I was happily going about my week, all week long, blithely aware that I was testing this weekend but not really all that concerned about it.... and suddenly it hit me today on my way into work: "The test is tomorrow."
Which led me to thinking... "Oh lordy were you focused during that last practice ice??
Were you paying attention?? Did you remember everything Coach Fab told you??"
Actually, I likely was. This past week I've been evenly dividing my time between Test Prep and Competition Program. I chucked all New Skills out the window for now, and just ran the two tests back to back for a half hour, followed by a half hour of Program runs. (Stops and starts, bits and pieces, and total runs.)
I have my Test Outfit ready to go: My Abstract Owl Print wrap skirt, (made from material I found on a remnant table but fell in love with) a matching wrap sweater and black mock neck leotard underneath. Gold owl earrings. I'll hit the early AM Practice Ice in the morning, and then go shopping for Competition Dress Accessories to soothe my nerves before heading out to Rink Far Far Away for the test session.
My last test was in the morning, so I had it overwith pretty quick and then went to brunch. This test isn't until late afternoon, so I can't let myself sit and brood all day. Best to go shop for ridiculous earrings instead.
Tonight I'll get The Pep Talk, which I'm kinda looking forward to, and last minute pointers... but at this point the moves are what they are. And really, I feel pretty good about it. If I don't pass, I'll come close. And no, I will not get my hair done up like I did last time. I'm just going to give it a little curl and spray and tie it back. No need to look like Doris Day.
Honestly, I'm excited. Nervous, but excited. The sun will come up on Sunday and we'll have a whole new challenge to take on: My first competition.
Showing posts with label competition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label competition. Show all posts
Friday, July 24, 2015
Monday, January 16, 2012
Competition Round #5: A Learning Experience
Sunday was a long day. Too long, in Coach's opinion. We got up and headed out; Stitch went to the Flower Booth and I to the stands to watch. I got to watch the Basic Level kids, the Snowplow Sam Kids, the Synchro Kids, and I gained a deep appreciation for those who man these competitions. These are long days.
I had perched next to the Zamboni door, which had an unmanned Com unit nearby. So, I listened. Skaters got mixed up, music lost, CD's not playing, judges missing, skaters gone AWOL, and towards noon the chatter got punchy. I was enjoying myself, keeping count of the pop songs. Two runs of "Dynamite," Two runs of "Firework," Three for "Tonight's gonna be a good night," and one of "Last Friday Night" which included the alcoholic and sex references. Skater was nine.
I hauled over Stitch for lunch, and we ate peanut butter while the Synchro teams finished. We cheered on the Home Rink team, who did fabulously! I put Stitch in his costume, discovering with some horror that he was still wearing his pajama bottoms. The black pants masked some of the lumpiness, but he still looked a bit lumpy. Leave it to a eight year old boy to forget friggin' underwear. But we weren't alone in the Underwear Mishaps; I counted at least three girls with white peeks on their bottoms. Don't tell me not to look, they're skating away from me on a Spiral. I can't not look.
Coach took Stitch to warm up, and tension started. I put skates on him, and left him with Coach's group of kids, all jumping and hopping. Dad arrived, and we joked about the bad wiring job on the houselights again. I looked from across the ice, and Stitch was clearly nervous. When the kids took ice for warmup, he skated around first, then did his program. And he forgot his spin. I could see Coach fussing at him, but with two other students of hers on the ice, her attention couldn't be focused on him as it has been in the past. He tried again, and forgot the spin again. This didn't bode well.
But he skated first, so maybe he'd remember. He skated out, big smiles, started okay. Backspin was the same as always, high waltz jumps, nice spiral, good Dance Step, bunny hops were too rushed, and he forgot the spin. Horrors! He realized it midway through the three-turn-tap-toe sequence, and threw in a scratch spin, but by then he was totally thrown. Two half flips in a hurry, a two foot spin, and he finished with a shrug.
What elements he did were strong, but once he got thrown, it was over. I went down to collect him, and Coach hit me at the ice door. He can't do things before a competition, he can't work anything, he was tired before he started, she was saying. I didn't argue, but I knew the larger problem had been hit on the head for Stitch. Now I had to be the one to clean him up.
In the dressing room, he was close to tears. "I blew it," he said. "I blew the spin."
"You were fine," I changed his shirt. "You have one more to go. Another chance to get it right."
"I'll blow that, too," he was abject.
"Stop it," I said. "Don't set yourself up for failure. You didn't get it right the first time, okay. That's done. Focus on this next chance, okay? No more negative talk."
I decided to wait on my lecture.
I brought him up to sulk and wait for results, where we watched more skaters. Kwanette kicked it out of the park, as expected. I remained chatty and cheerful, which was hard given Sir Sulksalot. After awhile, we headed down. Second place. Not bad, given the Spin Incident.
Stitch was inconsolable. Not first? The judges may well have handed him a dirt clod. I assured him he did fine, focus on compulsory for now.
So, I handed him back to Coach for Compulsory. She immediately began drilling him on elements and order of things. He said he knew it, but they drilled it anyway.
For warmup, he looked a little more steady. There was a lot of going back to Coach for talking, but it looked a bit better. And he did do better. On the half ice for the judges, he knew the order, he knew the elements, but when it came to polish he came up short. Third, out of a flight of five.
Now he was just angry. He collected his trophy morosely, angrily, refusing to speak. I kept saying how good he skated, that I could tell he gave it his best shot, and I was proud.
But his negative talk ended his day. Selling flowers is a priviledge, and after hearing him say "anything other than first is Loser," I decided he was done. I pulled him out of costume, packed him up, and off we went. Although the Trophies were not first, he held them in his lap all the same on the way home. As we got further away, the mood lightened. Pretty soon we were laughing.
Once home, he started his bad talk again. "It's not first," he looked at the trophies which I'd displayed in the window for the evening. "I wanted first."
"Hey, Stitch?" I decided to bust it out. "You want first? Here's a tip: If you want first, you need to want first Every Day, not just on Competition Day. Every time you get on the ice, you need to think of first place. Because that's what every other skater is doing; wanting first and working for it, everyday. Every practice. Every lesson. Got it? No more hanging on the boards, no more phoning it in, no more drifting off when Coach is talking to you. Everytime I catch you doing it, I'll remind you of third place. Okay?"
"Okay," he was sullen.
"So what did you learn today?"
"Practice when you try, and try when you practice," he said, seeming to repeat something Coach said to him.
"Good. Remember that, and you'll do better next time. Deal?"
"Yes."
"Are we done talking about this?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
And then I ordered Thai.
Stitch and I fought our way through the Sandship in the new Zelda game, with Stitch scared of the Robot Pirate miniboss guarding the bow and arrow. I was not impressed, calling Robot Pirate a "soft touch." Stitch said he was "The Judge," grading me on my gaming skills. When I asked how I was doing, he said I was in third place.
"Third place and I'm the only player? Harsh, Stitch."
"Hey, rules are rules," he said.
After awhile he sighed. "I think I'm starting to appreciate my trophies."
"Good. Because you did a good job today," I repeated, fighting an Armos Statue and parenting at the same time. Kind of similar, in this instance. Both things tend blow up in your face if you're not careful.
We played awhile longer, Stitch giving me pointers. He's actually pretty quick on figuring the puzzles and strategy. We make a good team, he just needs me to take out the bosses. "Mom, mom," he says suddenly with some new urgency.
"What? What?"
"My tooth fell out."
"And that's a good day."
I had perched next to the Zamboni door, which had an unmanned Com unit nearby. So, I listened. Skaters got mixed up, music lost, CD's not playing, judges missing, skaters gone AWOL, and towards noon the chatter got punchy. I was enjoying myself, keeping count of the pop songs. Two runs of "Dynamite," Two runs of "Firework," Three for "Tonight's gonna be a good night," and one of "Last Friday Night" which included the alcoholic and sex references. Skater was nine.
I hauled over Stitch for lunch, and we ate peanut butter while the Synchro teams finished. We cheered on the Home Rink team, who did fabulously! I put Stitch in his costume, discovering with some horror that he was still wearing his pajama bottoms. The black pants masked some of the lumpiness, but he still looked a bit lumpy. Leave it to a eight year old boy to forget friggin' underwear. But we weren't alone in the Underwear Mishaps; I counted at least three girls with white peeks on their bottoms. Don't tell me not to look, they're skating away from me on a Spiral. I can't not look.
Coach took Stitch to warm up, and tension started. I put skates on him, and left him with Coach's group of kids, all jumping and hopping. Dad arrived, and we joked about the bad wiring job on the houselights again. I looked from across the ice, and Stitch was clearly nervous. When the kids took ice for warmup, he skated around first, then did his program. And he forgot his spin. I could see Coach fussing at him, but with two other students of hers on the ice, her attention couldn't be focused on him as it has been in the past. He tried again, and forgot the spin again. This didn't bode well.
But he skated first, so maybe he'd remember. He skated out, big smiles, started okay. Backspin was the same as always, high waltz jumps, nice spiral, good Dance Step, bunny hops were too rushed, and he forgot the spin. Horrors! He realized it midway through the three-turn-tap-toe sequence, and threw in a scratch spin, but by then he was totally thrown. Two half flips in a hurry, a two foot spin, and he finished with a shrug.
What elements he did were strong, but once he got thrown, it was over. I went down to collect him, and Coach hit me at the ice door. He can't do things before a competition, he can't work anything, he was tired before he started, she was saying. I didn't argue, but I knew the larger problem had been hit on the head for Stitch. Now I had to be the one to clean him up.
In the dressing room, he was close to tears. "I blew it," he said. "I blew the spin."
"You were fine," I changed his shirt. "You have one more to go. Another chance to get it right."
"I'll blow that, too," he was abject.
"Stop it," I said. "Don't set yourself up for failure. You didn't get it right the first time, okay. That's done. Focus on this next chance, okay? No more negative talk."
I decided to wait on my lecture.
I brought him up to sulk and wait for results, where we watched more skaters. Kwanette kicked it out of the park, as expected. I remained chatty and cheerful, which was hard given Sir Sulksalot. After awhile, we headed down. Second place. Not bad, given the Spin Incident.
Stitch was inconsolable. Not first? The judges may well have handed him a dirt clod. I assured him he did fine, focus on compulsory for now.
So, I handed him back to Coach for Compulsory. She immediately began drilling him on elements and order of things. He said he knew it, but they drilled it anyway.
For warmup, he looked a little more steady. There was a lot of going back to Coach for talking, but it looked a bit better. And he did do better. On the half ice for the judges, he knew the order, he knew the elements, but when it came to polish he came up short. Third, out of a flight of five.
Now he was just angry. He collected his trophy morosely, angrily, refusing to speak. I kept saying how good he skated, that I could tell he gave it his best shot, and I was proud.
But his negative talk ended his day. Selling flowers is a priviledge, and after hearing him say "anything other than first is Loser," I decided he was done. I pulled him out of costume, packed him up, and off we went. Although the Trophies were not first, he held them in his lap all the same on the way home. As we got further away, the mood lightened. Pretty soon we were laughing.
Once home, he started his bad talk again. "It's not first," he looked at the trophies which I'd displayed in the window for the evening. "I wanted first."
"Hey, Stitch?" I decided to bust it out. "You want first? Here's a tip: If you want first, you need to want first Every Day, not just on Competition Day. Every time you get on the ice, you need to think of first place. Because that's what every other skater is doing; wanting first and working for it, everyday. Every practice. Every lesson. Got it? No more hanging on the boards, no more phoning it in, no more drifting off when Coach is talking to you. Everytime I catch you doing it, I'll remind you of third place. Okay?"
"Okay," he was sullen.
"So what did you learn today?"
"Practice when you try, and try when you practice," he said, seeming to repeat something Coach said to him.
"Good. Remember that, and you'll do better next time. Deal?"
"Yes."
"Are we done talking about this?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
And then I ordered Thai.
Stitch and I fought our way through the Sandship in the new Zelda game, with Stitch scared of the Robot Pirate miniboss guarding the bow and arrow. I was not impressed, calling Robot Pirate a "soft touch." Stitch said he was "The Judge," grading me on my gaming skills. When I asked how I was doing, he said I was in third place.
"Third place and I'm the only player? Harsh, Stitch."
"Hey, rules are rules," he said.
After awhile he sighed. "I think I'm starting to appreciate my trophies."
"Good. Because you did a good job today," I repeated, fighting an Armos Statue and parenting at the same time. Kind of similar, in this instance. Both things tend blow up in your face if you're not careful.
We played awhile longer, Stitch giving me pointers. He's actually pretty quick on figuring the puzzles and strategy. We make a good team, he just needs me to take out the bosses. "Mom, mom," he says suddenly with some new urgency.
"What? What?"
"My tooth fell out."
"And that's a good day."
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Round #5 is this Sunday!
Sunday is the big day and it's going to be a long one. Stitch has asked to work flower sales with Rink Pal for some pocket money, so we will be there at 8am, and staying as long as he can tolerate working. I'll feed him a lunch at noon, and then he'll compete, returning to the flower booth afterwards to wait for results. I'll watch skaters and count how many times I hear Katy Perry's "Firework" in various bad cuts.
When we're done, we're heading out somewhere nice for dinner. Likely our local favorite Thai place.
We've got a decent showing of Coach's kids in attendance; Kwanette (whom I can't wait to watch) and Big Girl, both of whom are sweet kids and their moms are nice. I had a nice relaxing chat with Kwanette's mom last night, laughing about how she can't sew and I can't knit, skating costumes, and our kid's quirks. It was a marked change from talking to MsV, which always left me stressed and tired.
Stitch worked a half hour of Practice Ice last night, running his program just a few times more before he declared the ice too crowded. It was, and he admits he has a "hard time concentrating" when he has to dodge so many people. But it looks good. There's nothing overtly new in this program. Even the Back Spin at this level is just a "give it your best shot" thing, not an expectation of a finished product like the next level up. All Stitch has to do is get the Exit down and he's got the backspin. Give it time. He's a little nervous, but the Flower Sales has given him "something to do," which has taken the edge off his typical jitters. He keeps saying "I'll do terrible, I'll get fifth place," and so on, but it seems more like he's fishing for encouragement rather than actual doubt. Okay, sure, I'll encourage you.
Me? I've been ready for awhile. We did a "dress rehearsal" Tuesday morning and the costumes looked fine. I've had those done since Thanksgiving. The collar on the shirt flapped annoyingly on jumps, to the eye and to Stitch, so I tacked those down. Kwanette's mom couldn't believe I sewed them from scratch. I explained that given the lack of unique boys skating wear on the market, I kind of had to. And once we're done with them, up for sale they go!
Last year felt rushed and awkward. This year feels calmer. Yes, the skillset is harder and not without struggle, but given the light competition schedule and goal of two levels to pass (one of which is halfway done) it feels breezy.
My only concern is Stitch's tooth. He's got a baby front tooth dangling by a thread at the moment, and I wondered last night; if it falls out in the middle of his program and throws him off, will the judges allow a reskate? Or will Stitch have the kahunas to keep it in his mouth and finish? Can I get a picture of Coach's face if Stitch hands her a tooth during warmup?
Can I really convince Stitch that a lost tooth is some kind of good omen?
When we're done, we're heading out somewhere nice for dinner. Likely our local favorite Thai place.
We've got a decent showing of Coach's kids in attendance; Kwanette (whom I can't wait to watch) and Big Girl, both of whom are sweet kids and their moms are nice. I had a nice relaxing chat with Kwanette's mom last night, laughing about how she can't sew and I can't knit, skating costumes, and our kid's quirks. It was a marked change from talking to MsV, which always left me stressed and tired.
Stitch worked a half hour of Practice Ice last night, running his program just a few times more before he declared the ice too crowded. It was, and he admits he has a "hard time concentrating" when he has to dodge so many people. But it looks good. There's nothing overtly new in this program. Even the Back Spin at this level is just a "give it your best shot" thing, not an expectation of a finished product like the next level up. All Stitch has to do is get the Exit down and he's got the backspin. Give it time. He's a little nervous, but the Flower Sales has given him "something to do," which has taken the edge off his typical jitters. He keeps saying "I'll do terrible, I'll get fifth place," and so on, but it seems more like he's fishing for encouragement rather than actual doubt. Okay, sure, I'll encourage you.
Me? I've been ready for awhile. We did a "dress rehearsal" Tuesday morning and the costumes looked fine. I've had those done since Thanksgiving. The collar on the shirt flapped annoyingly on jumps, to the eye and to Stitch, so I tacked those down. Kwanette's mom couldn't believe I sewed them from scratch. I explained that given the lack of unique boys skating wear on the market, I kind of had to. And once we're done with them, up for sale they go!
Last year felt rushed and awkward. This year feels calmer. Yes, the skillset is harder and not without struggle, but given the light competition schedule and goal of two levels to pass (one of which is halfway done) it feels breezy.
My only concern is Stitch's tooth. He's got a baby front tooth dangling by a thread at the moment, and I wondered last night; if it falls out in the middle of his program and throws him off, will the judges allow a reskate? Or will Stitch have the kahunas to keep it in his mouth and finish? Can I get a picture of Coach's face if Stitch hands her a tooth during warmup?
Can I really convince Stitch that a lost tooth is some kind of good omen?
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
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.
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.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Embroidery Finishing
The embroidery has been done for awhile now, and here's how it looks. I think this took me about twelve hours. (I spend an hour on the train every day, which is when I do a lot of beading. So, figure twelve or fourteen days.)
I've torn away the paper, trimmed all my threads, and now we're ready to reinforce the back with our flexible acrylic.
This is Rosco Crystal Gel, and I love this stuff for crafting. Unfortunately, they only sell it by the gallon, and it's $57.00 per gallon. A gallon will last me two years, just be sure and lay down plastic wrap over the unused amounts and always use clean implements, lest the nasties take over your supply.
But this is a sample jar. It's plenty for these purposes. (I've asked the manufacturer about smaller size containers, and I've been told no. The product is hand-decanted, and a smaller package takes away profitability, which is understandable.)
This polymer acrylic stuff is permanent, clear, flexible, stretchable, water soluble, dyeable, washable, and holds just about anything. I've gotten it to adhere to smooth finished stone, but it does have trouble with painted metals. After you use this, you'll forget all about Hot Glue (ouch!) or two part epoxies (toxic!) You can get this sample jar from a local Rosco dealer, find one at their website, http://www.rosco.com/.
Using a clean paintbrush, go over all the back stitching. The Gel won't go through the fabric, it's nice like that.
Find the knots, hit them well. A thin coat will dry to the touch in about fifteen minutes, and it's 24 hours to a complete cure. When it's dry, take some nail clippers and clip any tails sticking up.
Stitch claims that the threads still feel sharp, so an undershirt may be in the works for this one.
I used the Gel to stick on the red crystal, applying those when the machine sewing was done. Instead of a paintbrush, I used a small piping bag and tweezers for crystal.
And that's that. We're all done, and we're weeks ahead of schedule, which is probably a good thing since I'm currently drowning in sequins for Ice Show.
If anyone wants a sewing tutorial, a more detailed bead tutorial (what kind to buy for best results) or a sequin tutorial, let me know in the comments!
I've torn away the paper, trimmed all my threads, and now we're ready to reinforce the back with our flexible acrylic.
This is Rosco Crystal Gel, and I love this stuff for crafting. Unfortunately, they only sell it by the gallon, and it's $57.00 per gallon. A gallon will last me two years, just be sure and lay down plastic wrap over the unused amounts and always use clean implements, lest the nasties take over your supply.
But this is a sample jar. It's plenty for these purposes. (I've asked the manufacturer about smaller size containers, and I've been told no. The product is hand-decanted, and a smaller package takes away profitability, which is understandable.)
This polymer acrylic stuff is permanent, clear, flexible, stretchable, water soluble, dyeable, washable, and holds just about anything. I've gotten it to adhere to smooth finished stone, but it does have trouble with painted metals. After you use this, you'll forget all about Hot Glue (ouch!) or two part epoxies (toxic!) You can get this sample jar from a local Rosco dealer, find one at their website, http://www.rosco.com/.
Using a clean paintbrush, go over all the back stitching. The Gel won't go through the fabric, it's nice like that.
Find the knots, hit them well. A thin coat will dry to the touch in about fifteen minutes, and it's 24 hours to a complete cure. When it's dry, take some nail clippers and clip any tails sticking up.
Stitch claims that the threads still feel sharp, so an undershirt may be in the works for this one.
I used the Gel to stick on the red crystal, applying those when the machine sewing was done. Instead of a paintbrush, I used a small piping bag and tweezers for crystal.
And that's that. We're all done, and we're weeks ahead of schedule, which is probably a good thing since I'm currently drowning in sequins for Ice Show.
If anyone wants a sewing tutorial, a more detailed bead tutorial (what kind to buy for best results) or a sequin tutorial, let me know in the comments!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Let's do some Embroidery
Seventy two days away, so I need to get going on costumes. My last embroidery project took about 48 hours, but this one is less involved so I'm guessing twenty. We'll see how accurate I am.
I cut the pieces for the two shirts; a white collared long sleeve for the solo program, and a blue velvet short sleeve affair for compulsories. What won't be sewn for awhile went into a storage size ziplock bag to keep it pressed and clean. After talking with another Coach who gave me this look of, "don't even try it in nonstretch," I changed my mind and decided to go with a lycra for the white shirt. Maybe with some good pressing I can get a clean look.
The thing to remember in sewing stretchy things is not to stretch them while sewing. This means no tugging, pulling, or coaxing it through the feed dogs. Just let it feed itself, watch it close, and go slow. When you are called to stretch the fabric while sewing, think of it the same way as crossing the streams with a proton pack.
It can work, you just have to be careful.
I don't have a serger, so I overlock everything and I get great results. But we're not sewing today. We're getting the bead embroidery started on the back panel.
Okay, here is our back panel. We're going to double overlock the edges to stabilize them before we start. This may not be totally necessary, but it makes me feel better. (Also, as this is a snowy white, wash your hands before handling it. This is going to get handled a lot in the coming days, so the last thing we need is this getting some gray tinge because my hands were dirty.)
Here's our overlocking in action. Note that I've got my Edge Foot on there to make things easier.
Here's my design, transferred to a piece of tearaway embroidery interfacing. You're going to sew the beads right onto this stuff, and pull it off when you're done. (It works, really.) Center it where you want it, and pin it down.
With the straight stitch setting set to the longest it can go, baste the paper design onto the back panel. Go slow, don't stretch, and try to make sure everyone lies flat together.
Here's our paper design basted onto the back panel. There's a bit of puffiness towards one edge, but I'm not worried. The beading will take care of things as we go, provided we pay attention.
These kinds of small errors are also okay, provided there aren't too many of them. As the beads go on, things will flatten out.
Here's all my beads and materials. My beading thread is a white Nymo, size B, a smaller gauge of the stuff they use to make shoes. Everything is packed up in baggies so I can easily take it with me, and I don't carry all the beads of the colors around, lest disaster strike and I spill a bag. (It's happened.) I only carry manageable amounts. Keep it organized, and work only with one color at a time to save your sanity, not going through multiple bags for one bead of one color and two beads of another.
Start with one bead. Just pick a point, sew it on, and secure it on the back with a surgeon's knot.
Here's the back view, and the knot. Don't worry too much about knots not holding, we're going to secure every stitch and knot when the entire piece is done with a flexible acrylic.
Bring your thread back up behind your first bead, and thread through it so you're coming out if it, as shown here.
Pick up three beads of the same color, and snug them against the first bead. Send your needle down through the fabric so the beads sit nicely against that first bead. They don't have to be really tight together, doing that can cause puckering and mounding. Just try to have them lay flat against each other.
Bring the needle up between your first bead and the new beads, and thread through again through the new three beads.
Just like that. After this, it's lather, rinse, repeat, over and over again. Fill in, three at a time. When you need to add thread, tie off and back on again with sturdy surgeon's knots. Get rid of the tails, they'll drive you nuts.
Flip it over and look at the back every now and then. The back does matter. You want it clean and neat. Places where the thread has knotted, gathered, frayed or whatever else thread does to irritate you means weak points in your beading. Weak points mean things can fall off, and that means disaster. When you make mistake, (this is going to hurt) rip it out and start again.
And we're on our way! See you in a few weeks!
I cut the pieces for the two shirts; a white collared long sleeve for the solo program, and a blue velvet short sleeve affair for compulsories. What won't be sewn for awhile went into a storage size ziplock bag to keep it pressed and clean. After talking with another Coach who gave me this look of, "don't even try it in nonstretch," I changed my mind and decided to go with a lycra for the white shirt. Maybe with some good pressing I can get a clean look.
The thing to remember in sewing stretchy things is not to stretch them while sewing. This means no tugging, pulling, or coaxing it through the feed dogs. Just let it feed itself, watch it close, and go slow. When you are called to stretch the fabric while sewing, think of it the same way as crossing the streams with a proton pack.
It can work, you just have to be careful.
I don't have a serger, so I overlock everything and I get great results. But we're not sewing today. We're getting the bead embroidery started on the back panel.
Here's our paper design basted onto the back panel. There's a bit of puffiness towards one edge, but I'm not worried. The beading will take care of things as we go, provided we pay attention.
Here's all my beads and materials. My beading thread is a white Nymo, size B, a smaller gauge of the stuff they use to make shoes. Everything is packed up in baggies so I can easily take it with me, and I don't carry all the beads of the colors around, lest disaster strike and I spill a bag. (It's happened.) I only carry manageable amounts. Keep it organized, and work only with one color at a time to save your sanity, not going through multiple bags for one bead of one color and two beads of another.
Here's the back view, and the knot. Don't worry too much about knots not holding, we're going to secure every stitch and knot when the entire piece is done with a flexible acrylic.
Flip it over and look at the back every now and then. The back does matter. You want it clean and neat. Places where the thread has knotted, gathered, frayed or whatever else thread does to irritate you means weak points in your beading. Weak points mean things can fall off, and that means disaster. When you make mistake, (this is going to hurt) rip it out and start again.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
The Curse of The Mummy's Back Spin
Stitch has a really good spin. It's one of his strongest elements, which is good in that it is so good, but bad in that he often relies on that to save him in competition. (And it frequently works. Judges, please look at everything, not just one thing.)
It's also turning out to be bad in that he's so strong in his forward spin, that his Back Spin seems cursed. I watched them work on it for a solid ten agonizing minutes of complete trainwreck before moving on to something else. He and Coach had some kind of chat after all that was done, leaving me wondering what all that was about.
It was a good lesson overall, and a good practice. I was giving directions on the sidelines, Stitch kicking the boards when I took too long. At the end I gave him the eighty cents I could scrounge from my pocket. He came back with a Push Pop, which I knew cost more. "I didn't give you that much."
"The guy behind the counter took a dime from the tip jar to pay for it," Stitch explained.
I immediately got a dollar from my wallet. "Go put that in the tip jar!"
"WHAT?" Stitch's sense of justice is outraged. He wanted the dollar.
"When you work for tips, you'll understand. Now GO!"
I was getting ready to leave Coach a note, thinking she'd gone already, when out of the office she came. We settled business, and I said Stitch was on for Friday. This made her happy. "The back spin," she lamented. "He needs so much work with it."
"We'll get there. In the meantime, he'll be here Friday, but he's yours. The babysitter will be dropping him off and leaving him."
Coach was fine with this, and in fact, this is something she's offered to do for awhile.
"I'll be here as soon as I can be," I continued. "But hopefully this will help that spin a bit."
She agreed and we went our separate ways. I had some other people to speak to about Friday, but I was confident things would be just fine. With a little "looking out for", Stitch would be fine on his own at the rink.
We picked up some frozen Chinese food on the way home, as both of us were famished, and as we walked by the bakery case I noted the fancy cakes and pies.
"Stitch, let's make a deal."
"What?"
"When you get that Back Spin, I'll buy you whatever cake you want out of that case, and I'll let you eat it whole with a fork."
Stitch was intrigued by this notion, gravitating towards some strawberry lemon affair. We pinky swore on it, and went home.
"What were you and Coach talking about out there?" I aske casually. I didn't really care, I was just curious.
"Oh, just Halloween. What we were going to be."
"Did you tell her about the Mummy Outfit?"
"Yeah, and I was praying the entire time she didn't say to just wrap me in toilet paper. She didn't."
One of the points in the USFSA book on how to be a skating parent is that one about "Sharing your child." I don't know why, but Coach asking about Halloween seemed like some kind of encroachment on my turf, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. I know very well that Stitch skates a lot differently for Coach than he does for me, and I know he values her opinions, takes her more seriously, and the two of them have a vibe going on. Even as he's disciplining the cat in her accent, he respects her in a way he doesn't with me. I don't think "Sharing" is the right term. I don't know what is.
Yes, the Mummy outfit is complete. I blew through it in a day and it was an absolute blast to create. Using thin gauzy scraps from the remnants table, I basted on layer after layer of wrappings on the arms, legs and trunk. I did Greek Key decorative stitching around the arms, and while I know Greek is not Egyptian, it's Halloween and Dark, and if anyone challenges it I'm walking away.
Mommytime, I hear what you're saying about the bigger neck and armholes, but I think the size I cut is going to be fine, given that the fabric doesn't stretch. When I basted on the strips, I negated the stretch of the base fabric, so it mimicked a nonstretch fabric pretty well. Actually, the arms may need to be cut a hair larger, as The Mummy's arms are a bit snug. We're going to do a lot of fitting this weekend, just to be absolutely sure before I cut anything. Worse, I may need to learn how to do a buttoned cuff sleeve.
Stitch changed his mind on the music, but the design I have in mind will still work. I set my countdown clock today.
We're eighty days out. Plenty of time.
On an unrelated note, upon trying on his costume for the first time, he immediately began clinging to Dad, moaning and growling. Dad dragged him around, Stitch firmly affixed to his leg, and said, "Mummies don't hang on people!"
"The ones in Legend of Zelda do!" Stitch says defiantly.
It's true. Those Mummies in the Shadow Temple are freakin' terrifying.
It's also turning out to be bad in that he's so strong in his forward spin, that his Back Spin seems cursed. I watched them work on it for a solid ten agonizing minutes of complete trainwreck before moving on to something else. He and Coach had some kind of chat after all that was done, leaving me wondering what all that was about.
It was a good lesson overall, and a good practice. I was giving directions on the sidelines, Stitch kicking the boards when I took too long. At the end I gave him the eighty cents I could scrounge from my pocket. He came back with a Push Pop, which I knew cost more. "I didn't give you that much."
"The guy behind the counter took a dime from the tip jar to pay for it," Stitch explained.
I immediately got a dollar from my wallet. "Go put that in the tip jar!"
"WHAT?" Stitch's sense of justice is outraged. He wanted the dollar.
"When you work for tips, you'll understand. Now GO!"
I was getting ready to leave Coach a note, thinking she'd gone already, when out of the office she came. We settled business, and I said Stitch was on for Friday. This made her happy. "The back spin," she lamented. "He needs so much work with it."
"We'll get there. In the meantime, he'll be here Friday, but he's yours. The babysitter will be dropping him off and leaving him."
Coach was fine with this, and in fact, this is something she's offered to do for awhile.
"I'll be here as soon as I can be," I continued. "But hopefully this will help that spin a bit."
She agreed and we went our separate ways. I had some other people to speak to about Friday, but I was confident things would be just fine. With a little "looking out for", Stitch would be fine on his own at the rink.
We picked up some frozen Chinese food on the way home, as both of us were famished, and as we walked by the bakery case I noted the fancy cakes and pies.
"Stitch, let's make a deal."
"What?"
"When you get that Back Spin, I'll buy you whatever cake you want out of that case, and I'll let you eat it whole with a fork."
Stitch was intrigued by this notion, gravitating towards some strawberry lemon affair. We pinky swore on it, and went home.
"What were you and Coach talking about out there?" I aske casually. I didn't really care, I was just curious.
"Oh, just Halloween. What we were going to be."
"Did you tell her about the Mummy Outfit?"
"Yeah, and I was praying the entire time she didn't say to just wrap me in toilet paper. She didn't."
One of the points in the USFSA book on how to be a skating parent is that one about "Sharing your child." I don't know why, but Coach asking about Halloween seemed like some kind of encroachment on my turf, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. I know very well that Stitch skates a lot differently for Coach than he does for me, and I know he values her opinions, takes her more seriously, and the two of them have a vibe going on. Even as he's disciplining the cat in her accent, he respects her in a way he doesn't with me. I don't think "Sharing" is the right term. I don't know what is.
Yes, the Mummy outfit is complete. I blew through it in a day and it was an absolute blast to create. Using thin gauzy scraps from the remnants table, I basted on layer after layer of wrappings on the arms, legs and trunk. I did Greek Key decorative stitching around the arms, and while I know Greek is not Egyptian, it's Halloween and Dark, and if anyone challenges it I'm walking away.
Mommytime, I hear what you're saying about the bigger neck and armholes, but I think the size I cut is going to be fine, given that the fabric doesn't stretch. When I basted on the strips, I negated the stretch of the base fabric, so it mimicked a nonstretch fabric pretty well. Actually, the arms may need to be cut a hair larger, as The Mummy's arms are a bit snug. We're going to do a lot of fitting this weekend, just to be absolutely sure before I cut anything. Worse, I may need to learn how to do a buttoned cuff sleeve.
Stitch changed his mind on the music, but the design I have in mind will still work. I set my countdown clock today.
We're eighty days out. Plenty of time.
On an unrelated note, upon trying on his costume for the first time, he immediately began clinging to Dad, moaning and growling. Dad dragged him around, Stitch firmly affixed to his leg, and said, "Mummies don't hang on people!"
"The ones in Legend of Zelda do!" Stitch says defiantly.
It's true. Those Mummies in the Shadow Temple are freakin' terrifying.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Preparing for Competition: Round #5
On the surface, January feels a long way off. It's not even in this year, it's next year, and MsV said she would have trouble remembering the date.
I won't. The Comp at Rink Across Town happens around my birthday. I am dreading the notion of turning 35, almost as much as I am dreading the idea of putting Stitch up against the girls in the Freeskate levels.
USFSA's answer to ISI's Freestyle is Freeskate. You have Freeskate levels all the way up through single jumps, at which point the USFS Basic Skills program ends and you graduate to the Pre-Pre, Pre, Pre-Juv, Juvenile and so on. But we're not worrying about that right now. Let's worry about Freeskate.
I've been trying to determine which Freeskate level Coach will pin the boys at, but I'm chronic for guessing a level too low. But it doesn't matter anyway, because here is where the rubber starts to meet the road. Here is where the Girls, having weeded out anyone not able to master three turns and crossovers, now become fierce. The true currency of skating, like it or not, is jumps and spins. I'm lucky in that Stitch already has a pretty solid spin, but his jumps need a lot of work. As I said to MsV, "You get line or height, but you don't get both." Gordon has a long way to go on spins, but he's got a pretty good Waltz and he's coming along on a Sow. (Look at me, using the lingo and everything.)
But if we put the Boys up against some Girls at the same level, they'd be toast. Even if they end up competing against each other at the same level, we'd need one to even out a flight of three. Chances are good that would be a female phenom, and she may as well collect her first place trophy and wait in the penalty box while the boys duke it out for second.
It's not that I'm bent on first place. I'm not. I just want to ensure Stitch has a fighting chance at it.
So while we wait and practice, I told Stitch about the costume I had in mind. "Now that you're freestyle," I explained. "You can have a bit more sparkle. So I was thinking a bead and crystal design on the shoulder."
He perked up. "Real crystal?" I know he hated last year's glitter and sequin substitutes.
"Yes. I'd fill in with beads, clear but silver lined. Red crystal. Do you want it on your shoulder or over your whole back?"
There was no pause. "Whole back."
"Better work on that Salchow."
He rolled his eyes.
I won't. The Comp at Rink Across Town happens around my birthday. I am dreading the notion of turning 35, almost as much as I am dreading the idea of putting Stitch up against the girls in the Freeskate levels.
USFSA's answer to ISI's Freestyle is Freeskate. You have Freeskate levels all the way up through single jumps, at which point the USFS Basic Skills program ends and you graduate to the Pre-Pre, Pre, Pre-Juv, Juvenile and so on. But we're not worrying about that right now. Let's worry about Freeskate.
I've been trying to determine which Freeskate level Coach will pin the boys at, but I'm chronic for guessing a level too low. But it doesn't matter anyway, because here is where the rubber starts to meet the road. Here is where the Girls, having weeded out anyone not able to master three turns and crossovers, now become fierce. The true currency of skating, like it or not, is jumps and spins. I'm lucky in that Stitch already has a pretty solid spin, but his jumps need a lot of work. As I said to MsV, "You get line or height, but you don't get both." Gordon has a long way to go on spins, but he's got a pretty good Waltz and he's coming along on a Sow. (Look at me, using the lingo and everything.)
But if we put the Boys up against some Girls at the same level, they'd be toast. Even if they end up competing against each other at the same level, we'd need one to even out a flight of three. Chances are good that would be a female phenom, and she may as well collect her first place trophy and wait in the penalty box while the boys duke it out for second.
It's not that I'm bent on first place. I'm not. I just want to ensure Stitch has a fighting chance at it.
So while we wait and practice, I told Stitch about the costume I had in mind. "Now that you're freestyle," I explained. "You can have a bit more sparkle. So I was thinking a bead and crystal design on the shoulder."
He perked up. "Real crystal?" I know he hated last year's glitter and sequin substitutes.
"Yes. I'd fill in with beads, clear but silver lined. Red crystal. Do you want it on your shoulder or over your whole back?"
There was no pause. "Whole back."
"Better work on that Salchow."
He rolled his eyes.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
So, just what happened last week?
Yesterday I spent most of the day in a hot and dirty little room, examining and marveling over old theatre parts, debating why the proscenium arch is starting to drop (it's 100 year old building), and how I can go about repairing and freshening drapes and drops next week. Hope Johnny Weir (the sewing machine) likes muslin, Red Velvet and commando cloth. The 100 Year Gala is in October, and I'm not sure what management's plans are for this event, since management is still in flux. (We're still burying valuable goods in trash before we leave, to hide them from Old Management. He's already sold one of the theatre's original spotlights, so we hid the second in a secret location. The other old spot is probably too big for him to take, she's the Original Big Bertha.)
I came home, took a shower, and went to settle some business at the rink and go skating. It's cool, quiet, and I need to ask what happened to Other Kid. Rink Informant was there, and I waited a good hour before asking the big question. "So, did they get sick or something?"
"No," said Rink Informant. "He said they just canceled it for him."
Let's review that statement. They: "They" must mean his coaches. Why would they do this? For whatever others were saying, they and Other Kid were practicing that program with all the gusto of a normal skating kid. When Other Kid flew into the boards backwards, they treated it like it was normal. When he fell, Coach said, "He bounces," and never seemed to note that he fell a lot more than the other skaters. Did they suddenly see what I, and others, were seeing?
Just Canceled. This is huge. "Just Canceled?" You don't "just cancel" a show! And not at the last minute! That Saturday night, we all left and said, "See you tomorrow!" and they said "See you tomorrow!" So when did they get the call saying not to compete? Sunday morning? How heartbreaking for Other Kid, who (for all his difficulties) really was trying his best. He'd just been crippled by being skipped up so fast. This part makes me sad, which leads me into the next part.
For Him: Dad and I have talked about Other Kid. We don't like the way he talked down to Stitch about being at a higher level. It made Stitch angry and confused, because Stitch is a miles better skater. And please don't accuse me of not liking kids who can't skate, I can't tell you how many little nonskating kids I help out and encourage at the Public Sessions. Beyond my ability to avoid my toepicks like the Sudden Death they are, I can't skate either. But I don't go around mocking those who do trip on their toepicks. I don't give a whit about skating ability, I don't like kids who mistreat other kids on baseless accusations. And others tell me that Other Kid is actually really nice and sweet and funny when he's not talking about skating. I'm sure he is, but when I get him, he's quizzing me about what Stitch is learning, and how he can "already do that, that's for kids" and how he's "learning a Salchow, does Stitch even know what that is yet? I'm learning faster than he is!"
I honestly want to shake him by the shoulders and scream, "It's not a race! For pity's sake, if you'd just slow down, you'd be so much better!"
But I don't. I smile and nod and try and change the subject, and Stitch has started to avoid him. Which is sad, because the Boys really do need to stick together.
So, Other Kid's coaches at some point decided that Other Kid shouldn't compete. If I were Other Kid's mom, I'd be in their face demanding WHY, and why they would allow or encourage my kid to learn a program and sign up for a comp, only to have them say, "yeah, no" at the last second. In fact, I'd be furious, because at that point I would have paid my non-refundable entry fee, hours and hours of ice time and the extra lessons. Not to mention the time I'd spent at the rink. I'd tell them they can deduct that entry fee from their coaching fees for the next however long it takes to pay that off, and absolutely no more rehashes of this event if I stayed with them at all. Just thinking about it makes my hair stand up. Glad it's not me, but it's someone.
At any rate, last night I just stroked around, enjoying the cool and the camaraderie. I counted spins for Awesome Guy, who's getting to ten or eleven revolutions with much more comfort and ease now. I told him he's looking much better on his spins, maybe he should try crossing his feet someday, and I encouraged him to reach both his toes on his stretching. I guess I have to be Skate Mom for someone while Stitch is gone.
I came home, took a shower, and went to settle some business at the rink and go skating. It's cool, quiet, and I need to ask what happened to Other Kid. Rink Informant was there, and I waited a good hour before asking the big question. "So, did they get sick or something?"
"No," said Rink Informant. "He said they just canceled it for him."
Let's review that statement. They: "They" must mean his coaches. Why would they do this? For whatever others were saying, they and Other Kid were practicing that program with all the gusto of a normal skating kid. When Other Kid flew into the boards backwards, they treated it like it was normal. When he fell, Coach said, "He bounces," and never seemed to note that he fell a lot more than the other skaters. Did they suddenly see what I, and others, were seeing?
Just Canceled. This is huge. "Just Canceled?" You don't "just cancel" a show! And not at the last minute! That Saturday night, we all left and said, "See you tomorrow!" and they said "See you tomorrow!" So when did they get the call saying not to compete? Sunday morning? How heartbreaking for Other Kid, who (for all his difficulties) really was trying his best. He'd just been crippled by being skipped up so fast. This part makes me sad, which leads me into the next part.
For Him: Dad and I have talked about Other Kid. We don't like the way he talked down to Stitch about being at a higher level. It made Stitch angry and confused, because Stitch is a miles better skater. And please don't accuse me of not liking kids who can't skate, I can't tell you how many little nonskating kids I help out and encourage at the Public Sessions. Beyond my ability to avoid my toepicks like the Sudden Death they are, I can't skate either. But I don't go around mocking those who do trip on their toepicks. I don't give a whit about skating ability, I don't like kids who mistreat other kids on baseless accusations. And others tell me that Other Kid is actually really nice and sweet and funny when he's not talking about skating. I'm sure he is, but when I get him, he's quizzing me about what Stitch is learning, and how he can "already do that, that's for kids" and how he's "learning a Salchow, does Stitch even know what that is yet? I'm learning faster than he is!"
I honestly want to shake him by the shoulders and scream, "It's not a race! For pity's sake, if you'd just slow down, you'd be so much better!"
But I don't. I smile and nod and try and change the subject, and Stitch has started to avoid him. Which is sad, because the Boys really do need to stick together.
So, Other Kid's coaches at some point decided that Other Kid shouldn't compete. If I were Other Kid's mom, I'd be in their face demanding WHY, and why they would allow or encourage my kid to learn a program and sign up for a comp, only to have them say, "yeah, no" at the last second. In fact, I'd be furious, because at that point I would have paid my non-refundable entry fee, hours and hours of ice time and the extra lessons. Not to mention the time I'd spent at the rink. I'd tell them they can deduct that entry fee from their coaching fees for the next however long it takes to pay that off, and absolutely no more rehashes of this event if I stayed with them at all. Just thinking about it makes my hair stand up. Glad it's not me, but it's someone.
At any rate, last night I just stroked around, enjoying the cool and the camaraderie. I counted spins for Awesome Guy, who's getting to ten or eleven revolutions with much more comfort and ease now. I told him he's looking much better on his spins, maybe he should try crossing his feet someday, and I encouraged him to reach both his toes on his stretching. I guess I have to be Skate Mom for someone while Stitch is gone.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Two Firsts and a Mystery!
This round was as smooth as could be expected, what with it being Home Rink and all. Stitch forgot his blade guards at Public Skate the night prior, but they were right where he left them when I looked this morning. No harm done. We arrived very early, since we were all a bit Antsy. Dad stayed home to sleep in a bit later, but all the grandparents and Lady Cluck arrived well on time.
Coach was late enough for me to call her, but she was only a minute away when I found her. She told me to get him on the small ice to practice a bit. I threw skates on him and told him to practice his compulsory routine since that was the one he had the least practice with. I was anxious to ditch him and go snooping. All the previous evening I'd been watching Other Kid, wondering what he'd be treating us to today. But I couldn't find his mom or him anywhere. His warmup time was the same as Stitch's.
She came, took over, I left the blade guards by her purse and took off to find these people. Nowhere. I went up into the stands to sit with the family and cheer on my boy.
Okay, so the original schedule had FS2 ages 9-10. This was Other Kid. An event was to be made for Stitch since he passed his test. This means a FS1, ages 7-8 and a FS2, ages 9-10. But the program only listed Stitch in the FS1 event, 9-10 age group. No other kids. Where was Other Kid? No boy from FS2 skated in that group at all.
The kids took the ice for Warmup, and NO OTHER KID. For weeks, Other Kid had been sure to tell Stitch that he was competing at FS2, and that he was better than Stitch, and now what's happening? Where is he? I was dying.
Stitch took the ice, and true to his form, he skated beautifully. He took a fall, which scared me only because he was rubbing his hand after and because the next element was a spiral. I know I get shaky legs after a fall, and if he did too, it might hurt him. He was fine. Nice spiral, good spin, high bunny hops and good edges. I was so proud, most of all because that fall didn't seem to bother him right off. Coach delivered him back to me with orders to get a snack and take a rest, come back to the small ice in a little while to practice again for Compulsory. I changed his shirt and brought him up to sit with his grandparents, who of course were praising him to the heavens.
I ran back down to go look once more for Other Kid, but nothing. What had happened here? It seemed an awful letdown after weeks of anticipating Other Kid falling on his rear, skating in a level he didn't belong in. Worst of all, I never did figure out what his music or costume was. Whenever I asked him, or his mom, neither of them knew. "Coach picked everything," they said. I went back down to quiz Rink Informant, but Coach caught me and said results were up, so I had to go get Stitch again. I let him read it. First place. Not bad, considering the fall. He gleefully ran to collect his medal, and his first comment was, "It doesn't have my name on it."
"For pity's sake, I will have it engraved later. Go inside and show the Grandmas."
I asked Rink Informant about Other Kid, and he didn't know either. In fact, he was also mystified. I went back up to collect Stitch and bring him back down to the small ice. Coach was waiting for us, I dumped him and went for some coffee for me and my mom. We needed more than the one cup we'd had at 7am.
We watched the groups go, with me and dad explaining things as they went. Eventually we broke down and got a program, just to determine levels between the girls. A few girls were awesome standouts, and I noted that there was a decidedly different feel between the Freestyle events and the Pre-Free events. The Pre-Free events felt, not silly, not useless, just different. Mom kept commenting how tiny Stitch seemed in comparison to the others. In fact, she was questioning me when I tossed him onto practice ice with the other kids, as he was the smallest one out there. I assured her he could hold his own, and he did. He did here, too.
One of Stitch's friends from school arrived with her parents to watch. This mom and Lady Cluck talked about the skating school, and This Mom said that her daughter was done with skating. "I mean, I've spent all this money and she's not Freestyle yet? Pfft, we're done."
Lady Cluck and I were taken aback. Lady Cluck insisted that her daughters would learn back crossovers no matter what it took, and her youngest daughter was fated to skate pairs with Stitch so she had to catch up. (Which was said only partially in jest.)
Compulsory came and Other Kid was still nowhere. Stitch did a better job at compulsory than he did at Solo, actually. He seemed more relaxed, and even hammed his way off the ice, much to the delight of the remaining crowd. I collected him again, and he sat with his girlfriend to wait for results. I came and went, finding shoes, talking to other moms, congratulating kids, having fun. Eventually Dad, Grandpa and Stitch went to go wait for results downstairs.
Another first. Stitch now had the honor of clinking medals, which he used to applaud the other skaters with. We stayed to watch Gordon, and got treated to some Pre-Alpha and Alpha kids. Here is where I saw the difference in the PreFree versus Freestyle. Two girls had the same music, back to back. That didn't happen in Freestyle. Maturity, maybe. Or just dumb luck of the day.
Gordon went on and looked miles better than he's ever had. Real improvement. This makes me happy. And believe it or not, I'm actually glad that Stitch will take a brief hiatus, and it's because Gordon can catch up a bit. I need them to stay at around the same level, and I need Ms V to remain suggestible. Ms V thanked us for sticking around, returned the safety pins she borrowed (for heaven's sake, keep them!) and said she'd see us in the fall.
Coach caught me and asked if he'd see any ice for the next six weeks. Maybe. I don't know. Dad and Grandpa were heading back home to hash out dates. I made me ill to think about so I didn't. It turned the day a bit bittersweet. I told her I'd been taking notes on the off-ice things and I'd ask the grandparents to work with him. It was the best I could do. She gave him a hug, wished him a good summer and said she'd see him again the last week of August.
When we got home, Dad says there was a dad making a fuss at Mysteria in the lobby. His daughter had placed second in compulsory, against the book. She wasn't the only one to do so. So, it is possible to lose against the book, and the kids do know. Everyone wins a prize, but heaven help you if it's not the prize they want.
I have to find out what happened to Other Kid. I'll die if I don't. So, while Stitch may be leaving on Wednesday, back for a few days in two weeks and then gone again, I'll be shadowing the rink until I get some answers. In the meantime, two medals are now with the trophies. Stitch is pleased, but unhappy about the fall. I told him to forget it. "No one cares about how often you fall, just how often you get back up. I thought you did great."
"Meh," says Stitch. Then he asked to go play slip-n-slide with his friend in the front yard.
Coach was late enough for me to call her, but she was only a minute away when I found her. She told me to get him on the small ice to practice a bit. I threw skates on him and told him to practice his compulsory routine since that was the one he had the least practice with. I was anxious to ditch him and go snooping. All the previous evening I'd been watching Other Kid, wondering what he'd be treating us to today. But I couldn't find his mom or him anywhere. His warmup time was the same as Stitch's.
She came, took over, I left the blade guards by her purse and took off to find these people. Nowhere. I went up into the stands to sit with the family and cheer on my boy.
Okay, so the original schedule had FS2 ages 9-10. This was Other Kid. An event was to be made for Stitch since he passed his test. This means a FS1, ages 7-8 and a FS2, ages 9-10. But the program only listed Stitch in the FS1 event, 9-10 age group. No other kids. Where was Other Kid? No boy from FS2 skated in that group at all.
The kids took the ice for Warmup, and NO OTHER KID. For weeks, Other Kid had been sure to tell Stitch that he was competing at FS2, and that he was better than Stitch, and now what's happening? Where is he? I was dying.
Stitch took the ice, and true to his form, he skated beautifully. He took a fall, which scared me only because he was rubbing his hand after and because the next element was a spiral. I know I get shaky legs after a fall, and if he did too, it might hurt him. He was fine. Nice spiral, good spin, high bunny hops and good edges. I was so proud, most of all because that fall didn't seem to bother him right off. Coach delivered him back to me with orders to get a snack and take a rest, come back to the small ice in a little while to practice again for Compulsory. I changed his shirt and brought him up to sit with his grandparents, who of course were praising him to the heavens.
I ran back down to go look once more for Other Kid, but nothing. What had happened here? It seemed an awful letdown after weeks of anticipating Other Kid falling on his rear, skating in a level he didn't belong in. Worst of all, I never did figure out what his music or costume was. Whenever I asked him, or his mom, neither of them knew. "Coach picked everything," they said. I went back down to quiz Rink Informant, but Coach caught me and said results were up, so I had to go get Stitch again. I let him read it. First place. Not bad, considering the fall. He gleefully ran to collect his medal, and his first comment was, "It doesn't have my name on it."
"For pity's sake, I will have it engraved later. Go inside and show the Grandmas."
I asked Rink Informant about Other Kid, and he didn't know either. In fact, he was also mystified. I went back up to collect Stitch and bring him back down to the small ice. Coach was waiting for us, I dumped him and went for some coffee for me and my mom. We needed more than the one cup we'd had at 7am.
We watched the groups go, with me and dad explaining things as they went. Eventually we broke down and got a program, just to determine levels between the girls. A few girls were awesome standouts, and I noted that there was a decidedly different feel between the Freestyle events and the Pre-Free events. The Pre-Free events felt, not silly, not useless, just different. Mom kept commenting how tiny Stitch seemed in comparison to the others. In fact, she was questioning me when I tossed him onto practice ice with the other kids, as he was the smallest one out there. I assured her he could hold his own, and he did. He did here, too.
One of Stitch's friends from school arrived with her parents to watch. This mom and Lady Cluck talked about the skating school, and This Mom said that her daughter was done with skating. "I mean, I've spent all this money and she's not Freestyle yet? Pfft, we're done."
Lady Cluck and I were taken aback. Lady Cluck insisted that her daughters would learn back crossovers no matter what it took, and her youngest daughter was fated to skate pairs with Stitch so she had to catch up. (Which was said only partially in jest.)
Compulsory came and Other Kid was still nowhere. Stitch did a better job at compulsory than he did at Solo, actually. He seemed more relaxed, and even hammed his way off the ice, much to the delight of the remaining crowd. I collected him again, and he sat with his girlfriend to wait for results. I came and went, finding shoes, talking to other moms, congratulating kids, having fun. Eventually Dad, Grandpa and Stitch went to go wait for results downstairs.
Another first. Stitch now had the honor of clinking medals, which he used to applaud the other skaters with. We stayed to watch Gordon, and got treated to some Pre-Alpha and Alpha kids. Here is where I saw the difference in the PreFree versus Freestyle. Two girls had the same music, back to back. That didn't happen in Freestyle. Maturity, maybe. Or just dumb luck of the day.
Gordon went on and looked miles better than he's ever had. Real improvement. This makes me happy. And believe it or not, I'm actually glad that Stitch will take a brief hiatus, and it's because Gordon can catch up a bit. I need them to stay at around the same level, and I need Ms V to remain suggestible. Ms V thanked us for sticking around, returned the safety pins she borrowed (for heaven's sake, keep them!) and said she'd see us in the fall.
Coach caught me and asked if he'd see any ice for the next six weeks. Maybe. I don't know. Dad and Grandpa were heading back home to hash out dates. I made me ill to think about so I didn't. It turned the day a bit bittersweet. I told her I'd been taking notes on the off-ice things and I'd ask the grandparents to work with him. It was the best I could do. She gave him a hug, wished him a good summer and said she'd see him again the last week of August.
When we got home, Dad says there was a dad making a fuss at Mysteria in the lobby. His daughter had placed second in compulsory, against the book. She wasn't the only one to do so. So, it is possible to lose against the book, and the kids do know. Everyone wins a prize, but heaven help you if it's not the prize they want.
I have to find out what happened to Other Kid. I'll die if I don't. So, while Stitch may be leaving on Wednesday, back for a few days in two weeks and then gone again, I'll be shadowing the rink until I get some answers. In the meantime, two medals are now with the trophies. Stitch is pleased, but unhappy about the fall. I told him to forget it. "No one cares about how often you fall, just how often you get back up. I thought you did great."
"Meh," says Stitch. Then he asked to go play slip-n-slide with his friend in the front yard.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
The FS1 Patch Story (as relayed by Dad)
Bear in mind throughout this story that Dad worked an all-nighter at a concert venue prior to doing this. Dad deserves a medal.
Sleepless Dad took Stitch to the rink at 10am as scheduled for the test. Mysteria was nowhere to be found, so Coach took Stitch in with her student for some pointers to wait. "Some pointers" turned into "Free lesson" as Mysteria never arrived.
By this time, I had called Dad, asking for results. Dad said he didn't know, that no one knew where Mysteria was.
"Did you ask the desk?"
"No, I don't know who to ask."
"Any of them! Just ask if Mysteria is there!"
"I don't want to do that."
So I hung up and called the stupid rink, at which point I was informed that Mysteria doesn't usually arrive until Noon on Wednesday. Then I got mad, because it's not fair to pump Stitch up for The Big Test and then keep him waiting interminably.
I called Dad again, and Dad was at this point talking things over with Coach. Coach seemed to think he'd be fine, but she had to leave to attend another comp elsewhere. Okay, we understand this.
But that meant Stitch was on his own. Dad agreed to hang out at the rink until noon, waiting for Mysteria.
Mysteria finally arrives a little after noon, and expresses surprise that they are still there and untested. She says that she ascribed Coach Someone (Dad forgets who) to administer the test. Dad says that at this point he was exhausted to the point of shaking, "so she probably thinks I was having some kind of seizure, but maybe that added to the pity factor."
Mysteria, Dad and Stitch head into the Big Rink, where it's maintenance hour. There's a lift on the ice replacing a lightbulb. Mysteria asks everyone if they're okay doing the test with the lift on the ice. Stitch thinks this is awesome, and I think in any other state of mind Dad would have said no for safety's sake.
Dad tells me that Stitch skated the program the best he's ever seen. "It was amazing," says Dad. "Given his mood the previous day, I was sure he wouldn't pass."
Mysteria awards the title and the patch, and Stitch is suddenly on Cloud 9. Dad tells me he was bouncing all over, and I really only cared that he said "Thank you." He did.
That night we picked up Grandma from the airport and the first thing Stitch showed her was his two foot, one and a half rotation hop. I had to stop him from doing his skating moves in the baggage claim, for fear of him hurting himself on the granite floor. Coach called me later on that night, expressing her pleasure that he finally passed and cancelling the Camp session the following day. This was fine by all of us, as Grandma H (my mom) wanted to go see a movie. Stitch ate cherries out of the jar and drank syrupy Shirley Temples.
So, what did I say to him? Tuesday night, out on the front lawn, I asked him if the test was important to him.
"It is important to me, mom," he sounded a bit bereft.
"If it's important to you, then you need to own it. We can't do it for you. Everyone knows you can do it, you just need to throw yourself into it the way we all know you can."
"I don't know how."
"Try this; when you take your place on the ice, close your eyes and imagine it's competition day. Imagine the audience, with me and your grandparents and Dad and the Photographer. Imagine you're in costume, and the announcer calls your name. When you open your eyes, you're there, and skate just the way you would for the judges. Will you try that?"
"Okay."
Either he did what I told him to do, or he finally understood that this was his problem. Or he was genuinely concerned about me getting nailed with a shovel by Gordon's dad. Whatever.
All this makes plain to me the value of these little competitions for Stitch. I don't think he would have done what he did were it not for the push of a competition behind him. He stood to really lose if he didn't own up to his potential, and when he did, he was absolutely elated.
Tomorrow I have the day off, so I can attend Lessons for the first time in a month. I'll have costumes so we can do Dress Rehearsal. I'm excited, and the countdown is nearing the hours mark.
In Acting Terms, it is Bad Luck to wish an Actor Good Luck. I told Stitch this and he looked at me like I was crazy.
"So, instead of saying 'good luck' we say 'break a leg'."
"Uh huh."
"We don't really want them to break a leg, but..."
"Uh huh."
"Since you're a figure skater, we really really don't want you to break a leg, but you do fall a lot. So we decided the best way to wish a skater good luck was to say, 'bust your butt'."
Stitch laughed.
"So, bust your butt tomorrow at the test, okay?"
"Okay."
Let's hope he busts his butt just as hard on Sunday!
Sleepless Dad took Stitch to the rink at 10am as scheduled for the test. Mysteria was nowhere to be found, so Coach took Stitch in with her student for some pointers to wait. "Some pointers" turned into "Free lesson" as Mysteria never arrived.
By this time, I had called Dad, asking for results. Dad said he didn't know, that no one knew where Mysteria was.
"Did you ask the desk?"
"No, I don't know who to ask."
"Any of them! Just ask if Mysteria is there!"
"I don't want to do that."
So I hung up and called the stupid rink, at which point I was informed that Mysteria doesn't usually arrive until Noon on Wednesday. Then I got mad, because it's not fair to pump Stitch up for The Big Test and then keep him waiting interminably.
I called Dad again, and Dad was at this point talking things over with Coach. Coach seemed to think he'd be fine, but she had to leave to attend another comp elsewhere. Okay, we understand this.
But that meant Stitch was on his own. Dad agreed to hang out at the rink until noon, waiting for Mysteria.
Mysteria finally arrives a little after noon, and expresses surprise that they are still there and untested. She says that she ascribed Coach Someone (Dad forgets who) to administer the test. Dad says that at this point he was exhausted to the point of shaking, "so she probably thinks I was having some kind of seizure, but maybe that added to the pity factor."
Mysteria, Dad and Stitch head into the Big Rink, where it's maintenance hour. There's a lift on the ice replacing a lightbulb. Mysteria asks everyone if they're okay doing the test with the lift on the ice. Stitch thinks this is awesome, and I think in any other state of mind Dad would have said no for safety's sake.
Dad tells me that Stitch skated the program the best he's ever seen. "It was amazing," says Dad. "Given his mood the previous day, I was sure he wouldn't pass."
Mysteria awards the title and the patch, and Stitch is suddenly on Cloud 9. Dad tells me he was bouncing all over, and I really only cared that he said "Thank you." He did.
That night we picked up Grandma from the airport and the first thing Stitch showed her was his two foot, one and a half rotation hop. I had to stop him from doing his skating moves in the baggage claim, for fear of him hurting himself on the granite floor. Coach called me later on that night, expressing her pleasure that he finally passed and cancelling the Camp session the following day. This was fine by all of us, as Grandma H (my mom) wanted to go see a movie. Stitch ate cherries out of the jar and drank syrupy Shirley Temples.
So, what did I say to him? Tuesday night, out on the front lawn, I asked him if the test was important to him.
"It is important to me, mom," he sounded a bit bereft.
"If it's important to you, then you need to own it. We can't do it for you. Everyone knows you can do it, you just need to throw yourself into it the way we all know you can."
"I don't know how."
"Try this; when you take your place on the ice, close your eyes and imagine it's competition day. Imagine the audience, with me and your grandparents and Dad and the Photographer. Imagine you're in costume, and the announcer calls your name. When you open your eyes, you're there, and skate just the way you would for the judges. Will you try that?"
"Okay."
Either he did what I told him to do, or he finally understood that this was his problem. Or he was genuinely concerned about me getting nailed with a shovel by Gordon's dad. Whatever.
All this makes plain to me the value of these little competitions for Stitch. I don't think he would have done what he did were it not for the push of a competition behind him. He stood to really lose if he didn't own up to his potential, and when he did, he was absolutely elated.
Tomorrow I have the day off, so I can attend Lessons for the first time in a month. I'll have costumes so we can do Dress Rehearsal. I'm excited, and the countdown is nearing the hours mark.
In Acting Terms, it is Bad Luck to wish an Actor Good Luck. I told Stitch this and he looked at me like I was crazy.
"So, instead of saying 'good luck' we say 'break a leg'."
"Uh huh."
"We don't really want them to break a leg, but..."
"Uh huh."
"Since you're a figure skater, we really really don't want you to break a leg, but you do fall a lot. So we decided the best way to wish a skater good luck was to say, 'bust your butt'."
Stitch laughed.
"So, bust your butt tomorrow at the test, okay?"
"Okay."
Let's hope he busts his butt just as hard on Sunday!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
The times, they are a' changin'
Stitch did not pass the FS1 Program test. To my commenters who were confused about the lack of the Program component of the test, you were right. There was one, and Stitch, true to his "it's just practice so whatever" form, didn't pass it.
Well, I was disappointed to say the least. And I was disappointed in the same way I was when Stitch half-assed his way through a book, math assignment or project in school. I was disappointed because of his chronic habit of shortchanging himself and his abilities. And I was mad. Mad because now I'd have to watch Other Kid taunt him for being at a lower level for another god knows how long, when Other Kid can't make it over his own skates without looking like he's terrified for his life. This kid's knees are torn out of his skate pants, he falls so often.
But last night I got the other side of the story, and now I'm not so mad. In fact, I'm giggling a bit.
Rink Informant and I were watching Stitch jump and skate and dance, and I asked what happened.
"Well, Mysteria says he can do it better."
"I know that, but..."
"No, he can do it better than what he's letting himself do. She wants him to do better. She's pushing him, too."
I thought about that for a minute. "What does Coach say?"
"Coach Y told me, and she had this funny little half grin on her face, like she was happy about what Mysteria said. All the coaching staff is watching him. He's our next Big Skater."
"But what about Other Kid?"
"That's what everyone else is asking. But Coach N has been barred from giving ISI tests, and she's the one who passed Other Kid into Freestyle 3. Now all the tests have to go through Mysteria."
"I thought that was how you did it anyway..."
"Mysteria's going to flip when she sees Other Kid."
Of course she is. Because to have some kid skating like that at Freestyle 2 as representative of your rink is embarrassing.
I changed the subject to cats. That's a lot to digest.
Stitch did his program a few times, with me explaining that what Mysteria was looking for was the exact same performance he would give if he were competing. The same energy, the same life, not the Blah "It's just Practice" snoozer. And he delivered for me. But every time he came off the ice, he railed about how "it wasn't perfect! I can't get it perfect!"
"So do it until it feels perfect," I said.
"I can't get it perfect! That's the problem!"
Well, you're doing miles better than Other Kid, who's bunny hops look like a split two foot jump. I just have to get into your head that it's okay to not be perfect, and lack of perfection doesn't precede you from continuing to try.
We came home and watched some bad Kung Fu movie, and I put Stitch to bed. We had gone to the library and gotten a bunch of books on electricity projects, and his task for tomorrow is to build a "welcome mat" for his door that will ring a buzzer inside his room. He thinks this will be hilarious.
I left the skating alone for awhile, but I did lay things out for Stitch on Friday.
"Here's what's at stake if you don't pass this last chance on Wednesday. You will have to completely re-do your program to compete at Delta level, and you'll have just two days to do it. That will be loads more work than if you just performed for Mysteria as you would for a judge. Also, you will be competing against Gordon instead of against the Book. Is that what you want?"
"No."
"Okay. It doesn't matter to me what level you compete at. I would prefer you compete at Freestyle 1 since that's what you're capable of." And I don't want Gordon's Dad coming after me with a shovel. "So, please take this final chance seriously. Will you?"
"Yes."
Stitch insists he's doing his best. I know that this isn't true. I've seen his best.
SO....
What does all this upheaval mean for you, fellow Skate Moms of my rink who I know read this blog? Well, it means that if you are fine with your kid going through class levels without formal testing and zipping on up without care for quantifiable results, you can continue to do that. However, if you want to compete in ISI while affiliated with our rink, you need to go through Mysteria. Full stop. Am I happy about this? You bet your sweet bippy I am!
Which isn't to say there aren't ways around it. There are, and I'm sorry to say we've participated in that. I'm going to try to avoid that in the future.
Skating has entered my arsenal of weaponry to challenge Stitch to own himself, to live up to his capabilities, not quash them down because it's "hard work." In the end, it's harder work being dumb. "Next Big Skater" or no, this has become part of a Whole Child/Person Philosophy I'm working on, here. He can do better.
Well, I was disappointed to say the least. And I was disappointed in the same way I was when Stitch half-assed his way through a book, math assignment or project in school. I was disappointed because of his chronic habit of shortchanging himself and his abilities. And I was mad. Mad because now I'd have to watch Other Kid taunt him for being at a lower level for another god knows how long, when Other Kid can't make it over his own skates without looking like he's terrified for his life. This kid's knees are torn out of his skate pants, he falls so often.
But last night I got the other side of the story, and now I'm not so mad. In fact, I'm giggling a bit.
Rink Informant and I were watching Stitch jump and skate and dance, and I asked what happened.
"Well, Mysteria says he can do it better."
"I know that, but..."
"No, he can do it better than what he's letting himself do. She wants him to do better. She's pushing him, too."
I thought about that for a minute. "What does Coach say?"
"Coach Y told me, and she had this funny little half grin on her face, like she was happy about what Mysteria said. All the coaching staff is watching him. He's our next Big Skater."
"But what about Other Kid?"
"That's what everyone else is asking. But Coach N has been barred from giving ISI tests, and she's the one who passed Other Kid into Freestyle 3. Now all the tests have to go through Mysteria."
"I thought that was how you did it anyway..."
"Mysteria's going to flip when she sees Other Kid."
Of course she is. Because to have some kid skating like that at Freestyle 2 as representative of your rink is embarrassing.
I changed the subject to cats. That's a lot to digest.
Stitch did his program a few times, with me explaining that what Mysteria was looking for was the exact same performance he would give if he were competing. The same energy, the same life, not the Blah "It's just Practice" snoozer. And he delivered for me. But every time he came off the ice, he railed about how "it wasn't perfect! I can't get it perfect!"
"So do it until it feels perfect," I said.
"I can't get it perfect! That's the problem!"
Well, you're doing miles better than Other Kid, who's bunny hops look like a split two foot jump. I just have to get into your head that it's okay to not be perfect, and lack of perfection doesn't precede you from continuing to try.
We came home and watched some bad Kung Fu movie, and I put Stitch to bed. We had gone to the library and gotten a bunch of books on electricity projects, and his task for tomorrow is to build a "welcome mat" for his door that will ring a buzzer inside his room. He thinks this will be hilarious.
I left the skating alone for awhile, but I did lay things out for Stitch on Friday.
"Here's what's at stake if you don't pass this last chance on Wednesday. You will have to completely re-do your program to compete at Delta level, and you'll have just two days to do it. That will be loads more work than if you just performed for Mysteria as you would for a judge. Also, you will be competing against Gordon instead of against the Book. Is that what you want?"
"No."
"Okay. It doesn't matter to me what level you compete at. I would prefer you compete at Freestyle 1 since that's what you're capable of." And I don't want Gordon's Dad coming after me with a shovel. "So, please take this final chance seriously. Will you?"
"Yes."
Stitch insists he's doing his best. I know that this isn't true. I've seen his best.
SO....
What does all this upheaval mean for you, fellow Skate Moms of my rink who I know read this blog? Well, it means that if you are fine with your kid going through class levels without formal testing and zipping on up without care for quantifiable results, you can continue to do that. However, if you want to compete in ISI while affiliated with our rink, you need to go through Mysteria. Full stop. Am I happy about this? You bet your sweet bippy I am!
Which isn't to say there aren't ways around it. There are, and I'm sorry to say we've participated in that. I'm going to try to avoid that in the future.
Skating has entered my arsenal of weaponry to challenge Stitch to own himself, to live up to his capabilities, not quash them down because it's "hard work." In the end, it's harder work being dumb. "Next Big Skater" or no, this has become part of a Whole Child/Person Philosophy I'm working on, here. He can do better.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
The Day Wherein I had to Leave
I haven't been to Practice Ice in about a week. We were supposed to go Monday, but after such a rollercoaster weekend (Surprise Party, then the cat finally died, which I'm sad about but relieved with at the same time) I needed a night off.
So we went tonight. The usual suspects were there, doing the usual things. Nothing seems to change much until it does, I guess. I saw Ms V, and went to say hello wince I hadn't seen her in weeks. She greeted me and said they were just chilling for awhile before heading home. I said we were doing Practice ice. All was fine until she mentioned Gordon's skate. "I think it's broken, I don't know what to do."
"What's wrong with it?"
"The sole part is pulling away from the boot."
Uh..... "That sounds serious. Can I see it?"
"It's in the car. I'll go get it." So she traipses out to the car and Stitch is asking if he can get on the ice and the monitor is saying no, so I'm deflecting him from getting ice cream too soon. (After practice, please.)
Ms V returns and digs out the offending skate. "See?" she pulls back gently, the heel part pulling away from the sole.
I take the skate and turn to the nearest Coach. "Coach Q? Um..." I hand her the carcass of the skate.
Coach Q's eyes get wide. "Oh my god, I've never seen that before!" She looks up at another Coach. "Coach S! Look at this!"
Coach S gives the skate a look. "What brand is that??"
"Reidell," says Ms V. "It's supposed to be good quality, but we got it secondhand..."
"He can't skate in this," says Coach S.
"But we can't get new skates so close to competition," says Ms V.
"Call Coach H," Coach S says. "He's good at skate repair. But it may not be done by the competition."
"I guess Gordon is rough on his skates," Ms V is kinda freaked out.
Yes, he's rough on his skates. But he's rough on his skates because you let him tear around the lobby for a half hour after lessons are done with the skates on. They aren't jogging shoes. That's also why his blades are in such bad shape. But I didn't say anything. What was the point?
I excused myself to help Stitch practice. I was watching him do forward crossovers when Ms V came back in. She looked resigned. "Coach H says he can't skate in them, it's not safe. I don't know what to do."
Me neither, but can I be a fly on the wall when you tell Coach Y about this? "Something will work out, you can get new skates or borrow some." (This is a lesson in equipment maintenance, folks! That didn't happen overnight!)
She talked with me forever, while Gordon was tearing all around, poking at Stitch whenever he came to the ice door. At one point, Stitch fell and Gordon was prancing all around.. "Stitch went boom! Stitch went boom! Stitch went boom!" I swear my eye got a tic.
Ms V was complaining about how the boys will be separated from the girls for this comp, so it will be harder for them to win. This is funny, because she used the exact opposite excuse as to why it would be hard for Gordon to win at the USFS comps. Just as I was longing for a flask of vodka to help me with my Diet Coke, she and Gordon departed.
But wait, there's more!
Other Kid walked up. "What level is Stitch competing at?"
"Freestyle one," I hope.
"I'm at Freestyle two. So that means he's going into Freestyle one."
"No, that means he's going into Freestyle two."
"No, he's going into Freestyle one."
Kid. I'm going to stash your body either under the stands or between the speedskating mats. "Well, he's competing at Freestyle one."
"My coach says that if I do a good job at the July Opening (sic), I can skip Freestyle three and four, so then I can get a solo in winter show."
"Do you think that's a good idea?"
"Oh yes! I can do a solo!"
"Excuse me for a moment." I bolted through the lobby, dying. I had to find a safe place to laugh.
Skip Freestyle three and four? Just like that? I mean, it's one thing to skip Beta maybe... but something else to jump two freestyle levels just because you managed to get through your competition without breaking your butt. Secondly, I don't know what solo this kid has in mind, but it won't be a lead role of any kind! If any of that happens, I'm complaining. Especially since Stitch is being put through the wringer on backwards inside edges and the steady of his spiral.
Finally, with three wet runs of his program, a full six minutes of backwards inside edges and spirals later, Stitch and I headed out. He bought some candy and a Diet Coke for me, what a sweetheart. He was in a good mood, but I reminded him that he needed to be polite tomorrow for lessons lest he risk losing all his weekend activities. He was okay with this, and we had a minor disagreement as to which run of his program was the best, first or third. I also mentioned that it was probably a little odd to start dancing to someone else's program music. He didn't see a problem with this.
So we went tonight. The usual suspects were there, doing the usual things. Nothing seems to change much until it does, I guess. I saw Ms V, and went to say hello wince I hadn't seen her in weeks. She greeted me and said they were just chilling for awhile before heading home. I said we were doing Practice ice. All was fine until she mentioned Gordon's skate. "I think it's broken, I don't know what to do."
"What's wrong with it?"
"The sole part is pulling away from the boot."
Uh..... "That sounds serious. Can I see it?"
"It's in the car. I'll go get it." So she traipses out to the car and Stitch is asking if he can get on the ice and the monitor is saying no, so I'm deflecting him from getting ice cream too soon. (After practice, please.)
Ms V returns and digs out the offending skate. "See?" she pulls back gently, the heel part pulling away from the sole.
I take the skate and turn to the nearest Coach. "Coach Q? Um..." I hand her the carcass of the skate.
Coach Q's eyes get wide. "Oh my god, I've never seen that before!" She looks up at another Coach. "Coach S! Look at this!"
Coach S gives the skate a look. "What brand is that??"
"Reidell," says Ms V. "It's supposed to be good quality, but we got it secondhand..."
"He can't skate in this," says Coach S.
"But we can't get new skates so close to competition," says Ms V.
"Call Coach H," Coach S says. "He's good at skate repair. But it may not be done by the competition."
"I guess Gordon is rough on his skates," Ms V is kinda freaked out.
Yes, he's rough on his skates. But he's rough on his skates because you let him tear around the lobby for a half hour after lessons are done with the skates on. They aren't jogging shoes. That's also why his blades are in such bad shape. But I didn't say anything. What was the point?
I excused myself to help Stitch practice. I was watching him do forward crossovers when Ms V came back in. She looked resigned. "Coach H says he can't skate in them, it's not safe. I don't know what to do."
Me neither, but can I be a fly on the wall when you tell Coach Y about this? "Something will work out, you can get new skates or borrow some." (This is a lesson in equipment maintenance, folks! That didn't happen overnight!)
She talked with me forever, while Gordon was tearing all around, poking at Stitch whenever he came to the ice door. At one point, Stitch fell and Gordon was prancing all around.. "Stitch went boom! Stitch went boom! Stitch went boom!" I swear my eye got a tic.
Ms V was complaining about how the boys will be separated from the girls for this comp, so it will be harder for them to win. This is funny, because she used the exact opposite excuse as to why it would be hard for Gordon to win at the USFS comps. Just as I was longing for a flask of vodka to help me with my Diet Coke, she and Gordon departed.
But wait, there's more!
Other Kid walked up. "What level is Stitch competing at?"
"Freestyle one," I hope.
"I'm at Freestyle two. So that means he's going into Freestyle one."
"No, that means he's going into Freestyle two."
"No, he's going into Freestyle one."
Kid. I'm going to stash your body either under the stands or between the speedskating mats. "Well, he's competing at Freestyle one."
"My coach says that if I do a good job at the July Opening (sic), I can skip Freestyle three and four, so then I can get a solo in winter show."
"Do you think that's a good idea?"
"Oh yes! I can do a solo!"
"Excuse me for a moment." I bolted through the lobby, dying. I had to find a safe place to laugh.
Skip Freestyle three and four? Just like that? I mean, it's one thing to skip Beta maybe... but something else to jump two freestyle levels just because you managed to get through your competition without breaking your butt. Secondly, I don't know what solo this kid has in mind, but it won't be a lead role of any kind! If any of that happens, I'm complaining. Especially since Stitch is being put through the wringer on backwards inside edges and the steady of his spiral.
Finally, with three wet runs of his program, a full six minutes of backwards inside edges and spirals later, Stitch and I headed out. He bought some candy and a Diet Coke for me, what a sweetheart. He was in a good mood, but I reminded him that he needed to be polite tomorrow for lessons lest he risk losing all his weekend activities. He was okay with this, and we had a minor disagreement as to which run of his program was the best, first or third. I also mentioned that it was probably a little odd to start dancing to someone else's program music. He didn't see a problem with this.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Test? What Test?
I called home after I was sure lessons were done. Stitch answered. "Hello?"
"It's just me. How was skating?"
"Eh. Hard."
"That's okay. Anything new?"
"No. I have a test tomorrow."
"What?"
"I have a test at ten o'clock."
"Oh. Did Coach tell you what to do?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Do you think you'll pass?"
"I don't know."
Hm. I leave it be for the day, and interrogate Dad when I get home. Stitch's comp form got returned, because he hadn't officially passed the levels. This is okay. He gets a second chance. It's tomorrow at 10am.
I asked Dad; "So, what happens if he doesn't pass?"
Dad didn't know. He said Coach went over everything with him and he should pass. The fact that this is Round 2 for is might help. It isn't like we aren't trying.
But if Stitch doesn't pass, then he can't compete at the level we thought. That's okay. A disappointment, but okay. I have nothing against Official Tests, in fact I love them. So long as Mysteria is coming down on everyone and not just Stitch.
So, a cliffhanger for my readers this evening. Will Stitch pass the official tests? Is Mysteria coming down on all the kids and not just mine? Have we instigated a rebellion of sorts? Will this affect Other Kid, or what? What about Gordon?
I will let you all know as soon as I do tomorrow!
"It's just me. How was skating?"
"Eh. Hard."
"That's okay. Anything new?"
"No. I have a test tomorrow."
"What?"
"I have a test at ten o'clock."
"Oh. Did Coach tell you what to do?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Do you think you'll pass?"
"I don't know."
Hm. I leave it be for the day, and interrogate Dad when I get home. Stitch's comp form got returned, because he hadn't officially passed the levels. This is okay. He gets a second chance. It's tomorrow at 10am.
I asked Dad; "So, what happens if he doesn't pass?"
Dad didn't know. He said Coach went over everything with him and he should pass. The fact that this is Round 2 for is might help. It isn't like we aren't trying.
But if Stitch doesn't pass, then he can't compete at the level we thought. That's okay. A disappointment, but okay. I have nothing against Official Tests, in fact I love them. So long as Mysteria is coming down on everyone and not just Stitch.
So, a cliffhanger for my readers this evening. Will Stitch pass the official tests? Is Mysteria coming down on all the kids and not just mine? Have we instigated a rebellion of sorts? Will this affect Other Kid, or what? What about Gordon?
I will let you all know as soon as I do tomorrow!
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Unintended Performance Snafus
Every Performer will do something that doesn't look the way they think it does. That's what Directors are for; they see your performance from the front and can give honest appraisals. For example, during a play I was performing in, I decided to fling my hand aside while chastising my imaginary "son." The Director yelled at me, telling me that this bit of business was indicative of me "throwing away" my son. You don't fling your hand aside unless there's something in it you want to get rid of. Thank you, Mr. Director.
The Kneel Thingie is hard, so last night after Stitch was done with The List I told him to do ten attempts. Stitch dutifully tried, but instead of remaining on one skate, he dropped to both knees, spun and looked back at me with his hands up. I tried not to laugh.
Then he did it again. And Again. And again. I try not to coach my kid, that's not my job, but I had to put a stop to this.
"Stitch, hold your arms out, not up."
"I AM!"
"No, you're not. You don't look like you're a skater, you look like you're being arrested."
Then Stitch once again did a move where it looked like a SWAT team had descended into the Small Rink and told him to reach for the sky.
"Again, are you finishing a program or are you going to the Big House?"
"MY ARMS ARE OUT!"
And then I started thinking that we could change the music and it would work fine.
I let it go. Let Coach handle the Prisoner.
The Kneel Thingie is hard, so last night after Stitch was done with The List I told him to do ten attempts. Stitch dutifully tried, but instead of remaining on one skate, he dropped to both knees, spun and looked back at me with his hands up. I tried not to laugh.
Then he did it again. And Again. And again. I try not to coach my kid, that's not my job, but I had to put a stop to this.
"Stitch, hold your arms out, not up."
"I AM!"
"No, you're not. You don't look like you're a skater, you look like you're being arrested."
Then Stitch once again did a move where it looked like a SWAT team had descended into the Small Rink and told him to reach for the sky.
"Again, are you finishing a program or are you going to the Big House?"
"MY ARMS ARE OUT!"
And then I started thinking that we could change the music and it would work fine.
I let it go. Let Coach handle the Prisoner.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Cue the "Kneelie Thing"
Summer Ice is the best. The humidity casts a mist over the ice surface and the hockey glass is completely fogged. Requiem for a Skating Dream.
Today Coach choreographed. And true to form, Stitch complained at the introduction of newer elements.The first run of the new program is always rough, so I never take it to heart when he does terribly. Where to go, what to do, putting together some structure while Stitch complains about not doing it perfectly, plus there's an additional thirty seconds to worry about, it's tough.
Coach threw the Kneelie thing at him, plus the Junior Hydroblade. This is a Hydroblade. The Junior version goes forward and not as low down. The Kneelie thing, which I can't find a video of, is one knee on the ice and a turn, so while he was once going forward and kneeling, he ends up going backward. There was a lot of falling involved, plus audible frustration from Stitch. Learning to use his arms as counterweight is becoming critical.
I was taking mental notes. If I can remember element order and general placement, I can ensure practice. Again, there's another thirty seconds to figure in, and that's an eternity. Forward pivot, stroke, stroke forward, backwards into three waltz jumps, backwards the other way into a two foot spin, Bunny hop three times, lunge, Jr. Hydro, Spiral for a long time, Half flip, Kneelie thing and done. Coach is still unsure about edges but will get back to me. No worries. I feel fully confident that Stitch can learn the new moves and put it all together.
Coach also talked to me about USFSA and Clubs and such seriously for the first time. It's been mentioned in passing, something "for later," and it seems that later is now. I'm not sure. Lessons and shows and little comps are fun and all, but the whole Club/Testing/USFSA thing is a commitment. I need to make sure Stitch is fully on board before we go there. That and I need to hustle up some money. The drain needs to balance out somehow, and I think I've found a couple ways it might work.
Does he do anything else? No, and I'm really glad. I don't think I could take anything else. Maybe all you other parents have room for baseball and soccer, but I sure as hell don't. Pre-preliminary? Why don't we just schedule a trip to Venus?
Today Coach choreographed. And true to form, Stitch complained at the introduction of newer elements.The first run of the new program is always rough, so I never take it to heart when he does terribly. Where to go, what to do, putting together some structure while Stitch complains about not doing it perfectly, plus there's an additional thirty seconds to worry about, it's tough.
Coach threw the Kneelie thing at him, plus the Junior Hydroblade. This is a Hydroblade. The Junior version goes forward and not as low down. The Kneelie thing, which I can't find a video of, is one knee on the ice and a turn, so while he was once going forward and kneeling, he ends up going backward. There was a lot of falling involved, plus audible frustration from Stitch. Learning to use his arms as counterweight is becoming critical.
I was taking mental notes. If I can remember element order and general placement, I can ensure practice. Again, there's another thirty seconds to figure in, and that's an eternity. Forward pivot, stroke, stroke forward, backwards into three waltz jumps, backwards the other way into a two foot spin, Bunny hop three times, lunge, Jr. Hydro, Spiral for a long time, Half flip, Kneelie thing and done. Coach is still unsure about edges but will get back to me. No worries. I feel fully confident that Stitch can learn the new moves and put it all together.
Coach also talked to me about USFSA and Clubs and such seriously for the first time. It's been mentioned in passing, something "for later," and it seems that later is now. I'm not sure. Lessons and shows and little comps are fun and all, but the whole Club/Testing/USFSA thing is a commitment. I need to make sure Stitch is fully on board before we go there. That and I need to hustle up some money. The drain needs to balance out somehow, and I think I've found a couple ways it might work.
Does he do anything else? No, and I'm really glad. I don't think I could take anything else. Maybe all you other parents have room for baseball and soccer, but I sure as hell don't. Pre-preliminary? Why don't we just schedule a trip to Venus?
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Round #4; Determining Rank
For the first time in Gordon's Skating adventure, the notion of "Not skating enough" is being lobbed at the Valium Family. Ms V is unsure of how to take this. During Lesson yesterday morning, she sat next to me and lamented that Another Mom had railed at her to correct Gordon's edgework, that her son, a FS5 Competitor, skated three hours a day and anything less was completely unacceptable. "She made me feel really bad," said Ms V. "She just marched right up to me and said his skating was really terrible, and that it was my fault. But Gordon wants to do other things. His dad is coaching Baseball this summer, but this Other Mom said we had to give that up."
"Don't worry about it," I said. "Do what you feel is right for you. Don't let someone else tell you what is good for your family." Superficially, this is true. But really, Gordon and his family, in my opinion, are hitting a decision point.
We talked about summer and costumes and stuff, while Coach was working the boys. I had brought music, but Coach didn't seem to want it today. I was only slightly concerned. There's a lot of time. I stitched sequins and relaxed.
Afterwards, Coach talked to us both. She had changed her mind. Stitch would skate at FS1, and Gordon at Delta. I breathed a sigh of relief, Ms V seemed flummoxed. Coach was originally talking about FS1 for Gordon, but since Gordon wasn't going to skate as much as Stitch between now and the big day, it probably wasn't a good idea. Ms V quickly changed her tune at that point, suddenly saying that she didn't want to challenge Gordon so fast anyway.
Coach then asked about music. "Ours is ready," I said.
"We don't have any," said Ms V. "Do you?"
"Just pick something," Coach didn't seem to want to bother with it.
"I'll help you," I offered.
"You will?" Ms V looked at me hopefully.
"Sure. Tell me what you like. I can cut it."
"Bring it Tuesday. We can choreograph quickly, I have a little time I can give them." Coach had other students and was running out of time with us.
"Done," I nodded. "Gordon, let's talk while you get skates off."
Gordon talked nonsense and was unintelligible while Ms V was ready to kill him, as I asked about what kind of music he liked. I got nothing out of him.
Ms V said she'd pay me for the music. Well, that's nice. Maybe I can make a living being a Professional Skate Mom. I told her my offer to make costumes for Gordon still stood, and we were off.
I came home and told Dad that I was cutting Gordon's Music for him. "Why did you offer to do that?" he rolled his eyes.
"Because I'm sick of him skating to goofy music." My motivations are not always clear.
Dad made helpful suggestions like Helter Skelter, Joan Jett, Beastie Boys, Lilly Allen, and The Ramones. While the thought of Gordon skating to "Voodoo Sabotage" seems humorous, we settled on "Shake your Tail Feather" by the Blues Brothers.
That night Dad joined us at Public Skate. I delivered the completed Bird Vest, which won rave reviews. Rink Pal told me that Mysteria loved the Gold Trench Coat, and asked when I was going to join the costume room ladies. As soon as I steel my resolve to, that's when. In the meantime, Pink Panther needs pants and an undershirt.
Stitch danced and played, and at one point Dad skated over to me. "Did you catch that?"
"Catch what?"
"He jumped up and clapped his hands under his leg!"
"No, I missed that."
Stitch was also trying the kneel and slide trick that Big Skater practices.
I'm relieved that both boys were downgraded for the Comp. Stitch will easily pass the FS1 test. If Mysteria makes a fuss about not meeting the June 1 deadline to get tests registered, I can ask why she chose June 1 as the day to come back from her vacation. Ms V and Gordon are on their own. To my knowledge, Gordon has no tests registered with ISI or even a current membership. Not my problem.
And here I was thinking that this Comp would be free sailing. I can't wait to watch the drama unfold!
"Don't worry about it," I said. "Do what you feel is right for you. Don't let someone else tell you what is good for your family." Superficially, this is true. But really, Gordon and his family, in my opinion, are hitting a decision point.
We talked about summer and costumes and stuff, while Coach was working the boys. I had brought music, but Coach didn't seem to want it today. I was only slightly concerned. There's a lot of time. I stitched sequins and relaxed.
Afterwards, Coach talked to us both. She had changed her mind. Stitch would skate at FS1, and Gordon at Delta. I breathed a sigh of relief, Ms V seemed flummoxed. Coach was originally talking about FS1 for Gordon, but since Gordon wasn't going to skate as much as Stitch between now and the big day, it probably wasn't a good idea. Ms V quickly changed her tune at that point, suddenly saying that she didn't want to challenge Gordon so fast anyway.
Coach then asked about music. "Ours is ready," I said.
"We don't have any," said Ms V. "Do you?"
"Just pick something," Coach didn't seem to want to bother with it.
"I'll help you," I offered.
"You will?" Ms V looked at me hopefully.
"Sure. Tell me what you like. I can cut it."
"Bring it Tuesday. We can choreograph quickly, I have a little time I can give them." Coach had other students and was running out of time with us.
"Done," I nodded. "Gordon, let's talk while you get skates off."
Gordon talked nonsense and was unintelligible while Ms V was ready to kill him, as I asked about what kind of music he liked. I got nothing out of him.
Ms V said she'd pay me for the music. Well, that's nice. Maybe I can make a living being a Professional Skate Mom. I told her my offer to make costumes for Gordon still stood, and we were off.
I came home and told Dad that I was cutting Gordon's Music for him. "Why did you offer to do that?" he rolled his eyes.
"Because I'm sick of him skating to goofy music." My motivations are not always clear.
Dad made helpful suggestions like Helter Skelter, Joan Jett, Beastie Boys, Lilly Allen, and The Ramones. While the thought of Gordon skating to "Voodoo Sabotage" seems humorous, we settled on "Shake your Tail Feather" by the Blues Brothers.
That night Dad joined us at Public Skate. I delivered the completed Bird Vest, which won rave reviews. Rink Pal told me that Mysteria loved the Gold Trench Coat, and asked when I was going to join the costume room ladies. As soon as I steel my resolve to, that's when. In the meantime, Pink Panther needs pants and an undershirt.
Stitch danced and played, and at one point Dad skated over to me. "Did you catch that?"
"Catch what?"
"He jumped up and clapped his hands under his leg!"
"No, I missed that."
Stitch was also trying the kneel and slide trick that Big Skater practices.
I'm relieved that both boys were downgraded for the Comp. Stitch will easily pass the FS1 test. If Mysteria makes a fuss about not meeting the June 1 deadline to get tests registered, I can ask why she chose June 1 as the day to come back from her vacation. Ms V and Gordon are on their own. To my knowledge, Gordon has no tests registered with ISI or even a current membership. Not my problem.
And here I was thinking that this Comp would be free sailing. I can't wait to watch the drama unfold!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Competition Guide for the Skate Mom
We're forty some days out from the comp and I'm thinking, "Huh. Hope this works out." For my first comp almost a year ago, when we were forty some days out, I was in full-on freakout mode. Notice the difference.
It's not that I've hit some level of apathy and don't care anymore, it's that I've gotten comfortable with the process, with Stitch's ability, and I'm more prepared. I've doing what I can do to ensure success and the rest is comfortably out of my hands. If we just get one of the two practice ice slots I signed up for, great. If we get both, we're golden. Stitch is out of classes but as far as I know, has lots of time with Coach available. He's shown that he can pick up pretty much whatever she throws at him, and there's nothing terribly new in the level she wants him to be at. My only concern is the "Dance Step Sequence" thing, but if it's anything like The Three Turn Nightmare, my fears are unfounded.
In short, I'm sewing and I'm relaxed. And a Three Day Weekend means I'll complete the beaded vest and the Pink Panther Ensemble easily.
Everyone focuses on the kids for comps, but no one pays much attention to The Moms. Christina Chitwood wrote a great blog post on how to prepare Kids for comps. Make idle chatter, keep the mood light, let them know falling is okay and to keep going, and that doing their best is the goal.
Well, that's the Kids. I'm going to tell you, Skate Moms, how to prepare and handle Comps. We're a big factor in this equation, and we're often overlooked. If you're anything like me, you start to get cold sweats at the slightest hint of your kid being judged, or falling and being embarassed, or heaven forbid some other kids laugh at his attempts. So let's arm ourselves.
Papers. Get the packet from Coach or the Internet, fill it out, get it back to the Coach for signatures and await orders. Sometimes she will turn it in for me, another time I had to mail it myself. In any case, consider yourself responsible for enrollment.
Music. Some Coaches apparently cut music for their kids. I do mine myself, and I'm not alone. I know a few moms who cut their own stuff. Call us control freaks, but I've noticed my music typically stands out, and it allows the Kid greater control. Yes, Stitch has a solid say in his music.
Practice. I used to make Stitch run his program at least twice every time he got on the ice from the time he learned it until a day or so before the comp. He does this now on his own. Just hops on, runs the program a few times, then goes off to harass guards. Keep your eye out for Practice Ice time so they can run it with the music as much as possible. Make sure there's adequate time with Coach.
Costume. I've got this covered. Costume is my stress outlet, but other people just buy theirs and add frouf and glitter to trick it out. Have the costume ready to go at least two weeks prior to day, and have them skate in it a few times. Watch for things that might fall off. Ask "Is it itchy? Can you move okay in it? Does it stick you anywhere? Any complaints?" This gives the Kid time to get comfortable in the Costume and you time to correct problems.
Skates. I sharpen skates about a week prior to a comp or show. It kills me when I see a kid fall and it's clearly a blade issue, not a mistake on their part. That's a Skate Mom sleeping on the job.
Locale. You're probably going to be competing in a different rink. Visit their website, get the Public Skate times, and take a road trip over there. This gets you familiar with the location, the venue, and where key things are like judge location, audience orientation, bathrooms, and dressing rooms. Have the Kid skating on their ice also helps, because there is a difference in feel between hard ice and soft ice. This is all about ease and comfort.
Schedule. You'll get your kid's specific skating times about a week prior to the day. Post this in a place the Kid can see.
Day Before The Big Day. If your Kid is skating today, don't make them run it if they don't want to. I let it rest. Sometimes Stitch will be nervous and want to run it, to which I shrug and say, "If it will make you feel better about it, go ahead." In my opinion, Skate Cramming (or Skramming as I've dubbed it) only feeds nervous energy and doesn't quell it.
Polish boots, pack up the Skate Bag; Music CD's, guards, soakers, sewing kit, Wet Wipes, Tide Pen, Hairbrush and Hairspray, boot polish. Boys are easy. Lay out the costume, bathe the Kid. Have everyone eat well and go to bed early. Don't talk about skating.
The Big Day. Have as nice of a breakfast as time allows. Wash up, brush teeth, look nice. This means you, Skate Mom. Wear a nice shirt at least, but dress up a bit. Your Kid will appreciate you making the effort. After all, they spent hours practicing, the least you can do is look nice instead of showing up in sweats and a ponytail. Stitch will put on his comp pants and shirt before we go.
You need to be at the Rink an hour before your Kid's Warm Up. I like to be there before then, just so we're not rushed. Find the Event sheets, see how many kids are in Your Kid's group and if you know their competitors. Find the competitor's skates and... no, that's poor sportsmanship. Keep the mood light, find your Coach and hand the kid over.
When Coach dismisses you, you're done. Take a minute to visit the Photographer's table. Most of them offer Internet access to their photos so you can choose which ones you want later. Believe me, they do get some awesome shots that you will want. If the Rink brought in a Florist, pick up a few flowers for when The Kid comes back to you. Locate the Awards Table and have a seat in the Rink. Abate your anxiety by cheering for other kids. Be warned, this action may flummox your fellow parents who only cheer for their own kid.
At last comp, Mr V was asking me, "Do you know that kid?"
"No."
"Then why are you clapping like that?"
"Because they're awesome."
And they are. All of them. Except that one who is clearly sandbagged, or the one dressed like a harlot.
Talk with other Moms and Other Skaters. If you see someone with a trophy, congratulate them. If there's a kid who did a program you liked, let her know. Be nice. Sitting and roiling in your nerves is the worst thing you can do.
And when your kid goes on, get your camera and tissues ready. If you're like me, you will cry. And shake. Say a prayer to Lidwina that the CD doesn't skip, and the Costume doesn't choose this moment to malfunction. And will them to stay upright, because even though you spent hours telling them that it's okay to fall, suddenly it becomes terribly important that they don't. It's over before you know it, and I'm usually a mess that I have to quickly collect myself from.
When the program is done, The Kid will be shipped back to you. There's going to be a moment of "Is that it?" and then you sit down and wait for results. This can take anywhere from ten minutes to an hour, and it is agony. Other Parents and Kids will hang by the Event Sheets, which just crowds the place and is annoying. I prefer to wait in the Rink, watching other events. Support the other competitors.
When you're fairly confident things should be settled, head out and see how they did. The results will be taped over Kid's Event Sheet. DO NOT feed excessive boasting or excessive disappointment! DO NOT posit the Judges as being unfair! DO NOT take any of this personally! I've seen kids in tears, moms in fits, dads threatening Coaches, and it's just unnecessary and uncouth. Simply say, "___ place! That's great! Congratulations!"
But Your Kid has probably figured out by now that First Place is Best Place, so anything less than First is going to require some Hardcore Parenting on your part. These are teaching moments. Use them.
Once you know the score, head on over to the Awards Table. Have The Kid give their name and take their prize, you step back. If there's an engraving service, use it. Yes, it's a Scam. Just roll your eyes and pay it. Take pictures.
When you're done, pack up your things and check out with Coach. Thank her. I bring a change of clothes, so if we decide to stop for Ice Cream, Stitch won't mess up his Costume. The rest of the day may feel awkward and anticlimactic, so go for a walk or have a game night. At this point, you can ban the Program Music from your home, as I'm sure everyone is sick of it by now.
Aftercare. When you get your pro pics back, print a nice one for Coach, and give her a Thank You note. While I've never had a problem or concern with competing, this would be the time I would voice my issues. What's done is done, focus on making next time better.
And there you go. A Skate Mom's guide to Your Kid's BS/ISI competition. Stay cool, stay classy, and keep in mind that none of this has any bearing on Your Kid's shot at the Podium. I view these comps as valuable experience at performing, being judged, winning and losing, so just about any outcome is good in my book.
At Ice Show, Stitch told me, "I get flutters in my stomach before a show or competition."
"That's normal," I said. "I think you'll always get that to some degree."
"It feels funny."
"Yeah. I know. Just let me know if you think you're going to barf."
And he laughed. I have a bad feeling that Barf Jokes are going to come up again.
It's not that I've hit some level of apathy and don't care anymore, it's that I've gotten comfortable with the process, with Stitch's ability, and I'm more prepared. I've doing what I can do to ensure success and the rest is comfortably out of my hands. If we just get one of the two practice ice slots I signed up for, great. If we get both, we're golden. Stitch is out of classes but as far as I know, has lots of time with Coach available. He's shown that he can pick up pretty much whatever she throws at him, and there's nothing terribly new in the level she wants him to be at. My only concern is the "Dance Step Sequence" thing, but if it's anything like The Three Turn Nightmare, my fears are unfounded.
In short, I'm sewing and I'm relaxed. And a Three Day Weekend means I'll complete the beaded vest and the Pink Panther Ensemble easily.
Everyone focuses on the kids for comps, but no one pays much attention to The Moms. Christina Chitwood wrote a great blog post on how to prepare Kids for comps. Make idle chatter, keep the mood light, let them know falling is okay and to keep going, and that doing their best is the goal.
Well, that's the Kids. I'm going to tell you, Skate Moms, how to prepare and handle Comps. We're a big factor in this equation, and we're often overlooked. If you're anything like me, you start to get cold sweats at the slightest hint of your kid being judged, or falling and being embarassed, or heaven forbid some other kids laugh at his attempts. So let's arm ourselves.
Papers. Get the packet from Coach or the Internet, fill it out, get it back to the Coach for signatures and await orders. Sometimes she will turn it in for me, another time I had to mail it myself. In any case, consider yourself responsible for enrollment.
Music. Some Coaches apparently cut music for their kids. I do mine myself, and I'm not alone. I know a few moms who cut their own stuff. Call us control freaks, but I've noticed my music typically stands out, and it allows the Kid greater control. Yes, Stitch has a solid say in his music.
Practice. I used to make Stitch run his program at least twice every time he got on the ice from the time he learned it until a day or so before the comp. He does this now on his own. Just hops on, runs the program a few times, then goes off to harass guards. Keep your eye out for Practice Ice time so they can run it with the music as much as possible. Make sure there's adequate time with Coach.
Costume. I've got this covered. Costume is my stress outlet, but other people just buy theirs and add frouf and glitter to trick it out. Have the costume ready to go at least two weeks prior to day, and have them skate in it a few times. Watch for things that might fall off. Ask "Is it itchy? Can you move okay in it? Does it stick you anywhere? Any complaints?" This gives the Kid time to get comfortable in the Costume and you time to correct problems.
Skates. I sharpen skates about a week prior to a comp or show. It kills me when I see a kid fall and it's clearly a blade issue, not a mistake on their part. That's a Skate Mom sleeping on the job.
Locale. You're probably going to be competing in a different rink. Visit their website, get the Public Skate times, and take a road trip over there. This gets you familiar with the location, the venue, and where key things are like judge location, audience orientation, bathrooms, and dressing rooms. Have the Kid skating on their ice also helps, because there is a difference in feel between hard ice and soft ice. This is all about ease and comfort.
Schedule. You'll get your kid's specific skating times about a week prior to the day. Post this in a place the Kid can see.
Day Before The Big Day. If your Kid is skating today, don't make them run it if they don't want to. I let it rest. Sometimes Stitch will be nervous and want to run it, to which I shrug and say, "If it will make you feel better about it, go ahead." In my opinion, Skate Cramming (or Skramming as I've dubbed it) only feeds nervous energy and doesn't quell it.
Polish boots, pack up the Skate Bag; Music CD's, guards, soakers, sewing kit, Wet Wipes, Tide Pen, Hairbrush and Hairspray, boot polish. Boys are easy. Lay out the costume, bathe the Kid. Have everyone eat well and go to bed early. Don't talk about skating.
The Big Day. Have as nice of a breakfast as time allows. Wash up, brush teeth, look nice. This means you, Skate Mom. Wear a nice shirt at least, but dress up a bit. Your Kid will appreciate you making the effort. After all, they spent hours practicing, the least you can do is look nice instead of showing up in sweats and a ponytail. Stitch will put on his comp pants and shirt before we go.
You need to be at the Rink an hour before your Kid's Warm Up. I like to be there before then, just so we're not rushed. Find the Event sheets, see how many kids are in Your Kid's group and if you know their competitors. Find the competitor's skates and... no, that's poor sportsmanship. Keep the mood light, find your Coach and hand the kid over.
When Coach dismisses you, you're done. Take a minute to visit the Photographer's table. Most of them offer Internet access to their photos so you can choose which ones you want later. Believe me, they do get some awesome shots that you will want. If the Rink brought in a Florist, pick up a few flowers for when The Kid comes back to you. Locate the Awards Table and have a seat in the Rink. Abate your anxiety by cheering for other kids. Be warned, this action may flummox your fellow parents who only cheer for their own kid.
At last comp, Mr V was asking me, "Do you know that kid?"
"No."
"Then why are you clapping like that?"
"Because they're awesome."
And they are. All of them. Except that one who is clearly sandbagged, or the one dressed like a harlot.
Talk with other Moms and Other Skaters. If you see someone with a trophy, congratulate them. If there's a kid who did a program you liked, let her know. Be nice. Sitting and roiling in your nerves is the worst thing you can do.
And when your kid goes on, get your camera and tissues ready. If you're like me, you will cry. And shake. Say a prayer to Lidwina that the CD doesn't skip, and the Costume doesn't choose this moment to malfunction. And will them to stay upright, because even though you spent hours telling them that it's okay to fall, suddenly it becomes terribly important that they don't. It's over before you know it, and I'm usually a mess that I have to quickly collect myself from.
When the program is done, The Kid will be shipped back to you. There's going to be a moment of "Is that it?" and then you sit down and wait for results. This can take anywhere from ten minutes to an hour, and it is agony. Other Parents and Kids will hang by the Event Sheets, which just crowds the place and is annoying. I prefer to wait in the Rink, watching other events. Support the other competitors.
When you're fairly confident things should be settled, head out and see how they did. The results will be taped over Kid's Event Sheet. DO NOT feed excessive boasting or excessive disappointment! DO NOT posit the Judges as being unfair! DO NOT take any of this personally! I've seen kids in tears, moms in fits, dads threatening Coaches, and it's just unnecessary and uncouth. Simply say, "___ place! That's great! Congratulations!"
But Your Kid has probably figured out by now that First Place is Best Place, so anything less than First is going to require some Hardcore Parenting on your part. These are teaching moments. Use them.
Once you know the score, head on over to the Awards Table. Have The Kid give their name and take their prize, you step back. If there's an engraving service, use it. Yes, it's a Scam. Just roll your eyes and pay it. Take pictures.
When you're done, pack up your things and check out with Coach. Thank her. I bring a change of clothes, so if we decide to stop for Ice Cream, Stitch won't mess up his Costume. The rest of the day may feel awkward and anticlimactic, so go for a walk or have a game night. At this point, you can ban the Program Music from your home, as I'm sure everyone is sick of it by now.
Aftercare. When you get your pro pics back, print a nice one for Coach, and give her a Thank You note. While I've never had a problem or concern with competing, this would be the time I would voice my issues. What's done is done, focus on making next time better.
And there you go. A Skate Mom's guide to Your Kid's BS/ISI competition. Stay cool, stay classy, and keep in mind that none of this has any bearing on Your Kid's shot at the Podium. I view these comps as valuable experience at performing, being judged, winning and losing, so just about any outcome is good in my book.
At Ice Show, Stitch told me, "I get flutters in my stomach before a show or competition."
"That's normal," I said. "I think you'll always get that to some degree."
"It feels funny."
"Yeah. I know. Just let me know if you think you're going to barf."
And he laughed. I have a bad feeling that Barf Jokes are going to come up again.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Countdown to Ice Show and Round 4
Last night was the final Wednesday Night Lights. I hurried over to the rink to drop off a note for Coach in case she was busy, and to watch Stitch with Dad. As it turns out, this class doesn't have Game Day on the final day, it has "Fun Skill Introduction Day." I much prefer the latter.
I arrived in time to see warmups, staying floor level rinkside to cool off. The warm weather is suddenly too warm. I said hi to everyone, and Ms V showed me the entry form for July. "Did Coach give you one?"
Not yet, but I'm not leaving without one.
Class broke up, I gave Stitch a hug as he passed by me, and the groups went their separate ways.
Dad and I were sitting in the small rink to talk, while the other parents were at the glass, presumably talking about Synchro again. (At least that's what they were talking about in the big rink while they stood rinkside.) We were talking about work stuff when Dad looks up. "We're missing someone."
"Who?"
"The instructor."
I look out into the lobby and see that Mr V is holding Coach hostage in the office, questioning about something. "It'll be fine."
Dad shakes his head.
Finally Coach arrives and stops by us. I explain summer, she's a bit confused, but I wrote out a note in case my cold mangled my speech too much. (Tuesday afternoon I was nearly unintelligible.) She said that as long as he got on the ice at some point and did some practice, he should be okay. And Summer will be fine.
I let her go teach, knowing I could get that Entry Form later, and we watched. And it was relaxing to watch the kids while talked about other things. Class ended and the kids came out. Coach waved goodbye and started off, but I stopped her. "Can I get the entry form?"
"For July?"
"Yes." Since it's not on the ISI Website nor the City Website as a download, you're my only source!
She hands it to me and she's off again. She'll have the boys on Friday afternoon.
Okay, for the past three rounds I've gotten a Packet. It's a detailed bunch of papers telling me about the various events, what's expected, the moves in the compulsory programs, all that jazz. This round, I get one sheet of paper, just listing the events with checkboxes. If I were new to this process, I'd be mystified. This morning I checked the city website just to be safe, and there's nothing there at all. No form download at all, much less a packet. Hate to say it, but I'm really glad Home Rink isn't our first Comp experience.
But if I've done this before, why do I need a packet? Because Coach wants Stitch to compete at the Freestyle level. This is fine, but I don't remember how long the music cut is for that. I think it's 1:30, but I'm not sure.
So now I have to be That Mom who is always calling Coach with dumb questions like, "How long is the music?"
I came home and cut fabric. Tonight I sew. At this rate, the commission costume will be done before the Official Ice Show costumes arrive, and that would be funny.
I arrived in time to see warmups, staying floor level rinkside to cool off. The warm weather is suddenly too warm. I said hi to everyone, and Ms V showed me the entry form for July. "Did Coach give you one?"
Not yet, but I'm not leaving without one.
Class broke up, I gave Stitch a hug as he passed by me, and the groups went their separate ways.
Dad and I were sitting in the small rink to talk, while the other parents were at the glass, presumably talking about Synchro again. (At least that's what they were talking about in the big rink while they stood rinkside.) We were talking about work stuff when Dad looks up. "We're missing someone."
"Who?"
"The instructor."
I look out into the lobby and see that Mr V is holding Coach hostage in the office, questioning about something. "It'll be fine."
Dad shakes his head.
Finally Coach arrives and stops by us. I explain summer, she's a bit confused, but I wrote out a note in case my cold mangled my speech too much. (Tuesday afternoon I was nearly unintelligible.) She said that as long as he got on the ice at some point and did some practice, he should be okay. And Summer will be fine.
I let her go teach, knowing I could get that Entry Form later, and we watched. And it was relaxing to watch the kids while talked about other things. Class ended and the kids came out. Coach waved goodbye and started off, but I stopped her. "Can I get the entry form?"
"For July?"
"Yes." Since it's not on the ISI Website nor the City Website as a download, you're my only source!
She hands it to me and she's off again. She'll have the boys on Friday afternoon.
Okay, for the past three rounds I've gotten a Packet. It's a detailed bunch of papers telling me about the various events, what's expected, the moves in the compulsory programs, all that jazz. This round, I get one sheet of paper, just listing the events with checkboxes. If I were new to this process, I'd be mystified. This morning I checked the city website just to be safe, and there's nothing there at all. No form download at all, much less a packet. Hate to say it, but I'm really glad Home Rink isn't our first Comp experience.
But if I've done this before, why do I need a packet? Because Coach wants Stitch to compete at the Freestyle level. This is fine, but I don't remember how long the music cut is for that. I think it's 1:30, but I'm not sure.
So now I have to be That Mom who is always calling Coach with dumb questions like, "How long is the music?"
I came home and cut fabric. Tonight I sew. At this rate, the commission costume will be done before the Official Ice Show costumes arrive, and that would be funny.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
"Should my child Compete?"
Here's another question newbie moms ask me.
My opinion? Sure! Why the heck not? If your kid has more than a passing interest in skating, then yes. It's not any different from a Little League game at this stage. Stitch enjoys it, it's an "end result" of all that falling they do, and everyone gets a cool prize at the end of the day.
But should you and your child? Here's a handy questionnaire to help you decide.
1. Does your child really enjoy skating?
a. Yes, he says he's having fun.
b. The Rink Guard had to pry him off the door when public skate ended.
c. She only likes skating when she doesn't fall down.
2. Can you garner critical information from people who may be obtuse, unavailable, arrogant or nonsensical?
a. I can usually make sense of random bits of jargon.
b. I don't leave until I get what I came for.
c. Fight fire with fire, is what I always say.
3. Do you enjoy being ignored or patronized when it comes to your child's interests and progress?
a. Just so long as he's learning to own his interests.
b. What? I was getting some coffee..
c. I have tattooed her school records and growth percentiles on my shins.
4. Are you always feeling too hot?
a. I tend to dress in layers.
b. Only my butt.
c. Are you going to use that scarf?
5. Can you watch your child crash and burn repeatedly? Not just in practice, but during the actual competition? Can you do it and not intervene?
a. I would be a little upset and scared for him.
b. As long as he doesn't do it worse than that Other Kid.
c. That won't happen, I took notes during practice and I can give choreography moves from the stands.
6. Are you prepared for a frank estimation of your child's abilities?
a. Put it to me gently, I think I can take it...
b. Why is the concession stand always out of Splenda?
c. My child is above average in every way, and I love to hear about it.
7. Can you listen to the same song more than six times in a single morning?
a. Sure, I like pop music.
b. Only if I remembered to refill the flask before I left.
c. Is it Berlioz? We played that for her in utero, so I'm used to it.
8. Do you enjoy surprise expenses?
a. No, but as long as I know what they're for...
b. I don't believe in surprise expenses.
c. Do you take cash?
9. Are you prepared to face children cuter/more talented/smarter than yours? Will you be able to speak civilly to their parents?
a. I was raised to be polite, so yes.
b. Time for more coffee.
c. I feel more sorry for those other children who will have to compete against mine.
10. Can you lose a crucial item and not freak out?
a. I try to carry spares of everything.
b. As long as there's no bleeding stump, sure.
c. WHAT DO YOU MEAN TARGET DOESN'T STOCK MONDOR?
11. Are you ready to witness clear instances of cheating where your child loses because of it?
a. Sometimes life is throws curves.
b. If I find that kid's shoes in the lobby, I'm gonna need to take them into the bathroom with me.
c. Only if I can berate every coach and official I meet, demanding to speak to the ISU president about this gross injustice.
12. Finally, are you prepared to face your child's massive post-competition ego complex?
a. If I can temper it with a lesson on good sportsmanship.
b. "Ask the nice man for a Shirley Temple. Mommy's gonna get a French 75."
c. Of course! She's earned every moment of it!
Tally:
Mostly A's: You are probably good to go. Just keep reminding yourself that no matter where your kid places, the sun will rise the next day and he will live to skate again.
Mostly B's: Yes, and when you get there, please sit next to me. Don't forget to take your kid home with you when you leave the rink.
Mostly C's: Competing is probably not good for you or your child, but your pharmacist will love you. Maybe you should find another activity. Try pottery.
My opinion? Sure! Why the heck not? If your kid has more than a passing interest in skating, then yes. It's not any different from a Little League game at this stage. Stitch enjoys it, it's an "end result" of all that falling they do, and everyone gets a cool prize at the end of the day.
But should you and your child? Here's a handy questionnaire to help you decide.
1. Does your child really enjoy skating?
a. Yes, he says he's having fun.
b. The Rink Guard had to pry him off the door when public skate ended.
c. She only likes skating when she doesn't fall down.
2. Can you garner critical information from people who may be obtuse, unavailable, arrogant or nonsensical?
a. I can usually make sense of random bits of jargon.
b. I don't leave until I get what I came for.
c. Fight fire with fire, is what I always say.
3. Do you enjoy being ignored or patronized when it comes to your child's interests and progress?
a. Just so long as he's learning to own his interests.
b. What? I was getting some coffee..
c. I have tattooed her school records and growth percentiles on my shins.
4. Are you always feeling too hot?
a. I tend to dress in layers.
b. Only my butt.
c. Are you going to use that scarf?
5. Can you watch your child crash and burn repeatedly? Not just in practice, but during the actual competition? Can you do it and not intervene?
a. I would be a little upset and scared for him.
b. As long as he doesn't do it worse than that Other Kid.
c. That won't happen, I took notes during practice and I can give choreography moves from the stands.
6. Are you prepared for a frank estimation of your child's abilities?
a. Put it to me gently, I think I can take it...
b. Why is the concession stand always out of Splenda?
c. My child is above average in every way, and I love to hear about it.
7. Can you listen to the same song more than six times in a single morning?
a. Sure, I like pop music.
b. Only if I remembered to refill the flask before I left.
c. Is it Berlioz? We played that for her in utero, so I'm used to it.
8. Do you enjoy surprise expenses?
a. No, but as long as I know what they're for...
b. I don't believe in surprise expenses.
c. Do you take cash?
9. Are you prepared to face children cuter/more talented/smarter than yours? Will you be able to speak civilly to their parents?
a. I was raised to be polite, so yes.
b. Time for more coffee.
c. I feel more sorry for those other children who will have to compete against mine.
10. Can you lose a crucial item and not freak out?
a. I try to carry spares of everything.
b. As long as there's no bleeding stump, sure.
c. WHAT DO YOU MEAN TARGET DOESN'T STOCK MONDOR?
11. Are you ready to witness clear instances of cheating where your child loses because of it?
a. Sometimes life is throws curves.
b. If I find that kid's shoes in the lobby, I'm gonna need to take them into the bathroom with me.
c. Only if I can berate every coach and official I meet, demanding to speak to the ISU president about this gross injustice.
12. Finally, are you prepared to face your child's massive post-competition ego complex?
a. If I can temper it with a lesson on good sportsmanship.
b. "Ask the nice man for a Shirley Temple. Mommy's gonna get a French 75."
c. Of course! She's earned every moment of it!
Tally:
Mostly A's: You are probably good to go. Just keep reminding yourself that no matter where your kid places, the sun will rise the next day and he will live to skate again.
Mostly B's: Yes, and when you get there, please sit next to me. Don't forget to take your kid home with you when you leave the rink.
Mostly C's: Competing is probably not good for you or your child, but your pharmacist will love you. Maybe you should find another activity. Try pottery.
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