playdates and basketball - in which I Cheer At The Wrong Time

Once, when Linnea was two years old, she got really mad at her big brother.  We were in a woman's living room, enjoying a "play date" -  that is, a bunch of moms had gathered together, young children in tow, longing for fellowship.  The children were placed at one end of the room with some toys and told to play nicely.  The mothers talked at the other end, thankful to be with adults and hoping their children might behave in front of the other moms.   

Linnea was angry.  Aidan had something that she wanted (probably something that was hers to begin with) and she marched at him, said, "No, Aidan!" and grabbed the toy from him.  Now, grabbing toys from each other is a common play date practice.  Moms are constantly getting up and solving 'he-took-my-toy' disputes.  So when Linnea was aggressive, the moms all naturally looked at me because it was my turn to get up and sigh and go reprimand the grabber.  Indeed, I did jump up to be closer to the action.  But I was grinning big.  "Good job, Linnea!" I said.  "You sure told him, didn't you!  Yay!"  I gave her a hug and a hearty cheer.  When I returned to the moms, they were all staring with mouths open.

A similar thing happened last week at basketball.  We had gathered together.  The kids were told to play with the ball.  The moms wanted to chat.  And everyone was secretly hoping that their child would impress the crowd. 



At the game, as Linnea dribbled the ball down the court, the ball was stolen from her by a guy on the opposite team.  She sped up to steal it back.  She missed.  She tried again.  She blocked him a bit, she got in his way a bit, she tried harder... and then the whistle blew!   She was being called for aggressive behaviour!

 "Aw.  A foul.  It's the White team's ball now," went the murmurings around me.

But I was on my feet.  "Bravo, Linnea!  Wow!  That was great!"  I yelled from the stands.  Seriously, I had tears in my eyes.  My daughter.  Called on a foul.  I was just so proud.

Perhaps I deserved the strange looks.  But when my rule follower, my gentle, sensitive soul of a daughter pushes for something, I'm startled into exuberant praise. 

Wihoo!!  You go, Girl!

Some pre-game chatting!  We're so thankful that she's
on the same team as her friend!

PS - She also can run and run and run and not get tired.  Whose gene is that?