Bring It On!

This weekend was jam-packed with cut throat competitions. From March Madness, to the City Youth Olympics, to the Awana Grand Prix at church...
the Family came out -ready to do some damage.
Every year the hubby sets up a Yahoo March Madness bracket tournament. All who are invited get to pick their teams, lock 'em in, and then once the first game starts let their trash talking fly. I am a past winner of the tourney bracket and every year since, have felt the pressure to bring home the hardware or at least make sure my husband doesn't beat me (victory, I have learned, comes in all sorts of different ways)! This year, not only did my Bruins go out in the first weekend, my hubby is one place ahead of me in the standings...Go Louisville
(did I just say that? what is my life coming to? am I really cheering for a Big East Team?)!

I was born to compete. I remember being in grade school and fighting with my older brother about what I could beat him in...he was better in almost everything, so, I began pulling out obscure things we could compete in like jump-roping and who could go across the monkey bars the fastest. I was born with the Bring It On! motto embedded in my brain. Win at all costs or go down trying. Back when this motto was at it peak, and I wasn't carrying 32 years of life, I would race people I don't think even knew they were in a race. At swim practice at UCLA, I remember if you were anywhere near close to me going into a flip-turn, I was sure gonna catch you and beat you out of it, whether you knew it or not- I was racing you. Brian and I used to play tennis and card games together, but we had to take a break because the two of us would be competing into the wee hours of the night trying to be the winner.

Needless to say, when we had our kiddos we were interested to see if this competitive gene would be passed on-if the mighty torch of "winning at any cost" would be kept alive in the next generation. So, far not so good. Our sweet Emma does not have too many competitive bones in her athletic little bod. We actually had to tell her that in her track race the other kids would be trying to beat her and if she wanted to win she would have to try to beat them. To which she replied, "I don't want to hurt their feelings." Feelings? Huh? "You beat them dear, and after you do, give them a little pat on the shoulder and tell them it was a good race." Next. Bring It On!

My sweet little Emma would win huge style and character points, if those were given out. I may be the first to lobby for a character trophy if we continue in this kind-hearted direction. Despite my competitive nature, watching Emma race actually makes me smile. She couldn't be more opposite of me...the gun goes off and she is twirling, the race finishes and she is so excited because her ribbon is yellow and yellow is such a happy color. Once she wanted a red ribbon because it's daddy's favorite color. "Mine's blue dear, how about winning one for me?" I have gotten over my motto and am saving it to see if Addie can carry on the torch. She does all kinds of bossing when we race and I beat her, and she will play anything to win if a chocolate reward is waiting for her at the finish line.

Here is Emma's Awana car - The Yellow Daisy

Here is The Yellow Daisy at the starting line
(it's not hard to locate due to its colorful poofy-ness).You cannot even see the car to the right because of the Yellow Daisy's grandeur.

Racing down the track (a blur of color bursting forth).
The car was fast and may have won better than 5th place if it weren't for the floral parachute attached to it (Brian's words, not mine...he was all about speed & Em was all about style). Emma did come home with a 3rd place trophy for the Clubber's Choice-that's right, a style trophy...that will go right next to last year's 1st place trophy in the same style category.

Here is Emma in her track race, the 200m.
We were so proud of her and yelled & cheered for her like it was the Beijing Olympics.
Here is our little runner, proudly displaying the "happy" yellow ribbon :)

So after a weekend of competition, we brought home some hardware. Addie gave Emma a play by play of her track race and our proud cheering, Mr. Baroski growled a lot, and my hubby is sitting pretty- one spot above me on the March Madness ranking board.
My twirling Emma has a beautiful Awana car with a floral bouffant, she has a heart of gold and a lovely golden ribbon...and not an ounce of her mother's Bring It On motto.
I love my little girl, I just really love her.