End of Summer
Summer's almost over, though if Zoë holds fast ours may last a bit longer. She had sworn if she ended up with an all honors class load that she wouldn't do a Fall sport, so she'd have time to get herself sorted out. After she got the schedule she wanted, she went back on that, went to summer soccer practice, and generally seemed to be planning to do soccer in the Fall. She did decide that she was fully done with club lacrosse, but she's still waffling on swim. Anyway, a week ago she decided she wasn't going to do Fall soccer. I think her summer reading emphasized how much time she might need for the reading load she's going to have and she decided better safe than sorry. She also definitely wants to do the musical (even though she also said she wouldn't do that, if she ended up with an all honors load).
That means instead of athletic practices beginning Aug 15, we don't have to be finished with summer until Aug 30. Not a huge difference, but enough. It means I don't need to stress about traveling for the eclipse (trying to minimize days of practice missed). It means we have a bit more time for her to figure out what supplies she wants for upper school and to go get any uniform pieces she needs replaced.
It also means her school day will be over at 3:30, not 6. At least until musical rehearsal begins. 3:30's half an hour earlier than is really good for me. I'll need to shift my work hours to begin at 6am again. I was enjoying my sleeping in.
She's doing crew camp this week and loving it. The first day she asked if any local gyms had rowing machines. The second day she asked if we couldn't buy a rowing machine. Her hands are all blistered up, it's pretty gross. She's sure she's going to do crew in spring. That means no lacrosse. I asked her if she was sure about that - no club lacrosse, no school lacrosse... she said if she decides she hates crew, she can always go back to lacrosse her sophomore year. That's a rational approach. I also like that the crew coach is really honest with the kids. The myths about "rowing will get you a scholarship!" is nonsense. What they need is so fine tuned with most sports is basically genetics and who among the genetically gifted have devoted the most effective training time. I'm glad he was up front about it, since Zoë has a couple friends who are counting on their sport to at least give them a + for college admission (and are likely good enough for it to count) and I don't want her to fall into that. I think it's too limiting. And the people I know who got recruited to play a sport in college have backed that up.
But a rowing machine. Those things take up a stupid amount of floor space. I guess-measured our music room, thinking if we put a rowing machine and the piano in there, it might work. But I think the rowing machine would need to be positioned in such a way as to prevent proper bench placement for the piano. The attic has plenty of floor space. If I get all my filing squared away, and Zoë agrees to put her stuffed animals in storage out in the studio. I think we're going to use the stuffed animals as a measure of how certain she is she wants the rowing machine. If she's ok with them going into storage (or even going away!) then she's pretty serious. On the way home she pointed out one of the boatyards they use to practice on the water. I'm curious how often. They have a rowing tank at the school, so they don't have to be out on the water every day. Anyway. It'll be interesting to learn about, and we'll see if she's still all-in when Spring sports come around.
That means instead of athletic practices beginning Aug 15, we don't have to be finished with summer until Aug 30. Not a huge difference, but enough. It means I don't need to stress about traveling for the eclipse (trying to minimize days of practice missed). It means we have a bit more time for her to figure out what supplies she wants for upper school and to go get any uniform pieces she needs replaced.
It also means her school day will be over at 3:30, not 6. At least until musical rehearsal begins. 3:30's half an hour earlier than is really good for me. I'll need to shift my work hours to begin at 6am again. I was enjoying my sleeping in.
She's doing crew camp this week and loving it. The first day she asked if any local gyms had rowing machines. The second day she asked if we couldn't buy a rowing machine. Her hands are all blistered up, it's pretty gross. She's sure she's going to do crew in spring. That means no lacrosse. I asked her if she was sure about that - no club lacrosse, no school lacrosse... she said if she decides she hates crew, she can always go back to lacrosse her sophomore year. That's a rational approach. I also like that the crew coach is really honest with the kids. The myths about "rowing will get you a scholarship!" is nonsense. What they need is so fine tuned with most sports is basically genetics and who among the genetically gifted have devoted the most effective training time. I'm glad he was up front about it, since Zoë has a couple friends who are counting on their sport to at least give them a + for college admission (and are likely good enough for it to count) and I don't want her to fall into that. I think it's too limiting. And the people I know who got recruited to play a sport in college have backed that up.
But a rowing machine. Those things take up a stupid amount of floor space. I guess-measured our music room, thinking if we put a rowing machine and the piano in there, it might work. But I think the rowing machine would need to be positioned in such a way as to prevent proper bench placement for the piano. The attic has plenty of floor space. If I get all my filing squared away, and Zoë agrees to put her stuffed animals in storage out in the studio. I think we're going to use the stuffed animals as a measure of how certain she is she wants the rowing machine. If she's ok with them going into storage (or even going away!) then she's pretty serious. On the way home she pointed out one of the boatyards they use to practice on the water. I'm curious how often. They have a rowing tank at the school, so they don't have to be out on the water every day. Anyway. It'll be interesting to learn about, and we'll see if she's still all-in when Spring sports come around.