Kids and sport 2018-19

Once again, this post is about athletics. Mostly it is about our athletic kids. Sport was always a big part of my life while growing up and it was a big part of Spencer’s life as well. I was mostly into winter sports (growing up in Siberia does that to you!), he was (and is) into basketball. Our kids chose track and figure skating (the last one made me a very proud mama) as their sport and they have been doing it for the last 4 years.

They run in track meets every couple of months. They have a very good coach now who really cares about the kids. These pictures are from one of their track meets in the fall in which Nika and the twins ran (Lina decided not to for whatever reason). 

Opening ceremony.  Everything here has to have an opening ceremony).

Lexa and Sophie (Sophie injured her leg a bit the day before and wasn't running as she usually does).

Double trouble.

Nika is running with the older group.

After the meet with friends.

In figure skating this year the coach decided to make a synchronizing skating team. The first performance the kids did was at the opening of the skating season at the biggest mall in town. After that they were invited to perform a few times before big hockey games. Lina and Lexa quit figure skating earlier but after seeing the other two perform with their teammates, they decided to join the team.

Nika and Sophie in their Shamany (medicine women) costumes.

Getting ready for the performance.

This performance was shown on the local news. Nika and Sophie are in the first row.

With the young volunteers from our church, Sisters Nelson and Critchfield.

Here are pictures from their other performances, mostly before hockey games.

In December they had a competition and took second place with their Tango Dance.

Getting some encouragement from their coach before the competition.

Nika and Sophie.

Nika

Lina and Lexa.

After the performance.

The team was supposed to go to Russia and to Almaty for competitions but the ice-making machine at the rink where they were training broke down so the team couldn't practice together for 3 weeks (they divided into smaller groups and practiced at other rinks in the city but not all together) which meant they couldn't get ready for the competition. Oh well. They are back to their rink now and are preparing for the individual competitions that are supposed to take place sometime in May.

Figure skating competition

In mid May Nika participated in a figure skating competition. Actually all four girls could have done it but only Nika really wanted to, the rest of them chickened out. I was actually happy about it because the participation fee was quite high but what cost the most was figure skating costumes. Here they run around $150-200. And if all four girls wanted to participate, I would have a hard time justifying such a purchase of something that would be worn only once or twice. I still wasn’t going to pay $200 for a costume, so I found a company in China that sews figure skating costumes for half as much and ships them all over the world. It took three weeks for them to make it and ship it to us but it came just in time. It was beautiful.

 

There were somewhere around 60-70 kids participating, and they all had to do the same program. Nika’s age group was the biggest and had the widest range, from 10 to 16 years old. She had a good time at the competition even though she was very nervous (they all were) and didn’t take any of the first three places. It was a good experience. Here are some pictures from that event.

Warming up.

Warming up

Still warming up

Going on the ice for her performance

In the position

Here she is coming off the ice after her performance. The expression on her face is priceless.

Add caption

It was a few hours before they would announce the results, so we came back to NU, met Spencer and went out to KFC for dinner. 

Kids love KFC here, it is probably their favorite fast food restaurant in town.

Nika with her very good friend, Dilnaz.

Ice Show - December 25, 2016

We got back from our trip to Tbilisi on the morning of Christmas Eve and were planning to have a nice evening with the family but instead we got a message from the girls' figure skating coach that they were needed for the last practice before the show that was taking place the next day. Our life got busy once again. Since we moved here two and a half years ago we became quite flexible in our expectations! :) So, on Christmas Eve we had to go to the figure skating practice, on Christmas Day we went to church in the morning, and then I dropped Nika and Lina off at a place where they had their guitar recital. Then as soon as they came home from that we all got dressed and went to the Children's Palace where our girls were participating in the big Ice Show.

Last year it was a fairy tale. This year the kids were divided into groups, and each group prepared a synchronized dance. Even the little kids who could barely stand on the ice, got a part, and it was fun watching them! All of the kids did great and even though I might be slightly biased (may be just a little bit), I think our group was the best. The common theme for the show was the fairytale of the Snow Queen. Our group played special forces, AKA the Snow Queen's guards. Nika and Lina had the leading parts. It was fun watching them! Afterward, all kids got a bag of candy, which is a standard present for kids during the winter holidays.

Snow Queen

I think they were playing flowers in the winter garden.

Raven

I think they were supposed to be crows but they look more like magpies.

Snow Queen's guards (special forces) are getting ready to perform.

I don't know who is who, I just know the one with the glasses is Lina!

I unfortunately pushed the wrong button while filming their performance and only recorded the second half of it (the second video). One of the other moms recorded the first part but not the second (the first video), so you would need to watch both videos to see the whole dance. Nika and Lina are the ones who are doing "swallows" (skate on one foot while the other one is extended in the air) at the very beginning

Gangsters

Kay and Gerda

Little mice

Trees

Snowflakes

Shamans (medicine men)

I am not sure who they were playing but they did the best jumps.

Blizzard

Special Forces all together after they got their presents

They can take on any task!

Going home. This is right outside of the Children's Palace.

A train with presents!

I love this time of the year! Everything is so festive! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!