Winning the Aluminum

The Olympics are over, which has been a tremendous blow for Cael who has taken a sudden and uncharacteristic  interest in sporting events.  The television-watching part is right up his alley, of course, but the paying-attention-to-something-long-enough-to-see-it-through-to-completion part is new and totally out of his element.

But then again, what captured his attention wasn't the sporting events; he's simply taken an interest in a million different things that Mommy just can't do.

It all started innocently with a conversation about Michael Phelps "swimming like a fish". 

"Mommy, can you swim like a fish?"

"No, Mommy's not a good swimmer.  Especially not like that man."

"Is he the best in the whole, wide world?"

"Yep, he sure is."

"And you're just not good?"

"When it comes to swimming, I guess not."

"I like the jastics."

"...The gymnastics, you mean?"

"Yeah, that's what I said.  I like the jastics.  Can you do those flips, Mommy?"

"Nope, those people practice for years to be able to do those things."

"And you're too young?"

"No, actually they are a lot younger than I am."

"So you had lots of time to practice, right?"

"I guess I could have been practicing to qualify for the olympic gymnastics team, yes.  But instead I was busy cooking for you and doing your laundry and buying you toys and driving you to school."

"See?  That's why you're just not good."

Cael wins the gold for bluntness, while Mommy wins the less-envied aluminum medal for being marginal at best.

"Well if you're so much better, you show me how to do those sports!"

"Okay, I will, but get ready... I'm AWESOME."

He's awesome at running races...

And he has an awesome gymnastics floor exercise routine....

He's very strong and awesome at weightlifting...

And although he didn't know what fencing was, I bet he'd be awesome at that too.




If only I hadn't been wasting these last nearly five years raising him, I could join him on the podium.  Instead, I guess I'll have to settle for the aluminum.