While the computer is playing nice, I will get this video up as well. Once again it is just Rachel fooling around on the ice. She is sorta doing her routine, but her heart isn't really in it as you can see. She skates MUCH better in competition. This was done in late May or early June, and the routine has actually changed quite alot already (after much intensive training this summer). She now has a camel spin and a Lutz jump and a few other higher level moves in it, that are not in this video. I promise to get a competition video up as soon as I get the dumb computer to cough it up.
Lauren took this video with Rachel's camera, so don't expect much in the way of quality. It's just for fun. Enjoy
Sunday, September 7, 2008
and now we about to answer THEE QUESTION
CAN ONE GIRL SKATE COMPETITIVELY AND DANCE IN THE NUTCRACKER????
We will find the answer to this question in the next few months. We leave in 2 days for the 2 girls to skate at the Colorado Springs Invitational competition. This is the last competition before the Regional Competitions. Fortunately, neither girl is competing in the Regional Qualifying competition this year. Rachel is still struggling with her Lutz jump, but landed it cleanly at the Exhibition this weekend.
Meanwhile, both girls auditioned for a place in the local professional ballet company's production of Nutcracker this year. Although they take many local girls (and boys) for the production, it is not a sure thing by any means. This is a professional dance company. Both girls managed to be cast...Lauren will be a "generic" mouse, while Rachel will be a battle mouse and also will be doing an understudy position for the polichenelles. I spent most of yesterday either trying to get all the jewels on the ice skating dresses before we pack them or standing in line at the casting call with the girls or trying to get a grip on the rehearsal requirements for the girls for the Nutcracker.
God has been smiling on me with this one. None of the rehearsals start until the week after the competition is over. The final performance for the Nutcracker is the week before the annual Christmas Ice Show at our home rink. And, just to prove that God smiled down on us, there is no Sunday rehearsal the Sunday Rachel is taking her Pre-Preliminary Freeskate Test.
OH, Yah, Rachel is taking her Preliminary Freeskate Test at a rink about 1 hour away this month. Everyone that has seen her skate is sure she will pass it. It's a major step for us in her skating.
Can 1 mom keep up with 2 girls through 1 ice skating competion, 8 performances of the Nutcracker, 1 ice solo (by Rachel) at the Ice Show and 2 group performances at the ice show, while being the costume mom for the ice show, filling 4 mandatory slots of volunteer time with the Ballet company and trying to still accomplish 3 months of full time homeschool with 2 very active girls? Stay tuned for the answer...just don't expect too many blogs between now and January while I recover from mental and physical exhaustion.
We will find the answer to this question in the next few months. We leave in 2 days for the 2 girls to skate at the Colorado Springs Invitational competition. This is the last competition before the Regional Competitions. Fortunately, neither girl is competing in the Regional Qualifying competition this year. Rachel is still struggling with her Lutz jump, but landed it cleanly at the Exhibition this weekend.
Meanwhile, both girls auditioned for a place in the local professional ballet company's production of Nutcracker this year. Although they take many local girls (and boys) for the production, it is not a sure thing by any means. This is a professional dance company. Both girls managed to be cast...Lauren will be a "generic" mouse, while Rachel will be a battle mouse and also will be doing an understudy position for the polichenelles. I spent most of yesterday either trying to get all the jewels on the ice skating dresses before we pack them or standing in line at the casting call with the girls or trying to get a grip on the rehearsal requirements for the girls for the Nutcracker.
God has been smiling on me with this one. None of the rehearsals start until the week after the competition is over. The final performance for the Nutcracker is the week before the annual Christmas Ice Show at our home rink. And, just to prove that God smiled down on us, there is no Sunday rehearsal the Sunday Rachel is taking her Pre-Preliminary Freeskate Test.
OH, Yah, Rachel is taking her Preliminary Freeskate Test at a rink about 1 hour away this month. Everyone that has seen her skate is sure she will pass it. It's a major step for us in her skating.
Can 1 mom keep up with 2 girls through 1 ice skating competion, 8 performances of the Nutcracker, 1 ice solo (by Rachel) at the Ice Show and 2 group performances at the ice show, while being the costume mom for the ice show, filling 4 mandatory slots of volunteer time with the Ballet company and trying to still accomplish 3 months of full time homeschool with 2 very active girls? Stay tuned for the answer...just don't expect too many blogs between now and January while I recover from mental and physical exhaustion.
Our New Family Member...
Her name is Lauren and she is 11. Rachel and Lauren both skate under Coach Claudia, which is how we met. Lauren's mom has a fairly serious cancer in her neck/jawline. Rachel had been helping Coach Claudia pick music and put a routine together for Lauren to skate in our home ice competition in July. The girls became fast friends during the month of June. Lauren started coming over alot, and I got to know her story a bit. She had fallen through the cracks in Public School and dad was about to start a new job driving long haul trucks so he could earn more money to compensate for mom not working while undergoing Chemo and Radiation. One night I was at Lauren's house letting her mom cry on my shoulder, and realized that I could solve many of her problems at one time with a very simple gesture.... I (We) are now Lauren's temporary guardians. We inherit her every weekday morning about 8 am. During the day, I get both girls to their skating lessons and practices, homeschool both girls (in an attempt to get Lauren back to her correct grade level in her studies). Lauren is progressing nicely and has already made up much lost ground after doing "summer school" with me most of the summer. And get both girls to dance lessons. Lauren takes ballet one day a week with Rachel. Then she goes home in the late evenings (sometimes just before bed time). I also make sure she gets to church youth group and such. She spends many weekends with us as well, as the girls cannot stand to be apart for more than 8 hours at a time. They refer to each other as "sis" and she has made a nice addition to our family, even if just until her mom is well.
Please pray for Lauren's mom, Linda. That she will have a speedy recovery from her Chemo and Radiation and that she will experience a full remission of her cancer.
Please pray for Lauren's mom, Linda. That she will have a speedy recovery from her Chemo and Radiation and that she will experience a full remission of her cancer.
And yes, there is finally a new post
No, I haven't forgotten about the blog.
Rachel passed her Pre-Preliminary Moves Figure Skating Test in May. She did very well and we are very proud of her. She also competed in Santa Fe, NM at a competition there in May and did not place well. Her jumps were not up to par. We reset and competed again at our home ice in July. She placed first in her compulsaries competition, and then fell during her freeskate. She had been flirting with "death" on her loop/loop combination jump and finally fell. I won't say I was surprised. She got up and finished her routine. I was very proud of her, it was the first time she had fallen in competition, ever.
We spent most of the rest of the summer trying to get caught up with the homeschool math. We also added a new member to our family. But that will be on the next blog.
Rachel passed her Pre-Preliminary Moves Figure Skating Test in May. She did very well and we are very proud of her. She also competed in Santa Fe, NM at a competition there in May and did not place well. Her jumps were not up to par. We reset and competed again at our home ice in July. She placed first in her compulsaries competition, and then fell during her freeskate. She had been flirting with "death" on her loop/loop combination jump and finally fell. I won't say I was surprised. She got up and finished her routine. I was very proud of her, it was the first time she had fallen in competition, ever.
We spent most of the rest of the summer trying to get caught up with the homeschool math. We also added a new member to our family. But that will be on the next blog.
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