In lieu of speaking

Today I blog because it will be my longest form of communication all day. My voice is gone. I finally succumbed to the nasty cold/respiratory THING that’s been plaguing the boys. It starts with a fever and then morphs into nasty, “my head must be 500 ft underwater because there’s so much pressure," throat on fire, sooo much phlegm, fun.

Moms aren’t supposed to get sick. Or, at least, when they do it’s absolutely no party. If this was fifteen years ago I’d be curled up in bed with some great books and a hot drink. It’s an introvert’s dream! But when you’re a mom…you don’t get that. There are still dishes to wash and meals to cook and runny noses to wipe and diapers to change.

If I could meet one Brit it would be Kate. She’s the most beautiful woman in the world, she’s a princess, and her kids are the same age as mine. I bet we’d have great playdates. But I also bet when Kate gets sick she’s allowed to go lay down. There’s a big plus for princess-hood.

Anyway, enough whining. Lots of good things going on too! The boys are doing a lot better and Owen’s over the scary croupy cough.

I’m giving my blog readers fair warning—it’s 2016. The year of Rio. If this blog is truly reflective of its author, you’ll be reading about gymnastics. It’s the year of Rio, and the year of Simone. She’s going to break the curse and become the first reigning world champion to win the Olympic all-around since Lilia Podkopayeva in 1996. When she does she will be the most dominant female gymnast of all time. She’s won every single all-around she’s entered going back to P&G Championships 2013. And she’s not just winning. She’s killing everybody. She literally could fall off two pieces of equipment (maybe three or four) and still win. It’s just unreal. The world has openly admitted that it’s a competition for silver. Girls who win silver cry and jump around as if they had won. Because, really, they have.

This, of course, means that Simone Biles is set up for some kind of massive breakdown. Sports is all about the unbelievable becoming reality. (Steelers over the Bengals? Broncos over Panthers? Miracle on Ice?) But…I don’t see it happening. She’s the most fun-loving, incredibly gifted female athlete I have ever seen. She genuinely cheers on her competitors (even the snooty Russians!!!!!!!). I think her attitude prevents emotional and physical breakdowns that plague so many in individual sports. Barring major injury, she is the favorite for, get this, FIVE of the SIX gold medals that will be awarded this summer. !!!!!!

Four other spots will be awarded to US gymnasts to complete the Olympic team. My current team prediction includes Biles, Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman, Maggie Nichols, and a bars specialist. (Probably Madison Kocian.) Realistically the USA could field three full competitive teams at the Olympics…that’s how dominant women’s gymnastics is right now in this country. Marta Karolyi will be looking, especially, for three Amanar vaults (Biles, Nichols, Raisman/Douglas) and three strong bar workers (Kocian, Douglas, Nichols/Biles). The only downside of this lineup would mean USA would only qualify one gymnast to the vault final (Biles). If Marta wants the option of the maximum two on every event she needs another vaulter, which means McKayla Skinner—but this is a bad option. While a powerful gymnast, Skinner has some of the sloppiest form I’ve ever seen and is no fun to watch. And she is weak on bars. I could see her awarded an alternate status.

In case you haven’t noticed, my true dream profession is that of sports commentator.

Today’s 1%:

15/50: Bringing Up Bebe. Loved this book, especially the first half. I think the French have a lot going on in how they parent their children. Resonated especially with the avoidance of helicopter parenting (which we all stick up our noses at but do more than we want to admit) and respecting the intelligence your children have, right from infancy.

16/50: A Career of Evil. Cormoran Strike #3. It took me a long time to buy into the plot of this one, but once I did it was the best ending of the three. (I had to finish it. I was having nightmares.) Galbraith finally made me care enough about the two protagonists to commit.

I’m wallowing in book 17 right now—a satire called Freddy and Fredericka. It’s slow going and really long. But I don’t want to give up just because it’s not my cup of tea! Not all fifty books are going to be easy reads. Still…it’s messing with my blistering reading pace of a couple books a week.