Breaking parenting rules...

I've always struggled being a Mom.  It's not that I don't love my children, it's just so darn emotional and straight-up difficult to know if you're doing it right or not.  I posted a few months back about how as a Mom, you never get an "Annual Review." (click here to read that post)  I think tonight I broke one of the parenting rules.  You know, the one that you should never live your life through your children? Okay, I know I need to explain.

I would call myself coordinated, but not athletic.  Yes, I can run...I've run 2 marathons, 5 half marathons, a Ragnar Relay, and more 10K's and 5K's than I can remember.  I've completed 2 metric century rides, and one 70 mile ride.  I did win the Monroe Milk Run 5 miler for my age group...that's the closest to winning as I've ever been. (No, I wasn't the only woman in my age group.)  I tried softball...hated it.  Couldn't hit that ball for anything.  Took tennis lessons...even tried to revisit it as a young adult, and my then boyfriend (now husband) could hardly play because he was laughing so hard at me.  I played goalie for my soccer team...and cried every time we lost because I had let the ball by me.  I threw the shotput and discuss...never placed in a meet.  There was just a lot of gabbing during practice.  None of this really bothered me.  But the one thing that I ALWAYS wanted to be able to do, and I never could, was a back handspring.  I grew up watching Olga Korbut and Nadia Comaneci star in the Olympics.  Oh how I loved gymnastics.  My mother didn't like the woman who ran the local gymnastics studio...oh I have no idea why.  Something about she also ran a dance studio and my mom had a bad experience there.  Alas, I only went to one week-long gymnastics summer camp.  And never learned to tumble.

My daughter has been taking tumbling for 5 years now.  She isn't a natural.  She works really hard, makes improvements, and often times gets injured and has to take time off, which then sets her back. She has been able to do a back handspring for 3 years now... but in varying degrees of success.  Here's the "bad mom" part...when her tumbling looks really good, I feel successful and happy.  Almost as if I had done it myself.  Wow...that's a confession.

I am so proud of my daughter (and truth be told, myself) because tonight, she did a round-off, back-handspring, back-handspring, back-handspring...three times!  She also threw her round-off, back-handspring, tuck.  Her handsprings are getting faster each tumbling class she goes to, and I am having so much fun watching her.  There.  Living my own dreams out through my daughter.  I'm am NEVER going to be able to do a back handspring.  So sad.  So I'm doing the next best thing...feeding off my daughter's successes.  I don't care if that's not healthy...it's my Sweet Fringe Benefit today.  And I'm going with it!

Now in my defense, my daughter loves her tumbling classes.  She loves cheerleading, and is working hard getting ready for tryouts this spring.  So before, anyone reports me to DFS, I don't need to twist her arm to go.

Outfit of the Day:  Banana Republic pink merino wool crewneck sweater, Jcrew Factory leopard print button down blouse, LOFT berry skinny cords, Emaack Designs Magnesite necklace.  Isn't this necklace cool?  I love the organic feel to it. I usually wear it in the summertime right up against my skin.  I thought it worked well though with this outfit.

Maybe I've made you feel a little better about your parenting skills...

Nanette