other children!?!". 

A word of caution:  Competitive activities for children are a slippery slope!

Now I must qualify this cautionary statement - I do not mean your run of the mill little league activities or even school organized sports, band or what have you.  Mainly uniformed, traveling, paid for by the parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousin's, brother's, sister's last dog owner, virtually any one willing to buy; a candy bar, candle, hanging flower, discount card, gift card, ad spot, magazine subscription, 50/50 raffle ticket or eat at this restaurant tonight for our team to get X% of the profit kind of competitive activity. As my Dad would say, "It's slicker than snot on a door knob!" 

I really did used to have a life - now I have three out of four children participating in competitive activities (two dancers and one gymnast).  I often ask myself, "WHY????????? (throwing hands towards the heavens) WHY DO MY CHILDREN HAVE TALENT?"  Clearly they get this from me. This is my own damn fault. I say this because the fourth child is pretty much a bookworm-brainiac, who clearly did NOT, I repeat, DID NOT get that from me.  She is too smart for her own good.  This is not to say that I am dumb, I am smart in my own special way - a way that remains to be revealed.  All joking aside, it is so easy to get sucked into the competition world.  By nature, I am not competitive.  I will literally let someone beat me just because I am that nice - I don't want them to feel bad.  If it's important for them to win, it's important for me to let them.  If you fell for that, you should seek counseling immediately.  Well, the last part anyway, I am really not competitive.  I just don't have it within myself to worry about whether or not someone can beat me at something.  Nor do I care if your kid is faster, more flexible, can do more turns, flips, blah, blah, blah, blah.....doesn't matter to me so long as my kid is doing their best, having fun and being a team player. 

Yes, I am rambling, OKAY?  This is what insane people do - duh! 

Originally, I put my twins in dance when they were three years old. I was so excited to have them wear cute little costumes and prance around the stage.  Why?  Simply because I thought it was cute and isn't this what Queen Mums are suppose to do - Put their unsuspecting daughter's in tutu's for all the world to see? Yes!  After awhile, Emma said, "I can't do this anymore....There are books to be read!" I let her quit but Abigail carried on.  But wait!  I have Olivia, she will love to be like her big sister OR not. Olivia wasn't feeling the dancing scene and wanting to keep my kids active, I enrolled her in gymnastics. Before I knew what was happening, she was signed up on the competition team and there went my personal life. 

Today I spend all of my precious time at dance and gymnastics classes, rehearsals and competitions.  I have at the very least one nervous breakdown per competition season - you just can't help it.  Okay, okay, I can't help it!  It is stressful and it's hard not to get caught up in the emotions of it all.  No, "I" am not competitive but you always want to see your child do their best.  It sucks when they don't and they beat themselves up about it. Never mind the sacrifices of time and money you put in to it.  Sometimes, I just want to strangle them - yeah, I can be honest here.  This is my blog after all! 

The truth is, there is a lot to be learned from competitive arts/sports.  My girls are learning the fine art of winning and losing gracefully (In case you are wondering where I stand on this matter:  I do not believe in not keeping score.  You hippie parents are too much for me! That is not real life.  You are setting your children up for disaster).  My girls are learning to be team players and I am doing the world a favor by keeping my offspring from running the streets and reeking havoc on poor unsuspecting souls.  Trust and believe, it is a favor!

In a nutshell, I haven't been around because I haven't been around.

Sincerely,
The Queen of Insanity