Teenager in the House , Broken Skis and Mom as Coach

 This Monday, Toni turned 13, did no work at school, got in trouble and had detention.

  Yep, I have a teen in the house once again.  Luckily I have had 2 other children survive being a teen.  When writing Toni's IEP for school one of the boxes I petitioned to check off was Emotionally Disadvantaged.  All the experts looked at me like I was in fact crazy.  My reasoning is this:  1. Toni is a teen.  2. She has hit puberty  3.People with Down Syndrome tend to stay in life cycles longer than others.  (Terrible twos lasted  six years.). 4. She has me for a mom.  I think she qualifies.  Those supposed experts say otherwise. I say come live with us for a day and see!

 Miss F (Para) and Toni getting ready to race.

After the great experience on the Cross Country (running) team this fall, Toni joined the Nordic (Cross Country) Ski Team. I jumped right in and am now Head Coach of said team.  Yet, another reason Toni should be considered ED.

Anyway Toni is again proving to the world what she can do.  With help from a Para and her  teammates she skis practices and participated in meets.  She is again turning heads of people around the state.  Not because we adapt courses so that she can finish in a timely manner, not because she can manage her skis and herself, not because she looks really cute in her ski gear.  But because when she is out there she is an athlete on the team.  She works hard, plays hard and gives wonderful hugs at the finish line.  High fives are hard with ski poles attached.

Tree? What Tree?

As a coach I am always encouraging her to be better than she thinks she can.  As a Mom my heart is so full of pride for this gal.  For her teammates skiing is easy, fun and good work.  For Toni she works harder than the rest just to get her muscles to make her body stand on skis, yet every day she is out there.  It is harder for her brain to tell her body to turn her skis to avoid trees.  (see broken ski picture) But she goes back.

I got to ski with Toni last practice instead of Coaching. Everything about her comes alive when she is out on the trails.  It was one of my best practices.  Hopefully after the season is over Toni will want to ski with me just because.

Toni and Cousin Anna .  Anna got 1st Toni was 8th.