Preteam

Doing a lot of this

 at home and in the gym leads to this...

Tonight as her regular gymnastics class wrapped up her coach called her over as the other girls were leaving. I wondered what they were talking about and wondered what the paper the coach was handing her said but thought I would let Maylin handle this on her own.  When Maylin turned around, she was trying to contain herself but had the biggest grin on her face. She came right over and asked me to read the letter to her. She told me that her coach said she was proud of her and that she was ready for a harder class!

Maylin can be hard to read and is extremely guarded with her feelings but as I read the full letter to her in the car she was physically shaking with excitement. I SO wish I had videoed her reaction as I read. She clasped her hands together and clenched her jaw as she grinned and giggled with excitement! It was nice to see her truly happy about something she accomplished on her own. It was beautiful to watch. I'll cherish that ride home together for years to come.

 I was so happy for her! We talked and laughed the whole way home. She couldn't wait to tell Daddy so I called him and had him meet us outside in the driveway! She about jumped out of the car before it stopped! But as soon as she got out of the car she slowed down and nonchalantly walked up to him to show him the paper. I think she was just waiting to see if she earned his approval before she showed him how excited she was. Of coarse Daddy equally shared his excitement with her and she relished it.

Maylin loves gymnastics. We would NEVER encourage her to put more hours in at the gym or push her into a sport if it wasn't her idea. Adding another hour a week at the gym... well it really isn't going to change our lives that much, but for one little girl it meant the world that someone saw something special in her and that the people who love her the most celebrated her accomplishments.

(PS she slept with this letter last night and came out with it in her hands this morning!)