Countdown to Round #5

Stitch is getting worked up about this competition, moreso than in the past. I've taken more of a backseat approach to this one, letting Coach and Stitch handle the On Ice things and me just arranging the scheduling and sewing. Apparently I should be stepping in with a bit more cheerleading, as he seems to need it.

Lately he's been carting out his past trophies, setting them and arranging them while wearing the two medals. He looked at the Second Place trophy and called it "an embarassment." Honestly, I don't know where he's getting this from, because it doesn't come from me. I tell him to do his best, and if he doesn't want Second Place, well, he better get it together. No one makes that decision but him.

I talked on the phone with Coach at some length over the holiday weekend, and she reported that during the final days at "skate camp" Stitch did very well. He was engaged and working hard, and this made me happy. She also relayed the disturbing news that Gordon and the Valium Family had left her, taking off for Other Rink and some other Coach.

I was kind of sad at this. While listening to Gordon drive Stitch nutty with his talk of how much better his Tiger Soakers are than Bunny Soakers, the two boys did do well together. Honestly, this wasn't entirely unexpected for me. I'd been listening to MsV rattle on for weeks about "more competitive Coaches" and "will we ever go somewhere with this." I could sense her growing unease with what she percieved as a lack of momentum. I knew why she was going to Other Rink, I knew who she was going with and why they were leaving en masse. MsV had even spent a good half hour encouraging me to follow, stating a bunch of weird things about "Olympic level Coaches" and "getting Stitch evaluated" to see if "he could do 'it,'" but I'd politely declined.

Godspeed, is all I can say.

At any rate, this leaves Stitch as Coach's only Figure Skating boy. (To my knowledge, anyway.) The departure of two boys also thins the field of boys at our rink. At least now I won't have to worry about Gordon's mom actively copying my costume ideas.

I'll finish the bottom hems on Stitch's competition pants this weekend, since the pants I sewed not but two months ago are now too short. I'm getting concerned about skates; while Stitch says his skates feel fine, I'm debating just going ahead and ordering a new pair in the Spring, right after the planned March Comp. He's shot up nearly six inches in the past year, I can't believe his feet haven't grown as well. And the new emphasis on Jumping is starting to take a toll on the boot itself. With a four to five week lead time on boy's skates, it may be wise to plan ahead.

Tonight is Rescheduled Lesson, as neither Coach nor myself wanted to end the Holiday weekend with a 5am wakeup call. Next week we get back on normal schedule, and begin the honest fretting about Competition Day. The weather seems cooperative, so my fears about an event named after Bad Weather are needless.

I think he'll be fine, and his worrying is encouraging to me. A little worry is fine, it riles to blood a bit. Don't lose sleep over it, but worry enough to make yourself prepare, kid.