growing up a little...with spandex

So here I am - officially finished my undergraduate degree. A grown-up with the title of 'Kinesiologist'. I've even managed to earn myself a promotion at work (gymnastics) so that I'm on salary. I've never been on salary before in my life (that involves more than a summer's worth of comittment and regularly scheduled hours) and it's a little bit exciting. I can't say that my new job is glorious, because I can expect to spend quite a few hours typing and printing and organizing in a small corner of an office shared by far too many people at the same time, but it's fun and it's nice to have a silly title for a change. Oh yeah, get this, I'm the new Super Star Coordinator. Does that mean anything to you? It might if you've been to the gym before, but if you're not familiar with gymnastics at all, then it probably sounds more like a movie title featuring Mary Katherine Gallagher. The Super Star kids at gymnastics are the kids who are more advanced than the recreational athletes (i.e. once a week beginner levels) but may not necessarily want to make the huge comittment of training as a competitive athlete. I've been coaching one group of Super Star girls 6 hours a week since September and they are just oh so cute! Starting on the week of the third, I will be coaching two more Super Star groups and a whole lot of other junior gym and recreational classes. My life is soon to revolve around spandex-clad children - oh my! I don't believe I ever equated growing up with the addition of large amounts of spandex into my life, but then again, I've grown up with it, so it was bound to follow me somewhere (apparently spandex is my inescapable reality)

My Super Star Girls - Hailea, Louise, Meghan, Chanel, Jaime

I'll let you know how it all works out. After my first full week of training, I've managed to orient myself with the thousands of files I will be in charge of and score myself the most beautiful package of multi-coloured sharpies. It's been quite the rough week though in terms of the personal lives of gym employees. There are all of these people that I barely know and in the last four days we've had someone come down with strep throat, a son taken to hospital after having a seizure while smoking pot laced with something unknown, a dad have all of his hair fall out due to an incredibly intense stem cell replacement as a treatment for cancer, and a diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis for a 6 week old baby. Wow. An emotional rollercoaster. Here's hoping that the next few weeks of my job aren't quite as emotional as this. I want to be strong for everyone I work with and I want to be able to provide support. I don't know if I can do that, but I'm hoping that I'll have some help.

I'm sure that the more I work, the more that I will have to write. Till then... Merry Christmas!