cupcakes

While Lucy and I were up in Frisco, visiting last week, Lucy bought Alexi a chef's costume and they baked cupcakes together while Rita and I went to a medical appointment. They were actually DELICIOUS. I just polished off the final three last night. There were a few left without frosting that Lucy brought home in a Tupperware container. I couldn't resist. Lucy took a short movie of the moment, you'll notice their dog Shelby the Sheltie barking in the background. We love Shelties. They are so intelligent and loving, however, they are a pain in the ass with their barking. Shelby will bark insanely whenever the telephone rings or someone comes to the door or rings the doorbell. While they were baking, Alexi's dad, Justin, was trying to telephone the house. Lucy didn't hear the phone, but Shelby did. THEREFORE, the barking fest. Here's the movie.

I had a conversation with my daughter this weekend. She has been trying to enroll my grand daughter Alexi into a gymnastics program but the one in their neighborhood (the residents of which, have much too much disposable income) has a waiting list for a year.

A friend of hers, the mother of one of Alexi's friends - Uma Claire, asked Rita if she would mind taking Uma Clair to the gymnastics class for her one day last week. Rita gained permission for Alexi to sit in on the class for one day. It turned into a nightmare. Apparently one of the instructors is a recognized gymnast. This may be the reason for the overwhelming interest in the school. Nothing like denying access to make everyone want it all the more. An American shortcoming.

As Rita sat on the bleachers with the other parents observing the class, it became immediately obvious that the famous gymnast had no children of her own and no empathy or skill at dealing with small children. Her instructions to the small children in the class was more akin to a drill sergeant's demeaning methodology than that of anyone teaching young children.

Rita has done a wonderful job of positive reinforcement with her daughter. Alexi is confident in virtually everything and is shocked and will cry if anyone speaks to her in a stern voice. Rita reserves this voice for behavior problems. This gymnast spoke to the class in the harsh "punishment" voice throughout the session. At one point when Rita applauded a somersault that Alexi had skillfully executed, "yeah, Alexi, good job!" the instructor marched over to the Bleachers and chastised Rita while wagging a finger in her face "we don't do that here - no distractions will be allowed!" Think "soup nazi" from Seinfeld.

While Rita is not the type to put up with this type of behavior in adults, I applaud her for not stuffing that finger down this woman's throat. If it had been me, I think I'd be in jail right now.

I view this as a perfect example of people wanting what they are denied. Here's a class that frankly, should have parents in an outrage over the behavior of this gymnast and they are all lining up like lemmings because the waiting list is over a year. I'm just glad that my granddaughter found out the climate in this supposed "School" before they paid to enroll.

What is even more anomalous about this particular school is that Alexi has participated in virtually everything the young, active mothers of this community can think up to involve themselves in, dancing class, pre-school class, SOCCER!!, those of you who know RITA have seen the pictures of little Alexi and her friends partipating in all of this or have read Rita's Blog. In EVERY instance, the teachers and coaches working with these little children have been caring and nurturing. This is like a blight on their community and I think Rita should do something about it. However, because she was only a guest at this training session, AND she was also accompanying a friends little girl, she did NOT react the way she, or I would have normally reacted by giving this woman a piece of here mind and immediately taking alexi out of the class in the midst of the continuing harangues of this Nazi.

The disappointing things is that Alexi is short and compact and has the perfect body to become a gymnast. I resisted mentally (silently) my daughter's enrolling Alexi in dance class, I thought she was too young, but it has taught her poise and grace not usually found in children this young. She is constantly doing little graceful pirouettes, or standing on her toes like a ballerina (it's a comically cute, she sometimes does it unconsciously - here's a photo - blank stare on toes - to make it even more difficult she's wearing SANDALS: