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Monthly Archive for July, 2013

Mismatch

This is Simon’s sixth week of doing camp of some sort. To date, he’s attended one week of soccer camp, two weeks of tennis camp, one week of forest camp at Locust Grove (a historical estate in a pastoral setting where Louisville’s founder once lived), and one week of zoo camp. Today is the third […]

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Great Expectations

Some months or even years ago, our friend Barry explained how some young athletes get overly hyped early in their career, leaving them to surprise or disappoint later. The phenomenon most often occurs in coachable children with some natural ability or talent. These kids can run, kick, hit, or throw, but what really sets them […]

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Remembrance of Things (Barely) Past

In just a few days, our summer guest, Israeli camp counselor Dikla, arrives at our house. Anxious to learn more about her, I got a short profile from the head of the JCC summer camp program. Aaaaaaand . . . according to a survey she submitted, Dikla is really into mysteries and crime fiction, movies, […]

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The Guy Code

In my infinite wisdom, I took Simon to the pool Thursday at 3:35. We reached the pool gate just at 4:00, a time carefully calibrated to coincide with the first bolt of lightening to arrive as part of a forecast thunderstorm. Next time maybe I’ll remember to check the weather before heading out. So there […]

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Simon loves a hypothetical question. The problem is, he doesn’t always realize that a given question is hypothetical, and won’t take my explaining as much for an answer. I offer you a typical exchange: “Mama, how hot is it on the sun?” “I don’t know exactly, but crazy hot. Hot enough to heat our planet.” […]

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The Ice Breaker

I can still remember–and cringe while remembering–all the times that Simon has stood apart from a crowd and watched his peers play. The first time I really recall it was when I took him to a baby play group when he was around a year old. While four or five babies happily frolicked in the […]

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Memory

Now is the time when I really wish I had more of a neuroscience background, because the memory of children—specifically my child—is starting to blow me away. I first began to notice Simon’s excellent recall when he started describing soccer moves from games and years past. “You mean like when John Terry made an own […]

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Outclassed

I’ve spent the past year or so wondering when I’d feel that my child had totally, utterly outclassed me. Well, wonder no more: that time has arrived. I’ve still got a lot to teach Simon, naturally, but the boy—at 6!—has lapped his mother when it comes to being well rounded. The reason I’m thinking about […]

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Tennis Redux

Back from a bit of a vacation which turned out to be off the grid. And yes, we’re back to the tennis theme. I’m beginning to think that my debacle at the Louisville Tennis Center was beshert (that’s Yiddish for “fate”). Because had the Most Control Freaky Guy in Louisville NOT have blown an O-ring, […]

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