First Tennis Lesson

Posted by Melissa Baumgart
This past Sunday was a busy one.  I was feeling tired and not wanting to do any of it.  The couch was feeling so comfortable, and I was enjoying the feeling of tears rolling down my face as I watched "Raising Helen" on ABC Family.  Still, after that last "feel good" scene on the boardwalk, I guess I felt inspired that my day could be like a movie where the main character quits her job, moves to Queens with three kids and falls in love.  All I had to do was go to tennis lessons and a couple of parties.

I showed up at the Amy Yee Tennis Center, slightly nervous, but mostly still tired and wanting more ABC Family.  I was really hoping this would not be so much a work-out as a lesson on tennis theory with a few tips on how to hold the racket.

There were four other great women in my class, and our teacher, Eric, was really skilled at being fun while also getting the lesson across in an effective way.  I was shuffling forward, running back, trying to keep my wrist cocked-and-locked, and bending at the knee.  About ten minutes into class, I had completely forgotten how tired I was when I got there.

"On the outside, looking in."

One of the best things I learned is that when you are hitting the tennis ball as it comes to you, keep your knees bent and your racket low and behind you with your wrist coked-and-locked.  As you swing your racket, you slowly raise your body as well, by unbending your knees, and then you have to remember to follow through with your swing...all the way over your opposite shoulder.  We also said "Bounce, Hit" out loud as we watched the ball bounce toward us and then (hopefully) hit our racket.

I really, really loved the class.  I can't wait to get back there this Sunday, and I am thinking after this six week session, I would like to sign up for more lessons.  You sign up through the Seattle Parks and Rec website and you get a six week course for only $77.00.  I think it is a great deal.  Plus, I was informed that this week we will be receiving Eric's "Tennis Bible."  Yes!

Wonder Woman

Posted by Melissa Baumgart
Here it is, September 18th already.  I just signed up for tennis lessons through Seattle Parks & Rec at the Amy Yee Tennis Center.  Classes are fairly inexpensive, and they offer all levels, from beginner to advanced.  Yes, you guessed correct, I am in the beginner class.  It starts this weekend and goes through October...so look forward to tennis offerings alongside all the sign language posts of October.

Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext Collection/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Cinetext Collection

Believe it or not, I was also looking for sign language classes to take in October as well.  Am I crazy?  That would mean in October I would be: coordinating all-school volunteers at my kid's school, managing my son's soccer team, going to graduate school, taking tennis lessons, and taking sign language classes.  Anything else I am forgetting?  Oh, yeah, being a mom/housecleaner/chef! Duh.

I have to laugh at myself, because just yesterday I was feeling completely overwhelmed with my life.  It's funny to feel overwhelmed and stressed about all these really good things in my life.  When I stopped complaining yesterday, and thought about each thing I am doing, I felt gratitude for every one of them.  I think a good self-care technique could be to really try to remain on task, one thing at a time.

At the beginning of each week, I can spend some time making my calendar and putting it up on the chalkboard, taking that time to look at the big picture and make sure everything fits.  At the beginning of each day, I can also take a look at that day's big picture...did anything new pop up, does someone need a ride somewhere that I forgot about, where do I have room for something spontaneous?  And then, stay focused on each detail as it arises.  Checking it off my list, one at a time.

This is not how I normally live my life.  I am typically a non-conformist when it comes to schedules.  I like my day to be a flow of activities.  That's one of the things I loved about having babies...there was no schedule, we went here and there, had groups of moms and babies over to our house, would run into a neighbor and decide at 5pm to have dinner together that night...every day was a social love fest. (Can you tell my baby is now 7 and I just might be romanticizing this baby time a wee little bit?)

Now that my kids are older, and they have schedules and timelines, carpools and homework of their own, I really need to buckle down and stay on top of everything.  Otherwise, I find myself walking around feeling like a disheveled loser that can't keep anything together.  I do plan on remaining open to my failures at "keeping it together" and loving myself anyway.  I plan on remaining vulnerable to being a beginner with this and through that, finding my own inner scheduling strength.

For some reason, I am remembering my halloween costume from when I was 6 years old.  God, I loved Wonder Woman back then.  Was I perhaps projecting into my perfectionistic motherhood future?  Maybe it's time to take off the shiny, aluminum foil belt with the red star, colored in with a sharpie.

Or maybe, better yet, tap into that character a little more...after all, Wonder Woman only tackled one villain at a time.  One episode at a time.  All while keeping the big picture of a safe world close to her heart.

What a Racket!

Posted by Amy Baranski and Melissa Baumgart

Welcome to September!

We had been looking forward to Tennis Month ever since we picked it.  Who knew that having a baby in the mix would have us starting September a week late?  But it's all worth it, and Japhy is adorable and growing fast; he's the best excuse for not blogging that we've had yet! (And Melissa didn't even have a baby!  What a minute, what's her excuse?)

We have a tennis court just a block from our apartment building, so we are hoping that ups the likelihood of the actual tennis activity.  Last month Melissa had been playing with her son for a bit, and noticed the courts were pretty crowded.  Here's to hoping the school year starting things that out a bit.

With both of us being so busy, Amy literally feeding her baby non-stop and being a devoted mom 24/7 and Melissa starting an intense midwifery program, having tennis so handy could be a real blessing when we just need to release a little steam.  It's a fun sport that has you moving and sweating, all while working on the intricate details of the skill.  

And if we can't find the time for that, well, there's always the US Open on TV!