Juggling.

Juggling, jumping, acrobatics and tumbling - C starts her Do Jump class today and is beside herself with excitement. She's been practicing all kinds of stunts on her trapeze and declares she can now join the circus. Cute as this sounds, it's no small feat for her given that only a couple years ago she was diagnosed with XLH rickets, a genetic disease affecting bone growth, which requires medicine 5 times a day along with regular blood/urine tests, X-rays and renal ultrasounds. The first time we took any kind of gym class when she was just starting to walk (at a late 18 months), C was the little duckling who lagged behind while all the other kids were running, jumping and doing donkey kicks. And I was the mom who was holding it together walking that balance beam of telling myself that "all kids develop at different rates" on one side and wanting to cry because I could feel the "what's wrong with that kid?" pity from the moms on the other. So for my daughter to now actually be the one who inspires her preschool mates with the "wow" of upsidedown trapeze spinning is a whole new and wonderful experience.

Today I continue walking that balance beam while juggling everything else in my life -- and I still try to challenge myself to grow in different ways. But the real joy is watching my daughter experience her own growth trajectory as she jumps and tumbles her way to the circus...