By Kelli Bowen
Sometimes you're running in circles and sometimes you are winning...speaking of: Miss E decided to try track. She claims she is fast. She is competitive. She needs to burn off some gosh darn energy. Enter track.
She went to all of the practices. We took turns carpooling with another family down the street. She came home sweaty, hot and worn out most of the time. Track seemed good.
To celebrate their successful “season,” they had a track meet. Oh...my...word...you...guys: track meets are sooooo boring! This event was hours and the events she participated in took maybe...7 1/2 minutes when it was all said and done?
She participated in three events: long jump, softball throw and 50 meter dash. The long jump, she seemed to be doing what she was supposed to be doing. We thought she missed the throwing event, because we didn't even see that happen. The running event, she started out in the front but ended toward the back.
After, what seemed like days of listening to Miss A complain of how bored she was and beg for popcorn, as we sat in the bleachers waiting for results, they started to trickle in.
Miss E had third in the long jump, awesome possum! She won 1st in the softball throw, atta girl! And she had second in the 50-meter-dash. I looked at Hubby. "That isn't right." How does one who ended up toward the back, end up with the second place ribbon?
Miss E was so excited! She had gotten a ribbon in everything she had competed. She even made the comment "I didn't even think I was that fast when running." (Um, about that...)
That night, as she and I were in her room, we talked about the day's event and what she enjoyed about track. I pulled out my phone and showed her the video of her race. Her face fell as she realized she didn't earn second place. She watched the video a few more times and determined who had actually earned second place.
"Mom, I'm going to take this ribbon to school tomorrow and give it to her." Miss E stroked the ribbon contemplatively and then looked at me. "That's just the right thing to do."
Sometimes in parenting, you're running in circles and sometimes you are winning. Tonight we are winning. Track meets are still SUPER boring though.
Kelli makes her home in Cass County with her husband, two daughters (8 and 5) and two dogs. She works for a regional seed company by day and tries to be an alright mom, wife, friend and writer by night.
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