around the corner

The toe is okay but the child is restless.  She stares out the window leaving behind prints of her nose and finger tips on the glass.  In the right light they appear to be a lost flock of butterflies some with wind torn wings. I believe I have seen the imprint of a foot too.  She would have had to have put it up over her head but for her that wouldn't have been such an uncommon way to stand.  
I follow her trail and find her in the yard staring at the long fence line.  "We need a horse."  She raises her face to the air; it is too warm for February.  "Can we go for a walk?" Before I can say yes she adds, "And buy a horse?" 

As we walk she drifts and ask if we might could possibly move.  She wants to move.  Almost as badly as she wants a horse. I suggest the next time her father is out of town on business we pack up the whole house.  Place everything in the front yard, then move back in.  She claps  her hands together like a toddlers dropping her voice forward a decade, "oh we should..."
"I'm curious, what room would you pick?" She laughs, "I would pick MY room.  It is the best one."  "We bought this house to put down roots." I tell her picturing unknown future grandchildren running through an orchard we have yet to establish.  My mind  wanders grape vines and raspberries bushes that when I planted them I did so conscience of the intent to see them grow old.  But somewhere out in the garden I realize I don't know which room I would choose.  The house has always been an afterthought.  "I think I regret not taking one of the rooms on the main floor." I tell her.  But she has already jumped.  "Where did these puddles come from? I don't remember these before?"

In the world around us it is raining all but for the actually falling of rain.  The sky is grey and the early evening light has the weight of hard weather.  We follow the sound of geese and the silence of a lone beaver up river.  We joke, "A spring is not made by one robin" while standing under a tree its top decorated with fat red belly birds.    

At home in the oven 4 large potatoes are baking.  I know this walk so well I have timed them to be ready right as we walk back in the door.  I have no idea where the other members of our family are or when they will return. Or if we will eat alone.

Later in the night after a dinner of steaming soft potato bellies sliced open, filled with melting butter, topped with sprinkles of salt & pepper, a thick bowl of tomato soup on the side...after reading on the sofa... after walking through the squishy darkness to soak in the soft hot water of the hot tub, she lay on our bed.  The only light in the room coming from the little screen of her kindle.  She rolls around watching Pink Panther Cartoons.  Showing me how she doesn't care for the modern ones but prefers the originals and how to tell them apart.  Then she announces she is tired and going to bed leaving behind her stuffed rabbit on my pillow.

It never did rain but I spent all night dreaming about moving and how much fun it would be to start over.       

not in the plan

The drive between Salt Lake City, Utah and Las Vegas, Nevada is ~7 hours give or take a bathroom stop or a speeding ticket.  On Friday morning at 6:30 am we hoped in my parent's Town and Country Van to make that drive for Boo's first out of state meet as an optionals gymnasts.  She was scheduled to compete late Saturday morning.  

We made good time and were able to spend the afternoon and evening enjoying friends, food, and good old Las Vegas fun.  At 10 pm Salt Lake time we left the bright lights behind us tucked ourselves into bed excited for what the next day would bring....or so we thought.

Gabby and Boo at Steak 'n Shake

Boo and some of the Walkers playing midway games and winning big!

 I was already awake at 4:13 am when Boo rolled on her knees and groaned.  “Mom, I got too hot and my stomach hurts.” Every mom knows what the next 45 minutes was like [insert a dark Las Vegas hotel room with your parents sound asleep in the next bed]: wet washcloths on the back of her neck and the forehead, sips of water, more blankets, less blankets, a back rub, etc. 

Suddenly she popped up clasped her hands to her mouth.  “Are you going to throw-up?” I asked.  “No, I don’t know what that was.” She said.  Then she stood up and threw-up all over the side of the bed and proceeded to throw-up walking down one side of the bed, across the bottom, down the hall, into the alcove of the bathroom, and finally into the bathroom.  The episode was so violent when she was done she had vomit all over her face and hands.  It was all over the toilet top to bottom.  It is one thing to throw-up it is quite another to projectile vomit especially that long after eating. 
 I put Boo in the shower noticing she had a light red rash on her hips and stomach and buttocks, with splotches on her shoulders and armpits.  Surprisingly my parents slept through it. I did my best to clean the room with what I had on hand.  I will spare you all the detail of scrubbing hotel carpet with washcloths, napkins, a trashcan, and a can of disinfectant.

After getting Boo back into bed the whole thing began to repeat.  She balled up on her knees moaning and crying in pain.  At about 6 am my mom woke up.  I let her know what was going on. 
  
An hour later I left Boo in my mom’s care while I set out on foot in the darkness to find a 7-Up.  Unfortunately for me Las Vegas is an hour behind us and finding a working soda machine or an open store at 6 am isn’t easy.  

In desperation I sat down on a lobby bench and phoned home to Boo’s papa.  By the time we ended our call I saw the coffee cart was preparing to open only they didn’t sell soda.  I explained my need for a cup of coffee to the lady and placed my order for one tall black cup as soon as she opened for business.  She took my order told me it would be there asap and wished me luck in my soda search.  I approached a women at the registration desk explained my situation and asked "Can you help me?”  She said she could took my dollar and slipped away for what seemed like forever to the employee’s lounge to buy me an off brand lemon soda.  I thanked her profusely retried my coffee and thank the brewer even more profusely for opening early for me and ran back to our room.

My mom and spend the next leg of time watching Boo sob over wanting to compete, sob in pain, nothing I did or said helped her.  It was heart breaking.

Boo on the drive to South Point

Eventually Boo threw up again and again it was violent.  At this point my dad was up and we created a plan.  Driven by Boo we would make every attempt to make the meet.  Boo feeling better after the last session of vomiting showered and we fixed her hair.  I let her get in her warm-up pants but not her leo or team jacket in case she vomited on them.  
I stepped out of the room to the balcony to placed the first of the phone calls I was dreading.  I called her coach.  Her phone was off so I just left a message.  Then I called for help, calling another team family, Lindsey (the mom) and Gabby (gymnast) letting them know we were on our way to the South Point but it was looking grim.  They offered to catch us and take us up their room.  

On the drive between hotels Boo began to get super sick again.  My parents dropped us at the front doors while they went to park and grab themselves breakfast and wait for our call.  

By the time we hit the doors of the South Point she turned to me and said for the first time without tears, “I’m not competing.” We made it to the lobby bathroom and I placed the 2nd most dreaded call to our friends the Walkers who had driven down from SLC as part of their family vacation to see Boo compete. Of course they were very understanding. 
   
We made it the sofas of hotel registration and there she gave up. I called our friends they agreed to meet us at the elevators but getting Boo between the front and the elevators was a huge struggle. Several times she crumbled to the floor and sobbed.  And up until this point I had been pretty fine.  Heart broken for my baby, a bit queasy from dealing with vomit (so not my thing), under caffeinated (too queasy to do much with the coffee I had gotten), blood sugar beginning to drop, and sick with worried about all the people effected by Boo being sick: my friends, my parents, her teammates and coaches… But when I saw Lindsey and Gabby turn the corner holding a horse stuffed animal and a bottle of Gatorade for Boo I completely choked-up.

They took us to their room.  Put Boo in one of their beds (despite the risk to them) and together we waited.  Lindsey informed us she had heard of others who were sick including coaches and other hotel guests, even her own mother had been ill over night.  Lindsey also had news from Boo’s coach that had gotten the message I left her and she was ready to take Boo in any condition if needed.  

I placed the last of the hard calls to Sophie’s dad, my friend Jeff.  We were to have been Sophie’s ride home and he had checked Boo into the meet for me and was holding her credentials. Sophie answered his phone I told her Boo was sick and for Jeff to give Boo’s registration to coach Wendy. Then we waited and watched the clock while Boo laid unresponsive on the bed.  

When timed warm-ups was 30 minutes away I called it.  We had made every effort.  There would be no question later for Boo to look back on and regret, really that was all I could give her. There was no way she would compete and we were going to pack-up and head home. I want to note as a mom I regret even trying to make it.  Putting her through all that but had I not let her try even past the point of sensibility she would have always wondered if we gave up too early.

I called my parents to meet us at he front. I called the Walkers and told them we were going home.  Lindsey and Gabby helped us to the door this time I was carrying Boo, she was too sick to walk.  They handed us off to my waiting parents.  I left the informing the coach and team to Lindsey and called Jeff back with the final verdict.  Talking to Jeff I again got choked-up as he did his best to assure me he had Sophie taken care of and all I needed to do was take care of Boo.  Everyone was behind us.

Within an hour, with Boo asleep-ish in car laying down on a bed my parents made her out of a sleeping bag spread across the van’s far back bench seat each of us taking turns staying with her and grabbing our stuff from the room, we had packed up and hit the road for home.  

I received periodic checking on Boo calls (Jeff being an EMT made multiple calls) each one proof of what amazing friends we have. They also shared meet details with us including what sounded like an amazingly horrific fall on beam (even gym veterans say it was scary!) for Sophie when she missed her hands on her back hand spring but got up and finished her routine.  And although driving 7 hrs with a sick kid isn’t any fun every mile was taking us closer to home.  I still cannot believe we drove down and back like that.

She is home now sleeping (& snoring) on the sofa to sounds of Word Girl while we wait for her pediatrician to call us back and tell us if we need to take her in for a meningitis test.  That little rash is a big red flag.  He is checking for open cases and what cases ER's are reporting around the region before asking us to consent to the test.  Honestly we aren't too worried about it,meningitis is a long shot- just a precaution.  

And now I am going to go back to sleep while I can. BUT first thank you again to all those who helped us out this weekend.  You guys amaze me, dazzle me with your kindness! AND Good luck to all those GTC Giants competing in your meets today. We <3 you guys! Win something for your Little Boo-Bear. 

killed with cuteness

Notoriously slow at picking up dance moves this is level 3 & 4 Boo learning a floor routine and yes that little ninja beside her is Sophie.  They had just finished Spring Season as 3's and spent that summer getting ready to compete level 4 for Fall.

I found these photos this morning and had to share them.

If I remember correctly she spent the whole practice session watching not doing and went on that season to rule the floor at most every meet :) 

 The ninjas with coach Wendy after taking State Level 3 that spring.

And posing with the GYM Dads

 And 4 short months between the end of competing 3 and beginning of competing level 4 there is Boo taking the All Around at State. 

Boo then and Boo now.

 Wish her luck in Vegas, rumor has it she is competing that Level 7 walkover flick on high beam.  Because the other thing Boo is notorious for is taking huge leaps of faith.

perfect time of year for story telling, here is one of ours about parenting gone wrong...

Sheep a Gateway Animal to Stupidity

It started with this little dog, who got very BIG.  He is a Maremma sheepdog named Gypsy.  He lived with us until his need to be in the place he truly belonged superseded our need to have him belong mostly to our place…But before he left us for pastures of sheep to boss around Boo liked to ride him.  So my friend said “Mutton busting.”  And it was a good joke for a long while.

Meanwhile back on the ranch, in homeschool when I was still trying to teach history to a history-hater, this fine ancient art work became Boo’s favorite piece of ancient art.  We took it as sign; she was meant to ride sheep!  We had no idea at the time she was a gymnasts waiting to happen.  And now that I am looking at it, it might explain why her head is always out when she tumbles, drives big coach D nuts! >sorry, gym joke<.  

Anyway, we thought Boo was getting her first big break into the sport when Utah Heritage State Park announced the annual Youth Rodeo, mutton busting included.

   

We signed her up for the Youth Rodeo (I am guessing if this is pre-gym she would have been about 5 yrs old, could even be younger) with a lot of really normal looking families.  Families like us who we can only assume loved their children as much as we did.  

On the day of the rodeo we tied the colored age category bandannas around their little necks & pin numbers to their back.  This is where all logic ended.  The youngest kids were lined up to go first.  I believe now the reason is if they actually saw what was about to happen to them they would have all bolted for the relative safety of the petting pens and the old time Barber-Surgeon's chair!

  

And as it was, each one in succession either backed out before they hit the gate or got trampled in the mud by angry sheep.  This however did not dissuade the parents, we keep lining up the kids.  At this point most of the kids, hurt or not, were crying. The parents remained the driving force coaxing them down the fence line to the waiting Rodeo Clown and Sheepzilla. 

I however am a really good mom so when Boo’s number was called I did the very same as everyone else did.  I led Boo who was not crying but trembling fiercely to the starting gate.  She climbed the fence letting the officials help her on the sheep.  Then she suddenly dismounted & fled crying, a record breaking time back over the gates.    

She was sobbing over her failure for about 10 minutes as 2 more kids provided their bodies as a dance floor for the sheep to tap dance on.  She tried again.  She climbed the fence, mounted the sheep, took instruction from the Clown, then raised her head and said, “The thing is I really don’t want to get stepped on by a sheep and I think the only way to NOT get stepped on is to NOT ride it.”

Her Papa snatched her up as she dismounted for the last time.  She was still crying in little gasps but we were laughing at how stupid sheep can be.  Did you know they will follow each other off cliffs?   

Well yeah.  You might look at it like that…