(relief map - showing Bellingham, Bainbridge Island and some of the other San Juans)
Fast
and furious is Henry’s gymnastics season. We drive sixty-miles a day four days
a week for his three hour work-outs and then, there are only about six to eight
meets, but they are BAMM, BAMM, BAMM. Last weekend was the Washington Open and
today Bainbridge Island.
To get to Bainbridge Island on time we had to leave bright and early.
Bright and early is neither an accurate term nor one often used in the winter
in the Pacific Northwest. It doesn’t actually get light these days until about
8:00AM. However I digress; we picked up Phoebe and headed out. Sipping my
coffee I smiled as I listened to the “Partridge Family” DVD blaring from the
backseat. Another generation was giggling as Danny Bonaduce traded barbs with
Mr. Kinkaid, and about every twenty minutes I could hear Henry and Phoebe break
into:
C'mon now and meet everybody
And hear us singin'.
There's nothin' better than bein' together
When we're singin'.
Five of us and mom working all day.
…
(maybe a little corny or a little 70s, but ethics, morals and kindness abound)
We drove happily a long
until coming to a stop. Phoebe looked up.
“Where are we?”
“At the ferry terminal,
why?”
“Oh, I thought those were
three-drive thru coffee kiosks,” she said inspecting the pay stations at
Edmonds. I couldn’t help but stifle a chuckle. I liked the way she looked at
the world. I looked again, and wished they were coffee kiosks.
(the ferry terminal pay booth - but could be a coffee kiosk)
We were so early we made
the ferry prior to the one we’d been rushing to board. I am my father’s
daughter – terminally early. When we were kids well before the advent of
Homeland Security and inspections my father was still five hours early for a
flight. Awesomez called and wished Henry luck. "What's that music?"
"The Partridge Family," I said unapologetically.
"Seriously?"
"Where did they get that?"
"I own it."
"Why am I not surprised."
We parked the car on the
lower deck and went above to enjoy the ride. The wind in our hair and the sun
on our faces it was already a wonderful day despite whatever happened at the
meet.
(Phebe-zilla on the way to Kingston)
(Phoebe and Mike wait for the meet to begin)
We took our seats and gave
Henry our last minute advice. Phoebe instructed him to smile and take off his
bulky shorts when he was wearing his white paints. I begged him as always to
point his toes if he loved me. Mike who’d met us there simply wished him good
luck and we all settled into watch. Tom of course, was in California standing
by with his cell phone awaiting the meet stats.
Phoebe the official score
keeper took the program and waited.
Henry’s warm-up on parallel bars was dismal. Legs bent, toes flexed I
was fit to be tied. It didn’t look good for today. Muttering to myself I barely
heard Kim, Austin’s mom, when she turned around.
“I just love to watch Henry
on the p-bars. That is definitely his event.”
“He looked pretty sloppy
though, don’t you think?”
“Maybe for Henry,” Kim
assured me.
“Did you see his legs?” I
asked incredulous, but Kim gave me a dismissive look. I wondered if I was one
of those mom’s that could never be
pleased. I turned to Phoebe, “Did
you think Henry looked good just now?”
“He looked terrible.”
Strangely, I felt relieved. “Did you see his legs” She asked. We’re almost always on the same page.
(Coach Gordy Bylin preps the parallel bars before Henry competes)
The meet began and almost
like magic Henry performed on the parallel bars. It was a stunning performance.
Phoebe was almost out of her seat. Mike was clapping deliriously and Kim turned
around and looked at me raising her eyebrows.
“It was beautiful this
time, he looked like a different kid,” I said as the score came in a 14.3 Next, he was off to high bar. His arms
still visibly bent as he did his giants, I was nervous to see the score.
“The routine looked good,
but the judge can take off for his arms,” I cautioned Phoebe. But the score came in at a rousing
14.6. Again, Phoebe was hopping up and down on the bleachers. Mike was slapping
his leg and we were thrilled. And then something unusual happened. The judge
called a conference. Henry walked somberly up into the stands and leaned over
to me.
“The judge changed my
score. He added wrong.” Worried
about his bent arms I put my hand on his shoulder.
“What did they lower it
to?” I asked softly ready to console my boy as he broke into a smile.
“Mama, he didn’t lower it. He raised it! I got a 14.8”
“Really?” Phoebe squealed.
Henry putting his hands on my knees and rubbing noses with me he nodded
enthusiastically.
“Really! He raised my
score. Did you think he lowered it?” He laughed.
"I did. Did he really raise it?" Henry nodded again laughing.
"Oh Mama."
The rest of the meet was
much more relaxed. Henry either did his best score or just about on every event
except the dreaded pommel horse. He miscounted and left out a rotation.
“Did you video tape
everything?” Tom hoped.
“Uh, not this time. I just
figured we had so much of him, I wanted to just watch this time.”
The awards for level six
were exciting. From the moment I heard the sixth place score I knew Henry would
get something. Fourth place was called and third, his teammate Trey, then
Austin took second. I held my breath. I looked over at Henry who seemed to be
in a trance as “And your level six champion Henry Miller!” was called. He
bounded up to the top of the podium with unbridled enthusiasim. “Gymnasts
salute” I tried to take a picture. My camera battery was low and jammed.
(Henry is in first place -this picture is just after the salute- oops)
Leaning over to Mike who
was at this point clapping so enthusiastically he barely noticed me, “Wouldn’t
you know he wins and I miss the shot.”
“Oh no, really?”
“Has Henry ever won the
whole thing before?” Phoebe asked.
“Nope, never.”
“I’m so glad I’m here,”
Phoebe smiled and ran over to hug Henry.
And then as if the day
couldn’t get any better Mount Baker Gymnastics took first place in the team
awards.
(Mt. Baker Gymnastics wins Level 6 team award - Henry,Trey Davis and Austin Rudy)
(Austin, Coach Gordy, Henry and a very happy Trey) Afterward, we said good-bye to Mike as he headed back down to Tacoma. The kids popped the Partridge
Family back in. "Now Henry, you're still going to have to work on pushing yourself away from the high-bar. The next judge might deduct for that you know."
"I know Mama," Henry placated me as he fiddled happily with his medal,"I will".
