Of Letting the Rhythm Move Her

I'm not sure if it was my first exposure to the sport, but one of the few things that stuck in my memory from watching the 1996 Summer Olympics (other than Kerri Strug's heroic vault, of course) was staying up until 2am (because I was twelve and it was summer, so why not, right?) and discovering Rhythmic Gymnasts (who were only aired during those wee hours of the morning, in the days long before DVR) twirl a ribbon through the air and do amazing contortions of their body through a hula hoop.  I thought it was magical.

Since those middle school days of having no other life than lounging in front of the television until my eyelids were going to fall off, I have not had the ability to indulge in the once-every-four-years airing of this particular event (as, apparently, America has no investment in this sort of artistry at all) - until now.

Now that it's aired during the normal morning hours, reserved only for housewives and jobless college graduates who live with their mothers, I finally have the privilege of watching in awe, once again, as one slender dancer after another, adorned in glitter and spandex, makes a bouncing ball a fluid member of her own body.

And the best part this time around is having my four-year-old daughter sitting nearby, also marveling at this amazing feat.  And when it's over?  Seeing her pick up her own glitter-filled ball and attempt to hold it by sheer will on the inside of her knee, just like "the girls" did.

Everyday memories, sponsored by the Olympics (and NBC, of course).



(And just in case you need a reference point for any of the above to make sense)


1,000 Gifts:
738. Opening my fridge to see sprigs of parsley, fresh ground nut butters and salad fixings
739. A full fridge
740. Kissing boo-boos
741. A tiny, fleshy tongue sucking on my arm
742. "Secret Missions"
743. The Library
744. Renewing memories

Whole 30 - Day Two:
Breakfast: Egg Scrambled in Walnut Oil, Banana
Morning Snack: Apple with Almond Butter 
Lunch: Leftovers from last night
Afternoon Snack: Frozen Blueberries, Strawberries and Bananas blended together (amazing!)
Dinner: Shaslik (Russian Kebabs - with chicken rather than lamb because lamb was too expensive and broiled, rather than grilled, because our grill is broken), Green Bean Bacon Bundles (minus the sugar and with Ghee rather than butter), Sliced Tomatoes

Today got rough when I gave the kids popcorn for snack (their diet isn't as hard-core as ours, though they have the same breakfast and dinner) and wanted just one kernel, but I held strong.  Also, the Whole 30 plan discourages against snacks, but I'm a nursing momma who is donating a good portion of her calories to a certain little boy, leaving me hungry and shaking even after I finished breakfast, so I had to put those back in - I don't plan to rely on them, but I won't deny myself nourishment when my stomach is super angry.  Finally, that dinner was about the most amazing thing I've ever made/eaten - LOVED it!!!  We'll be pulling that out again, and long after this Whole 30 is over, for sure.