georgia gymnastics girl

a few weeks ago a friend asked hazel and i to go with her and her daughter to the first razorback gymnastics meet of the season.  hazel has been taking gymnastics since she was 2 1/2 and this was her first meet to go watch and that girl was captivated.  as is typical with hazel, she was so into it she could hardly move and definitely didn't say a word and i checked a few times to make sure she was breathing.   she stares down every detail in the moment at events or restaurants or really any social situation.  we call it dvr-ing because she then plays back every. single. detail. later.
arkansas competed against georgia and apparently she liked georgia's leotards better so she has now frequently informed us that when she grows up she will be a mom and a georgia gymnastics girl with the black and silver outfit.  so at any given moment, our house looks a lot like this::

not long after the night of the college meet, the gym where she takes class had sign-up for a "fun meet".  i tossed out the option and she jumped on the opportunity.  whew, that girl was so excited.

some living room practice in the weeks before::

then the saturday for the meet came & there was not one moment that she wasn't completely fired up.  here she is about to leave the house to go.

stretching it out.

sticking it.

even waiting in line to go out on the floor with the MANY other little girls was apparently exhilarating.

so alllll that build up to this sweet girl taking her turn out on the floor.  and it lasted only a few moments & she loved every moment. 

here she is.  the floor is divided into multiple rows.  hazel was in the youngest group so her row is all the way to the left.  she begins when her coach in the red shirt walks back to the start to help her.  mom's favorite part:: how much she gets into "sticking it" when they tell her to...oh i love that girl.

and afterwards, on the way home, we asked her what her favorite part of the meet was & she quickly replied, "the goodie bag & backbend walk-over".  there ya have it, just give that girl a goodie bag & call it a day.
today, 5 days after the meet, she still wears the medal around everywhere like her favorite necklace.