Skipping Perfection

One day my oldest daughter Sid, who was in third grade at the time, came home from school completely frustrated and upset.  She dropped her backpack and looked at me through those angry eyebrows of hers and said, "MOM! YOU HAVE TO TALK TO TYLER!

"OK," I said and asked, "So what's the problem now?"  Tyler, at this point in his life was 5 years old and seemed to be enjoying himself immensely in his Kindergarten year. (Refer to the blog called Kindergarten and Brain Recesses.)  If you have read any of my other blogs about Tyler then you will know what I'm talking about.  If not, you might want to do some homework and read the blog called Hamster from Hell, Holiday Headspin Number One, 2 Tuh, Amazing Fluidity of Movement or Two Lost Kids.  Any of those previous blogs will give you insight into the life of Tyler.

The following is our conversation:

Me: So what's bugging you about Ty?  

Sid: "You have to stop Tyler!  You can't believe what he does every day at recess!"

I looked at Sid and could see that she truly couldn't take it anymore, whatever it was.  

Me: "What does he do that can be that bad?" (I'm thinking, good gravy what is it this time?)

Sid: "Tyler skips around the dodgeball circles during the whole recess and doesn't stop."

Me:  "If it bugs you so much don't look."

Sid:  "The dodgeball circles are right outside our class windows and the WHOLE class can see and they watch him the whole recess.  They want to know what he's doing."

Me:  "Duh.  Tell them he's skipping.  They should know because they are in third grade.  Don't they ever skip?"

Sid:  "Not ALL recess around the circles the WHOLE time.  They skip to somewhere just sometimes."

Me:  "Does Ty stop skipping when recess is over and go inside?"

Sid:  "I guess."

Me:  "That's progress."  (Refer back to Kindergarten and Brain recesses)

Sid:  "Mom you should see him skip.  He does this!" and Sid starts skipping around the room.  

Let me briefly describe the skip that Tyler does.  He has very unique technique and grace.

First, his vertical hop from one foot to another is unparalleled.   He has a 21 inch vertical hop.  (Most good athletes are in the 40 inch range and that's jumping off two feet and they're not 5 years old.)

Next, as he SPRINGS off one foot he bends the opposite leg at the knee and points that toe like the best of the Nutcracker dancers.  Each skip has amazing height and his toes, as he hops off the ground, are perfectly pointed.  It is a sight of beauty.  He has this skip practiced to perfection.  Apparently, he practices a lot according to Sid.

I told Sid I would talk to Ty or maybe buy him a hoppy taw since the hopscotches are on the opposite side of the school.  (I would pay to see him hop on those scotches!)

Later that day when Ty came home:

Me:  Ty, so how was school today?

Ty: OK

Me: What did you do at recess today?

Ty: Shrug

Me:  Do you like to skip?

Ty:  Yep.  (He's busy not paying attention to me at this point)

Me:  Do you skip at recess?

Ty: Yep

Me:  Show me how you skip.

Tyler takes off skipping.  I cannot tell you how amazing this was to watch.  Not only does he attain maximum height and point but he covers a lot of ground.  I truly have never seen a skip like this kid can do.  

I praised Ty on his technique and told him he was definitely the best skipper I've ever seen and I wasn't kidding.  

I just couldn't discourage Ty from his skipping.  It was just so darn entertaining.    I bought him a hoppy taw instead. 

I'm pretty sure he has never stopped his skipping.