Compete and repeat

Competition season started today.  Goodness.  I need a bigger car.  Not only do have lots of crap to haul, but gymnasts galore.  Today, I had Donnie with me to help with the chaos.  Well, thank goodness for my gymnastics parents BC the man has no idea how gymnast hair needs to be. I get a little  alot bossy when I need things done a certain way and right now.  I was certain we may not be on speaking terms by the end of the day, but he took my direction well and ignored me for the most part.  Onto competition.  Friday at practice, Paige looked like a complete douffass.  Her vault looked like day 1 of the season.  I wanted to rip my hair out.  I prayed that she not look like this today BC I didn't want to be the embarrassed parent with the sucky child.  The girls first event was vault.  Not our expertise I should say.  Really, they suck at vault.  I'm not afraid to admit this BC I did too.  I hated vault.  My girls are short.  In our gym, we have been using mats based on the girls height and having to take the springs out of the spring board in order to get any type of bounce from it.  The girls head to vault and I think oh no. Theres no height accommodation.  We are screwed ALREADY.  The mat is taller than Zuri.  The girls do a warm up vault, then the real deal comes.  Its time to impress or embarrass.  Zuri goes and does better than I thought she would.  I thought she would be the one to head butt the mat.  Thankfully it was someone elses kid that did that... she does nehhhhhh.  Paige takes her practice vault and does beautifully.  I was impressed.  Kinda.  She does her vault and its not done as well.  The both get a yellow ribbon.  I'm already pissed. 

We go to bars next.  This is going to be rough as well bc there's one skill the girls don't have without a spot.  Automatic deduction here we come.  Zuri flops on bars and does the strangest dismount I have ever seen. She gets 4th.  Paige goes up and I think this could go better.  She had straight legs, she can do her skills, shes usually tights on bars.  All was good until she went slightly crooked on her dismount.  She gets 3rd.  I'm pissed again BC I think she could have gotten 2nd.

Up next is beam.  The girls have a handstand on beam in their routine.  The coaches have never not spotted.  At times, I just want to tell them to step away from the beam.  Its time for the safety net to leave.  I know spotting is an automatic deduction.  Here we go again....Zuri is my favorite on beam.  She gets a spot on the handstand, goes to do her split jump and falls off BC she got distracted from the mat moveage going on underneath her.  FUCK!!!   Paige goes and wasn't graceful as usual, but sticks everything and with no spot.  Its been too long of a day now to remember what they got.

Floor is last.  In the floor routine, there a a bridge kick over.  There is one other level 3 girl the same size as Zuri on the team.  Both these girls hadn't gotten the skill yet.  I have been working with Zuri every way possible at home to get this.  Monday at Dynamites she gets it.  Shes ecstatic and so am I bc she needed it today.  I think we could have a chance at this bc we don't need a spot for anything.  Zuri goes and does a BE-AUTIFUL routine, buuuuuttttt she was much to quick.  There are little dings in their music that are cues for them to do a finish.  That completely went out the window today.  She got 2nd place and was devastated bc she didn't get a blue ribbon which is like getting first place.  I told her she would have had she had her timing right.  She has to listen for her music cues.  Shes tells me she wasn't listening to her music.  Like I couldn't tell.  Paige goes and oh my goodness.  Child what are you thinking!  The very first step is a handstand forward roll.  She goes into her handstand and down she comes only to repeat it.  WHAT?  What are you doing?!  Ohhh fuuuuuucck. Paige gets 2nd somehow and so does Zuri.  Again, I'm pissed.  Zuri is this little tiny girl doing Level 3 and she does an awesome floor routine and they give her 2nd?!  What the F.

Today has been a whole cluster fuck of different feelings.  I put a lot of time into my girls at the gym, so I expect a lot from them.  I was also a gymnast, so I expect even more from them.  4th place sucks.  I'll allow this on vault, but nothing else.  I'm angry bc judging seemed inconsistent and they should have gotten a little better, and there were no height accommodations whatsoever, but then I also have to be excited for them to help them be OK with a 4th place ribbon. Santa is bringing them a balance beam for Christmas...THANK GOD.  We need it.  This allows to me to critique the skills at home that I don't like.  I also have to remember they are 5 and 7.  I have watched Zuri's floor video over and over with her tonight and it makes me proud.  She looked amazing. I need the amazing look on every event!  The girls had a great time today despite getting a couple 4th places. I might be more excited about this when I feel more confident about their skills. 

Next weekend we get to repeat the drive, and chaos for a cheer competition.  This involves fancy bang bumps, curled ponies, and makeup.  This should be loads of fun.