Where’s the cheese?

William’s doing well in gymnastics, whether he realizes it or not.  He is learning new stuff and is learning proper form, muscle control and discipline.  Not to mention the fact that he’s getting really strong from all of the pushups and situps and pullups.  And he did a full middle split this week–so he’s getting flexible too.  It’s fun to watch him progress.

He’s doing well in basketball this year too.  His hand-eye coordination is definitely improving.

William sports stuff is the most exciting thing going on around here.

I had a decently productive week.  That was nice.

Weight loss has stagnated.  That’s not nice.

As always, I can’t get all my coons up the same tree, but at least I’m managing to keep some of them there.

So far, so good

One week in to the new gym experience things seem to be going well. I’m happy. The boys aren’t doing as many exciting skills on the floor as they were at the old gym, but the skills they are doing, they have to do perfectly. It’s fun to watch the precision that is displayed throughout the gym. This is a for real operation.

Tonight they did “torture stretching” for the first time since the infamous blowout, and William did fine. He confessed afterwards that he did cry a little bit, but he stayed with it. He didn’t lose his temper or quit or shrink from it. I was super happy with his toughness. 5 more good classes and we get milkshakes.

On the floor tonight they were working on a basic floor routine. William needs to roll his back and tuck his chin on all of his rolls. I should really help him with that.

They also did rings and pommel horse tonight, and William was pretty impressive on both. His build is conducive to those apparatus. He just has nice lines, even as an absolute beginner. I wonder how long I’ll have this opportunity–to have him in sports. It would be fun to see how far he could go with this gymnastics thing.

So all in all, I’m glad I decided not to pay other bills so that I could put William in this class. However, bill collectors suck. So, all in all, I’m also glad I’m getting a tax return.

And tell me…if a man knows of the existence of a kid sharing his genetic material and does not have any contact with him or pay any child support…is that man a father? In any sense? To know the kid exists but not acknowledge his existence in any way shape or form except for in court? I’m so over the whole legal battle.

The March hike might be nixed. Poop. I’m so bummed. The ministerial conference schedule might be changed, which would smell. But then again, things happen for a reason. So…we’ll see what happens.

I want to hike. I want to spend all of my tax return on hiking, but that’s not going to happen.

So…2009 has not been without challenges, but…so far, so good.

2009…seriously?

It’s crazy to think that we’re almost a whole decade past 2000 and all the bruhaha that went with that.

In keeping with the out with the old, in with the new feeling of a new year, this is a week of beginnings.  Tonight we start gymnastics at the new gym–Brown’s.  I’ve been planning for this day for two months and still can’t decide if I’m nervous or excited.  I hope William doesn’t lose his temper tonight.  I’ve been practicing stretches with him and trying to give him coping techniques for the discomfort of being stretched.  He does not have the kind of inner toughness that most of our family seems to possess–that stubborn, stiff-upper lip, never gonna let ‘em see me sweat attitude.  He’s more of a discomfort=pain=anger sort of guy.  Why?  I don’t know.  No one ever had to teach me to maintain my composure.  I absorbed it from my environment.  He’s not so much into absorbing those sorts of things, so I’ve been having to try to put into words what has been almost instinctive for me from as far as I can remember.  He’s getting so much better at it though.  He’s learning to relax and count and breathe.  He’s learning to not take discomfort personally.

Speaking of discomfort…I have my first practice as his basketball coach tomorrow.  Why am I so nervous about a group of 2nd-3rd graders?  I guess I’m probably more nervous about their parents.  I want our team to do well, but mostly I want each kid to improve in his understanding of the fundamentals.  I would love to be able to employ some actual strategy because that’s the fun part of coaching, but this age group is more about reminding them to keep dribbling and stay between their man and the goal.

We ended 2008 in Big Bend with most of the family.  I was super fun to see Allen and his brood for the first time in a long time.  I hope it’s not that long before we see them again.  2008 was interesting.

Wonder what lies ahead in 2009?

Books read in 2008

–February
The Runner by Cynthia Voigt finished 2/15
Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card finished 2/18
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card finished 2/20

–March
With William:
Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder (finished 3/26)
William:
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (finished 3/5)
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol (audiobook) (finished 3/26)
Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carrol (audiobook) (finished 3/28 )
Great Illustrated Classics: Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott (finished 3/28 )

–April
Watership Down by Richard Adams
William:
The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis (audiobook)

–May
Journey to Nowhere by Mary Jane Auch (finished on 5/16)
Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel (finished on 5/28)
William:
The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting (finished 5/6)
In Grandma’s Attic by Arleta Richardson (finished on 5/25)

–August
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (finished 8/31)
By William:
Viking Ships at Sunrise by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 8/31)

–September
William:
The Adventures of Tintin, vol 4 by Hergé (finished 9/26)
Hour of the Olympics by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 9/29)

–October
William:
The Adventures of Tintin, vol 7 by Hergé (finished 10/31)
Viking Ships at Sunrise by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 10/31)
Charlotte’s Web (audio book) by E. B. White (finished 10/31)

–November
With William:
The Trumpet of the Swan (audio book) by E. B. White (finished 11/1)
Anno’s Mysterious Multiplying Jar by Masaichiro and Mitsumasa Anno (finished 11/6)
Splash! by Ann Jonas (finished 11/6)
The Complete Book of Dragons by E. Nesbit (finished 11/11

–December
William:
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke (finished 12/15)
Divide and Ride by Stuart J. Murphy (finished 12/23)
Math for All Seasons by Greg Tang (finished 12/23)
Math Curse by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith (finished 12/23)
One Hundred Hungry Ants by Elinor J. Pinczes (finished 12/23)
Pigs Will Be Pigs by Amy Axelrod (finished 12/23)
Monster Math by Anne Miranda (finished 12/23)
How Much is a Million? by David M. Schwartz (finished 12/23)
Mudpies to Magnets by Robert A. Williams (finished 12/24)
Spaghetti and Meatballs for All! by Marilyn Burns (finished 12/24)
The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns (finished 12/24)
The Princess and Curdie by George McDonald (finished 12/25)
Ghost Town at Sundown by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/26)
Lions at Lunchtime by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/26)
Dolphins at Daybreak by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/26)
Polar Bears Past Bedtime by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/26)
Midnight on the Moon by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/26)
Sunset of the Sabertooth by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/26)
Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/27)
Dinosaurs by Will Osborne & Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/27)
The Knight at Dawn by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/27)
Mummies in the Morning by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/27)
Pirates Past Noon by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/27)
Night of the Ninjas by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/27)
Afternoon on the Amazon by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/27)
The Railway Children by E. Nesbit (finished 11/25)

Books read in December

William:
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke (finished 12/15)
Divide and Ride by Stuart J. Murphy (finished 12/23)
Math for All Seasons by Greg Tang (finished 12/23)
Math Curse by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith (finished 12/23)
One Hundred Hungry Ants by Elinor J. Pinczes (finished 12/23)
Pigs Will Be Pigs by Amy Axelrod (finished 12/23)
Monster Math by Anne Miranda (finished 12/23)
How Much is a Million? by David M. Schwartz (finished 12/23)
Mudpies to Magnets by Robert A. Williams (finished 12/24)
Spaghetti and Meatballs for All! by Marilyn Burns (finished 12/24)
The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns (finished 12/24)
The Princess and Curdie by George McDonald (finished 12/25)
Ghost Town at Sundown by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/26)
Lions at Lunchtime by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/26)
Dolphins at Daybreak by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/26)
Polar Bears Past Bedtime by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/26)
Midnight on the Moon by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/26)
Sunset of the Sabertooth by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/26)
Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/27)
Dinosaurs by Will Osborne & Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/27)
The Knight at Dawn by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/27)
Mummies in the Morning by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/27)
Pirates Past Noon by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/27)
Night of the Ninjas by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/27)
Afternoon on the Amazon by Mary Pope Osborne (finished 12/27)