Athletic Kids

I am crazy competitive. Just starting from this point so you all know the springboard from which I'm springing.

And when I say crazy competitive, I mean ... I can even make Yoga a competition.

So, it kinda used to bug me that my first born didn't seem really all that in to sports. First off, she was kinda clumsy. Well, REALLY clumsy. One time, when she was like 3, she was sitting on that stationary toddler bike thingy that hooked to a video game on the TV. She wasn't playing, she was just sitting there watching TV and she fell off. Yep, nothing provoked this fall -- she just fell. In fact, she fell so much back then that she didn't even cry anymore when she did fall.

So, I continually thanked God she was just naturally built small (yielding shorter falls of course) and well, hopefully we won't have to deal with any significant weight issues as she gets older. But I wanted her to be really into sports. I love sports and I think team sports in particular are great for kids. We tried her in soccer and she did fine. But I can't say she was really IN to it or in to anything we'd proposed thus far.

Now I get that she's only 6 and it's way to early to t

hrow in the towel on an athletic high school career for Saylah, but again it was a little concern tucked in the back of my brain.

Then along comes Audrey. Who typically I'd say does hint at the propensity for sports. Partially because physically she is competitive -- okay, sometimes even aggressive. But of course ... she's 4, so really again, I know ... can't tell anything just yet.

And it's not that they HAVE to be great at sports. But I would at least like them to like it and to actually TRY when they play them.

But lately Saylah has really had it in her heart that she wants to be a Rock Star when she grows up. And I truly do believe it's in her heart. Which means, she has taken to not only watching but studying dance videos (appropriate ones of course) to capture the dance moves. And when I mean study, I mean

I caught her playing the DVD, stopping it and taking notes on the steps a couple of weeks ago. She is intense about it.

Yesterday she asked me if I knew the moon walk. Which resulted in my reply (chuckling), "yes I do, but how do YOU know the moon walk?" It was on the Kid Bopz Dance DVD of course!

Then we started her in gymnastics recently and wow does she love that. In fact, I had to get her down from the top of the swing set beam when just after three lessons she was getting ready to "try to do the balance beam!" (OK let's not "try" to do anything from 8 feet in the air!)

So, it occurs to me. That perhaps I just hadn't found the right kind of physical activity yet for her. Sure, none of these are really team sports, but they do require hard work and being fit. I'm just thrilled that her interests span beyond watching TV or coloring, into something active that will keep her healthy.

Speaking of healthy -- for those parents who have kids in elementary school. If the Right Track Challenge comes your way (alas, another fund raiser) participate in this one! We did it today with her school and it was so well done and awesome. The kids earn pledges for running around a course, earning money for the school for every lap the do. Not only was it positive for the school, it was awesome for the kids as they learned about the importance of being healthy and working hard to achieve a goal.