Last week was fairly uneventful, aside from a little fall that resulted in a tender shoulder for about 24 hours. I think the biggest moment was the realization that my husband does not get the chance to see the new skills that The Munchkin Princess gains each week as she works so hard. He works into the evenings and goes to school afterward in the middle of the week. So the only time he is able to observe training is on Fridays, but those are conditioning days so nothing spectacular happens for my husband to see. With the way that the gym is set up I can't even take home clear video for him to see the new skills that are developing. But her skills are indeed coming along wonderfully. We now have a solid front flip dismount off the balance beam, back walk-over on the balance beam, and an ever improving back tuck from a back hand-spring. Blisters, rips, scraped toes, bruised shoulders, and sore legs The Munchkin Princess pushes through day after day ready to work. Rarely asking for time off and always ready to sweat as long as she knows she gets to eat afterwards. Haha
I feel privileged to be able to watch her Fly High and Stick It, even if my view is obstructed at times.
Your word for the day:
DismountTo leave an apparatus at the end of a routine; usually done with a difficult twist or salto.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Feeding the Beast
Hey Ya'll,
Spring Break is over and we are back to our regularly scheduled programs here in our home. Having The Munchkin Princess home everyday really shed light on just how much this child of mine eats these days. Of course I knew that on average she eats practically on a schedule, I mean I pack her lunch bag full everyday for goodness sake. But to watch her actually eat every 2-3 hours as long as she is awake is just short of amazing. Fortunately for all of us I am not afraid of my kitchen. I love to cook and believe in feeding my child homemade meals much more often than anything else. I had to make sure that there were easy to reach wholesome snacks ready for her at all times. Though, at one point I desperately needed to go grocery shopping and you would have thought I was killing the child because her options were limited. It seemed the days after training she was at her most ravenous, demolishing as much as she could reach, in between handstands and extended wheel poses of course. All of the fruit in our house didn't even last the week before I had to purchase another week's worth. Good thing I don't buy many processed foods to keep about the house or she would have given herself a stomach ache, an eczema flare, and a heavy butt to boot.
According to the Children's Nutrition Research Center because The Munchkin Princess is so active she requires nearly 2300 calories in order to maintain optimal energy levels. That is nearly twice as much as I am consuming right now as I try to shed some pounds. Sweet baby Jesus in the manger! No wonder this kid of mine is always hungry. Do you know how much a person has to eat (in clean whole food) in order to meet the type of caloric demand? Basically, my child should be eating as much as her adult father to stay well fueled. Wow, with that the word for the day is:
Meal-Planning:
Grocery shopping with complete meals in mind. Spending a single day chopping and organizing meals to have available for quick assembly on at time of planned consumption. It's the only way that I am able to meet the demands of the beastly belly that is my child's stomach.
Spring Break is over and we are back to our regularly scheduled programs here in our home. Having The Munchkin Princess home everyday really shed light on just how much this child of mine eats these days. Of course I knew that on average she eats practically on a schedule, I mean I pack her lunch bag full everyday for goodness sake. But to watch her actually eat every 2-3 hours as long as she is awake is just short of amazing. Fortunately for all of us I am not afraid of my kitchen. I love to cook and believe in feeding my child homemade meals much more often than anything else. I had to make sure that there were easy to reach wholesome snacks ready for her at all times. Though, at one point I desperately needed to go grocery shopping and you would have thought I was killing the child because her options were limited. It seemed the days after training she was at her most ravenous, demolishing as much as she could reach, in between handstands and extended wheel poses of course. All of the fruit in our house didn't even last the week before I had to purchase another week's worth. Good thing I don't buy many processed foods to keep about the house or she would have given herself a stomach ache, an eczema flare, and a heavy butt to boot.
According to the Children's Nutrition Research Center because The Munchkin Princess is so active she requires nearly 2300 calories in order to maintain optimal energy levels. That is nearly twice as much as I am consuming right now as I try to shed some pounds. Sweet baby Jesus in the manger! No wonder this kid of mine is always hungry. Do you know how much a person has to eat (in clean whole food) in order to meet the type of caloric demand? Basically, my child should be eating as much as her adult father to stay well fueled. Wow, with that the word for the day is:
Meal-Planning:
Grocery shopping with complete meals in mind. Spending a single day chopping and organizing meals to have available for quick assembly on at time of planned consumption. It's the only way that I am able to meet the demands of the beastly belly that is my child's stomach.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Injuries & Boo Boos
Hey out there!
This week is Spring Break for us and that translates into more gym time. Which I am not absolutely confined to a desk in order to work. So 4 by 3 it is this week (4 hours 3 days a week). Monday The Munchkin Princess showed me her hand after practice and of course there was a fairly large (maybe the size of a bean), very red blister at the top of the palm of her hand. This is not uncommon for gymnasts, unfortunately the uneven bars are not very kind to tender fleshed hands. I have not decided what tactic I am going to take with this specific injury but another parent was telling me that they choose to vigorously rub the blister with a alcohol soaked cotton ball to encourage it to burst and then heal more quickly. This approach creates callouses, which does mean that blisters are less likely to occur in the area. But it also means that the hands will feel as though you grew up slapping bricks for fun. Hmm, what is more important though hands worth holding or blisters that won't so readily return? But even beyond that, I don't know if I have the heart to cause more pain than necessary to my child. Think about it: an already tender wound being forcibly scoured with rubbing alcohol? I can just see my child crying and not wanting to talk to me for the rest of the evening. I am more than sure that she would tell my parents on me. And that would open up a whole other point of pain. LOL
I am sure that there has to be a more....humane way of handling palm blisters training the skin to "toughen" up a bit. According to this article on blisters and rips, tea tree oil helps heal and I should decide is I want to let it heal on its own or drain it. That I am sure I can handle. It's not that I am squeamish about injuries or my child being in pain, but I definitely don't want to cause her any unnecessary amount pain just because I was too lazy to research a better way. Old school isn't always the best school. I do have tea tree oil and coated gauze pads at home so tonight we shall play medic and it the boo boo better.
Take care of any wounds quickly and carefully so you can fly high and stick it ya'll
Word for today:
Rip - The partial or complete tearing of the skin on the palms of the hands. Rips are different from blisters in that, blisters are not yet open wounds and are filled with fluid. These wounds most often come from an increase in bar practice or improper care of old callouses.
This week is Spring Break for us and that translates into more gym time. Which I am not absolutely confined to a desk in order to work. So 4 by 3 it is this week (4 hours 3 days a week). Monday The Munchkin Princess showed me her hand after practice and of course there was a fairly large (maybe the size of a bean), very red blister at the top of the palm of her hand. This is not uncommon for gymnasts, unfortunately the uneven bars are not very kind to tender fleshed hands. I have not decided what tactic I am going to take with this specific injury but another parent was telling me that they choose to vigorously rub the blister with a alcohol soaked cotton ball to encourage it to burst and then heal more quickly. This approach creates callouses, which does mean that blisters are less likely to occur in the area. But it also means that the hands will feel as though you grew up slapping bricks for fun. Hmm, what is more important though hands worth holding or blisters that won't so readily return? But even beyond that, I don't know if I have the heart to cause more pain than necessary to my child. Think about it: an already tender wound being forcibly scoured with rubbing alcohol? I can just see my child crying and not wanting to talk to me for the rest of the evening. I am more than sure that she would tell my parents on me. And that would open up a whole other point of pain. LOL
I am sure that there has to be a more....humane way of handling palm blisters training the skin to "toughen" up a bit. According to this article on blisters and rips, tea tree oil helps heal and I should decide is I want to let it heal on its own or drain it. That I am sure I can handle. It's not that I am squeamish about injuries or my child being in pain, but I definitely don't want to cause her any unnecessary amount pain just because I was too lazy to research a better way. Old school isn't always the best school. I do have tea tree oil and coated gauze pads at home so tonight we shall play medic and it the boo boo better.
Take care of any wounds quickly and carefully so you can fly high and stick it ya'll
Word for today:
Rip - The partial or complete tearing of the skin on the palms of the hands. Rips are different from blisters in that, blisters are not yet open wounds and are filled with fluid. These wounds most often come from an increase in bar practice or improper care of old callouses.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Back in Action!
Thank goodness!
Everyone is feeling better, kicking butt, and taking names this week. Apparently it was nothing serious for The Munchkin Princess just a unruly case of allergies. Got to love Austin the allergy riddled live-music capital of the world. So I'm thinking I have passed on my specific allergies to the little one. Oops. Well, now I know what to expect at different times of the year and how to help the lovely survive. Hmm, maybe living by the ocean will help us out...Yea, in my dreams.
This week in the wonderful world of gymnastics we are preparing for Spring Break next week. It looks like the girls will be adding 3 extra hours to their regimen next week to take full advantage to not having school to slow them down. So during the break we will be in the gym 3 days out of the week for 4 hours each day. I'm sure The Munchkin Princess will love it, but I may have to take breaks and leave the building because my behind cannot take 4 straight hours in these terrible metal folding chairs.
As I sit here watching my daughter learn basic form for the vault I find myself wondering "Just how quickly do these girls generally tend to progress?" and "How far behind is she really?" From what I have learned it is common for gymnasts to have to repeat a level for another year based on the coach's evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses, just like in school. Even Jordyn Wieber 2012 Olympic gymnast stayed in Level 5 for an extra season according to her mother. So how does a gymnast stay on track and progress appropriately without being rushed and potentially injured? Also, looking at the USA Gymnastics guidelines and age requirements makes me feel as though there are thousands of children in this country beginning their competitive careers as gymnasts very early. There is a Talent Opportunity Program specifically designed to scout girls between the ages of 7-10 years old. This is done on a state wide level initially and then can progress to a national training camp opportunity. Which leads me to wonder even more "Exactly what skills are expected of a 7 year old gymnast so that she may be invited to a national training camp?" Are we behind the curve in this sport to make it to the Elite team by high school? Or maybe now that her training regimen is designed for competitive progression she will steadily climb the ranks? Either way I do know that the Elite team and in particular the Olympic team are not the be all and end all of gymnastics. There are a number of highly prestigious universities with amazing gymnastics programs that actually offer full scholarships. There are always options and I intend to keep as many of them open for my baby for as long as possible.
Our word(s) for tonight:
TOPs Physical Ability requirements - Gymnasts must be able to complete the rope climb with legs held straight out, complete press handstand, leg lifts, demonstrate leg flexibility, and hold handstands for a minimum of 30 seconds. 7-10 year old girls
With the right direction and drive anything can be done, so I'm going to sit and watch The Munchkin Princess fly high and stick in her dream. Night all
Everyone is feeling better, kicking butt, and taking names this week. Apparently it was nothing serious for The Munchkin Princess just a unruly case of allergies. Got to love Austin the allergy riddled live-music capital of the world. So I'm thinking I have passed on my specific allergies to the little one. Oops. Well, now I know what to expect at different times of the year and how to help the lovely survive. Hmm, maybe living by the ocean will help us out...Yea, in my dreams.
This week in the wonderful world of gymnastics we are preparing for Spring Break next week. It looks like the girls will be adding 3 extra hours to their regimen next week to take full advantage to not having school to slow them down. So during the break we will be in the gym 3 days out of the week for 4 hours each day. I'm sure The Munchkin Princess will love it, but I may have to take breaks and leave the building because my behind cannot take 4 straight hours in these terrible metal folding chairs.
As I sit here watching my daughter learn basic form for the vault I find myself wondering "Just how quickly do these girls generally tend to progress?" and "How far behind is she really?" From what I have learned it is common for gymnasts to have to repeat a level for another year based on the coach's evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses, just like in school. Even Jordyn Wieber 2012 Olympic gymnast stayed in Level 5 for an extra season according to her mother. So how does a gymnast stay on track and progress appropriately without being rushed and potentially injured? Also, looking at the USA Gymnastics guidelines and age requirements makes me feel as though there are thousands of children in this country beginning their competitive careers as gymnasts very early. There is a Talent Opportunity Program specifically designed to scout girls between the ages of 7-10 years old. This is done on a state wide level initially and then can progress to a national training camp opportunity. Which leads me to wonder even more "Exactly what skills are expected of a 7 year old gymnast so that she may be invited to a national training camp?" Are we behind the curve in this sport to make it to the Elite team by high school? Or maybe now that her training regimen is designed for competitive progression she will steadily climb the ranks? Either way I do know that the Elite team and in particular the Olympic team are not the be all and end all of gymnastics. There are a number of highly prestigious universities with amazing gymnastics programs that actually offer full scholarships. There are always options and I intend to keep as many of them open for my baby for as long as possible.
Our word(s) for tonight:
TOPs Physical Ability requirements - Gymnasts must be able to complete the rope climb with legs held straight out, complete press handstand, leg lifts, demonstrate leg flexibility, and hold handstands for a minimum of 30 seconds. 7-10 year old girls
With the right direction and drive anything can be done, so I'm going to sit and watch The Munchkin Princess fly high and stick in her dream. Night all
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