She doesn’t muck around

The case for the youngest being adopted grows.

She just scored three goals for her AFL team at their latest match, contributing to them winning the game.

Not bad for someone who had never played AFL in her life until a few weeks ago.

It really is quite odd and I have no idea where she gets it from. I was always the last to be chosen for sporting teams at school.

Teachers actually made fun of my appalling lack of co-ordination when I was in primary school … before the education system became much more PC.

My ex husband isn’t sporty either, about the closest he gets to the action is avidly watching the Tour de France and the Australian Open.

So weird.

I was a bit skeptical when the youngest said she wanted to kick a ball after only having experience throwing one – during netball – but she was so determined that I gave in and spent a king’s ransom on boots, a uniform and a footy.

And the rest, as they say, is history. She is hooked.

Skipping training finished last night at 7.30pm, I fed her, then she headed out the back to do some footy practice.

I felt exhausted just watching her. And then I felt a bit sad when she suddenly announced she might quit skipping.

It’s not giving her the same thrill that it once did and she’s wondering if she will need to focus on studying for the HSC.

It will be such a huge end to an era if she quits. She was only seven when she started competing and it was the making of her after a wobbly start to school. Skipping gave her confidence and purpose and joy.

Her announcement sent me down memory lane looking at photos of her rehearsing before she won her first national gold medal at 10 years old for three-person double dutch.

She was so little! And her hair was so short!

I can’t believe this might be her final year of competition.

I also can’t believe how hard it was to decide who to put last on the ballot paper when I ducked out to vote early yesterday. It took me a full five minutes to decide if it should be Clive Palmer’s party or Pauline Hanson’s. In the end I went with Hanson.

Best of luck deciding who you will put last – it’s a motley crew!

Song of the day: INXS “Kick”