The Gymnastics Coach Would Be So Proud

The Girl used to do Gymnastics.  She was quite good at it and then she began to have problems with her knees and ankles in May/June 2011.  Lots of swelling, pain and even a very pronounced limp. In the October we finally found out what was wrong; she was diagnosed with JIA - Juvenile idiopathic arthritis or what you may know as Rheumatoid Arthritis.  JIA is what it is known as in under 16s.  

She tried to carry on with her gymnastics during this time but spent most of the session sitting on the sideline, sometimes even crying in pain.  It was a hard decision to make but at Christmas we made the decision for her not to continue.  She was very upset but knew it was for the best.

Eighteen months have now passed and after 3 sets of steroid injections and daily medication on the whole she is much better but does have flares.  Since then we have also discovered she has hypermobility or double jointed which explains why she was so good at gymnastics.  Its a case of managing her activities, keeping on top of meds and lots and lots of physio.

Now we live by the sea and it is so much more relaxed here than it was where we lived in the Midlands.  I am also trying to be more relaxed with what I allow The Boy & Girl to do without being supervised   They need their freedom.

The Boy turned 11 last month and in 2 weeks time The Girl will turn 10.  They really are growing up so quickly.

They both have made friends so easily and love to go out and play with them.  

We are lucky in that we live in a small town and our home is less than 100 metres from the beach.  It is so lovely to live here especially in the summer when the is sun shining   As a child we would spend the whole of our 6 weeks summer holidays here and most weekends during the summer months. My parents were beyond strict and really never let me go anywhere as a child except for when we came here.  Then we (Little Brother & I) would go off out for the day, we knew what time our evening meal was and we just had to be back by then.  

However, there were rules:

• Don't go off we anybody.

• Don't go in people houses, even if we knew them.

• The cottage is by the level crossing and even though the trains are only every 2 hours we knew we had to be careful crossing the track.

• Stay within the boundaries we were given, no wondering off out of the town or up the river or along the beach.

• No going in the sea above knee height and never to go in when the tide is going out.

• If you go in the sea, don't get your clothes wet unless swimming wear.

• Under no circumstances walk on the breakers.

We knew the rules and kept to them.  

These rules worked.

These are the rules my children have been set.  I am lucky in that my children have mobiles and they don't leave the house without them and they must always be answered when I call them.  

There are big consequences for any child that does not answer their phone when I call.

We had been on an unexpected day trip and I had not taken my camera with me and then my phone battery died.  We had been using The Girl's camera on her phone.  

So imagine my surprise when I was downloading the photos from The Girl's phone and I found this:

Practicing her beam work...on BREAKERS!

Her gymnastics coach would be so proud.

I'll let you guess how many times she has been allowed out since I found this.

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