A Bad Day to Miss Gym

Megan called me at 6:30 last night, asking to be picked up from gym.

"I feel like I'm going to throw up," she said.

Great, I thought. She's probably caught that pukey thing that's been going around and then the rest of us will catch it, too. Worse of all, I'm going to get more flak from Head Coach, who is convinced that Megan gets sick too much and it's all my fault because I don't insist that she dress more warmly.

This is frustrating enough because of all the fights I have with her about wearing a jacket, but it's downright infuriating to get labeled a Bad Mother by this crusty old man who only cares about my daughter for her abilities as an athlete. My child's resistance is low because she's struggling to juggle a demanding school load with hours of daily homework, plus Hebrew school (which Head Coach has told us is the reason why none of his Jewish girls go very far in gymnastics) as well as her 16 hours per week of training. This morning, I even broached the subject of quitting the Hebrew school with my husband -- but that's another matter.

The bottom line is, Megan came home, ate some dinner, and the queasiness went away. She was, however, very tired. And as we have a very full schedule today (we are seeing her best friends dance in the Nutcracker Suite this afternoon, PLUS we have her cousins coming for Chanukah dinner) -- Megan is skipping her Saturday training, too.

The problem was telling Head Coach about this, especially since she will also be leaving training early on Wednesday because of another social engagement. He wasn't available, so I left word for him to call me.

And so I've spent the rest of the morning working on tonight's dinner and wasn't thinking about gym at all...

Until I got a call from one of the other gym moms.

"Is your husband a soccer fan?" she asked.

No, he isn't.

"Too bad. Because David Beckham is here!"

WHAT?!

Apparently, Posh and Becks are at our gym - RIGHT NOW - because one of their sons is trying out for our boy's team.

It's been a long time since I've been able to share a personal celebrity sighting here. And it won't happen today, either - because neither my daughter nor I feel like dealing with Head Coach right now.

"I bet he makes the team and then we'll see them all the time," Megan said hopefully.

I don't know. If young Mr. Beckham does make the team, he will most likely be one of those kids who is transported to and from gym by a nanny. And the Beckhams are wealthy enough to be able to afford to pay money in lieu of any parent volunteer obligations.

Then again, think of the fundraising opportunities. And they would be bound to show up at the boys' meet we are hosting.

Keep your fingers crossed.

Comments

[Lorna]

That Megan---how unfeeling of her to give in to her personal feeling when you could have had a Beckham moment. Stop indulging that child!

[Laurie]

Like everybody else, I was totally annoyed by all the pre-Beckham arrival hoopla. However, though it might just be for the cameras, every interview I see of them, I like them more and more. I don't think they could fake it all the time. :)

I hope you get to meet them. They seem like nice people.

[Jill]

I saw Posh at the Museum of Natural History (in Manhattan) last year.

She is so much prettier in person-she was smiling and having a great time with her boys. She did have an entourage with her and her hips are smaller than my four year old daughter's!!!

(Oh - and her engagement ring is bigger than my head!!)