The end of over a decade of gymnastics?

Last Thursday, I struggled to fall asleep as I was thinking about JoElle's gymnastics. It's been over five months since she has been able to practice.  I was thinking about her future and all the money we are spending on tuition. Maybe for no reason?? Right now Covid-19 has had us locked down since early March. Gyms are starting back up this week at 25% capacity.

However, Tim and I are not comfortable with her going. She has a heart defect from birth that was discovered when she had an echocardiagram last June on the way to diagnosing SVT (supraventricular tachycardia). It's called PDA and its a small hole that should have closed days after birth It isn't large enough to cause a heart murmur so it didn't show up until now.  If it had been larger she would have needed surgery as a baby. Although rare, children up to around age 21 are developing an inflammatory disease with Covid or after having it that causes the heart to fail and they need to be hospitalized in ICU. How are we supposed to be ok with her resuming practice with so many other girls?

I spoke with her the following morning to get an idea of how she was feeling about it all.
She told me she wants to retire and does not want to do college gymnastics.  JoElle told me she had been praying for a way to bring it up to us.  She explained that she wants to focus on school and she does not enjoy it the way she did previously. I told her I support her.

I helped her talk to her dad.  Tim does not agree but did say we need facts over the next couple months. He told her she would be bored in college without gymnastics and she responded that she doesn't agree.We shall see. For now, I contacted gym and they are not charging us for now.Instead, we are investing the money from tuition in the brokerage accounts we just opened for them.

We are all praying for wisdom and peace with the decision.

6th Grade Graduation

Next Thursday would have been Alexa's 6th grade graduation from elementary school. She has completed 7 years with all A's! We are very proud of her accomplishments in and out of the classroom.

She loves playing cello and she is currently doing private lessons with a JH orchestra teacher and she is growing by leaps and bounds! She has two solos to work on and the first Bach Minuet is really starting to sound good!

Alexa shared several weeks ago that she is a little sad that she is missing all the 6th grade end of year activities that she would have enjoyed, including 6th grade orchestra trip to NRH2O Waterpark, spring orchestra concert, awards ceremony, graduation and the 6th grade clapout, where all the other grades line the hallway and clap for them as they leave Pearcy for their last day of elementary school.

Instead the school is doing a drive thru clapout and sending us certificates for awards.  I feel like she is taking it well.  Will see what she thinks about next week, the last week of elementary!