Rally for Aly

We dove into the Olympics at our house, head first.  I was already planning to make a big deal of it, but when I was driving to the grocery store and saw a construction sign "Congratulations Aly!" - i had to find out more.  Aly Raisman had just made the Olympic gymnastics team.  She was not supposed to make it to the "all around" let alone win the gold!  She is from Needham, which is the next town over from us...so I talked her up to my girls before the Olympics started.  Prior to seeing that construction sign, I had no idea a local was a contender.  And we watched ALL the coverage.  Usually the next day and after we screened it a bit. Didn't want another "Barbaro" story.

We also liked the synchronized women's diving.  And I still laugh when the Chinese team was cleaning house in this event and a coach was cheering and yelling instruction to her diver and Elliot said, in all earnestness, "Mommy, why are they yelling in Chinese?  They should just yell in English so everybody can understand."

But the Olympics.  Sparked continuous usage of our balance beam in the basement.  And finding all of Zoe's old leotards.  And a definitive choice of gymnastics over dance classes for the fall.  So I found a gym.  There are 2 in Newton. Aly Raisman trained at one of them when she was little.  And it is the one that allowed a class for Elliot & Sam at the same time, so Julia would not have to hang out for hours waiting for them, so yeah, we are crowding into the Aly Raisman gym with all the other glommer-onners.

And when a town the size of Woodstock produces an Olympic gold medalist in the most-watched sport at the Olympics, the whole state beams with pride.  Myself included.  When I saw there would be a "Rally for Aly" we were all over it.  A little parade that consisted of about 6 things: 2 gymnastics squads, a band, 2 convertibles and a fire truck & trolly with past olympians from the area.  It was perfect for us.

Aly cruised by and then THE WHOLE TOWN filed in behind her car and walked the rest of the parade route to their town center gazebo where all the local politicians spoke and applauded her.  And we frolicked around eating free ice cream from Sudbury Farms.  It was great.