Olympi-Baby

My daughter is an ATHLETE.

Okay people?

 I am an Olympic mom. I am a P&G, tears-in-her-eyes, "oh my goodness, she did it! She got the gold!" mom.

Except, my daughter is 4 months old and by "athlete" I mean she can roll over.

 And she tries to sit up.

And she laughs when you talk to her.

And she rocks a jolly jumper. That girl can bounce so high.

 Every time she does something new or exciting.. or even not new, and no longer exciting.. I feel like I've won. Like she's won. She's an Olympian. An Olympililian.

It's so fun to watch the Olympics and to join in the international festivities of country-lovin' and national pride and to celebrate wins and feel losses... but imagine how the mamas of those athletes must feel. Even if you were the world's most outrageous sports mom who pushed their kids maybe just a little bit too hard, you'd STILL well up at the idea of your son or daughter being one of the world's best.

But it's not just about the world's best. We should be celebrating the minor achievements of our kids. Yes, I realize I've only been at this for four months. I'm no expert. But I want to keep this pride and excitement that I have over The Caterpillar's little achievements today, into her early years, her teen years, her adult years. I'm not the kind of person who likes to think too far ahead - I have no list of books I hope she reads, or plans of which national monument I'm going to take her to first - but I do know that I want to be an Olympic mama when she comes home from school in grade four and makes her own PB&J sandwhich, or colours outside of the lines when she's 5, or gets a B on her report card. I'm not saying I'm pro-mediocrity, I'm just saying I'm pro-my-kid's-awesome.

In marriage, we need to make efforts to keep the romance alive. To keep the sizzle sizzlin'. Isn't it the same with our kids? We need to enjoy the things they do daily - the way they rub their eyes when they wake up - not just the firsts, not just the greats - but the thirty sevenths and the OKs.

My daughter: she holds her head up like a champ and that makes me beam.