Watching Adam Shine

It's a wonderful thing when your child finds an activity he really LOVES doing! I find myself thrilled whenever I watch Adam don his fencing gear and take to the floor.

So great has been his enthusiasm that he's been taking advantage of the three beginning lessons offered weekly at our fencing center. This is my "non-sporty" kid, volunteering to be put through the thrice weekly rigors of stretching, jogging, "suicides", lunging and footwork drills for sixty plus minutes per lesson for the reward of half an hour of going crazy with that foil!

Whether he knows it or not, he's getting quite a bit of exercise. He's learned to jump rope, to "karaoke" (the step, not the singing), to stretch appropriately and to push himself even when he's very tired. But the best thing is, he's having a blast - and mom is too! Fencing is much less painful to watch than football - there aren't any coaches yelling profanities at my child while he hurls himself headlong at another player. It's warm and toasty in the fencing center, and they even have DSL (although I usually knit).

Adam's main partner is a sophomore in high school, and Adam's only 11, so he's learning the value of playing with someone who's better than you...it's tough to lose most bouts, but he knows he's improving and learning when he goes against one of the younger boys and wins.

For now, I'm enjoying this new found love of Adam's, simply because I love HIM so much and it's incredible to watch him have so much fun. Who knows how long the enthusiasm will last, but for now, it's pure joy!