Member Blogs

Jumping Rope

On a sunny Saturday afternoon during a party, my friend and I slip

outside to sip margaritas on the terrace and watch her daughter skip

rope. Quite casually I blurt “Woo-hoo!  You’re a great jump-roper!”  As

I turn to place the glass on the table I see the look on my own

daughter’s face that reads jealousy.  If compliments are being bandied

about my daughter will do the catching, thankyouverymuch.

Watching my friend’s six-year old skip rope was like watching a

flower attached to a metronome. The wispy little girl was light and

rhythmic. Watching my six-year old, on the other hand, was like

watching a new driver learn to operate a standard transmission. Of

course after seeing my child’s desperate need for a compliment I tell

her she’s a good jump-roper as well.  Clearly, we were four perceptive

females, and it was obvious my friend’s little girl was the better

jumper of the two.  So what! Big deal.

Well,

apparently, for my competitive child it was a big deal. My husband and

I return home after being out of town for four days to find my daughter

sweating and jumping at what first appeared to be a jump rope, but upon

closer inspection was speaker wire.  The child didn’t have a jump rope,

but she found a spool of speaker wire and the babysitter said she had

spent the entire weekend honing her jump rope skills with the

occasional water break.  She taught herself to jump backwards; on one

foot; turning around; and, turning around backward on one foot.

 WHY didn't I take a photograph of her sweating and jumping rope with a piece of speaker wire? (obviously, the dog jumping rope is not my daughter!)