Determined Daughter

When I watched the Olympics in August, I was constantly impressed by the determination of the athletes. I wondered what makes them work so hard day in and day out.

Since thinking that, I've been watching Maddie and recognizing her determination to accomplish something once she decides it's important.


Last year, she had a giant blister on her thumb. I asked her what it was, and she didn't know. It took all day to figure out that she'd gotten it because she was practicing snapping so much she'd given herself a blister -- bigger than the size of a nickel -- on the pad of her thumb. She can snap louder than anybody now!


Two weeks ago, she came home with giant blisters in her palms. Again, I asked her what they were from. She told me it was from learning to do the monkey bars at kindergarten. They were hard and she had to practice to be able to do all of them. Now, she tells me she can do all of them, so her blisters are going away.


As you probably know from previous posts, Maddie has been learning to ride her bike this month. She's gone from not being able to ride at all the morning of Labor Day, to looking like a pro today. She's all over the neighborhood and even learning how to do tricks. Every day when she comes home from school, it's the first thing she wants to do. It's hard to convince her to come in once it's dark.


I think she's just amazing. She's worked so hard to go from frustrated to excellent. I'm not sure I have the innate determination she has. I really wonder where her determination will take her. I simply have no idea. I'm just along for the ride!


Here's a picture of her on Labor Day during her frustration:

Here she is on the very tiny bike (that was the trick for finally getting it):

Here's all her bruises from falling down while learning. It's really hard to see, but her shins were completely black and blue from crashing. We beg her to wear knee pads so that she doesn't get all skinned up.