OT: Emi, Kaitlyn & MacKenzie at the Carrot River Valley Competition

[momoftwingles2]

OT: Emi, Kaitlyn & MacKenzie at the Carrot River Valley Competition
22-Feb-2011 2:50 PM
Hi Everyone,

It was an ultra busy weekend, Feb 19 - 20th as we traveled to the town of Nipawin, Saskatchewan. It's a beautiful town with the river running through it. Mind you we could only see it iced over with lots of snow, but it's easy to picture how green and lush Nipawin is in the summertime! We stayed in a little motel that had 13 rooms...$65.00 a night! Our suite had 3 beds in the bedroom and a pull-out couch in the living room along with a complete kitchen. It was wonderful!

We were in Nipawin for the annual Carrot River Valley Figure Skating competition and this time all three of our daughters skated! Emi won 3 GOLD, 2 SILVER, MacKenzie won a GOLD, SILVER and BRONZE and Kaitlyn won a GOLD and a SILVER!

Most importantly they had so much fun! Our twins are such sweet competitors that they were wishing their competition good luck as they each stepped on the ice and high-fiving them with a job well done when they got off the ice. Our coaches have not heard that before!

Kaitlyn and MacKenzie, while older, are in a lower level than Emi but are working hard to catch up with her. And, Emi is working hard to stay ahead of them!

I've once again put their FreeSkate solos on YouTube and wanted to share the links with you!

This is MacKenzie's solo skated to the music from the Disney Light Parade. She won BRONZE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP_QJNk9nKU

This is Kaitlyn's solo skated to the music from The Titanic. She won SILVER!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39zdMYnI18g

and, this is Emi's solo. This time...no wobbles and she landed her axel with one foot! She won GOLD!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R02Fetwybk

We were at the rink on Saturday from 8 AM until 6:30 PM and on Sunday from 8 AM until 7 PM. Long days in an extremely cold rink! It was like we were sitting outside! Mind you....it was -40 out there!

About an hour before Emi's final event which was the Junior Bronze team event she came up to where we were sitting in the stands and sat next to me. She put one of those Hot Shots (to keep hands and/or feet warm) on her ear and then leaned up against me. Before I knew it she had fallen fast asleep! Her two coaches were quite touched by the photos that Kaitlyn had taken of her. They came up and woke her up, got her warmed up again and out on the ice she went to compete with her team which consisted of an 18 year old and a 13 year old. They placed second....all three doing a great job with the element they were assigned to do!

All in all - a great weekend. This is why I've closed my business so that I could have the time with my children to relax and enjoy them! So far...I truly believe, for my family and me, that the right decision was made.

I hope you all enjoy the links!

I'm surprised I'm still here!

Susan
momoftwingles2

[femmefan1946]

Thank you for those videos. Emi is a little star! I liked MacKenzie's routine, but thought the music did not quite fit the choreography. And Kaitlyn was very precise in her routine.

Do you make their costumes or are they a purchase? My sister made most of her daughter's outfits when she was skating. She made the Ontario Provincials then discovered boys were more fun. (and is now a grandmother)

[momoftwingles2]

Well, to give you more to view........Here are two more links of Emi performing at the competition. The first one is her Ten Fox solo. If you watch it to the end you'll see just how much taller and older her competitors are! It's quite comical: (She placed silver in this event of 30+ competitors)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaU90aYdywI

This is the one for her introductory interpretive. No jumps in this one....just interpreting the music. Her music was to the Wizard of Oz...If I only had a brain. She is supposed to be the scarecrow! Emi placed 4th in this event.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_V7Eph69lM

Enjoy!
Susan

[momoftwingles2]

Thank you for those videos. Emi is a little star! I liked MacKenzie's routine, but thought the music did not quite fit the choreography. And Kaitlyn was very precise in her routine.

Do you make their costumes or are they a purchase? My sister made most of her daughter's outfits when she was skating. She made the Ontario Provincials then discovered boys were more fun. (and is now a grandmother)

Oh, you are so kind! Emi is the apple of our eyes as well as her older sisters' eyes! Kaitlyn and MacKenzie started skating because of her.

I so wish I could sew....I can't take credit for their dresses except that I am the resident *stoner* here in our home! And, by that I mean that I am the one who decorates all three of our girls dresses with Swarvoski crystals which is the only way that I'm able to save big bucks! Mind you....it's so much fun!

Some of our girls' dresses are Jerry's, some are made by Tina Lee (one of a kinds but not made-to-order) and then a few, like the short sleeved purple dress and sleeveless pink dress that Emi wore this past weekend were custom made for her. A lady in Pennsylvania made them for her and Emi just loved her work! Hmmmmmm....it doesn't look that hard, but I dunno! Maybe I'll have to take up a new hobby!

As of this week, Emi is now landing her Axel and Double Salchow and Double Loop! Her coaches are on cloud 9 as she is! She was told this evening that at the close of this season that she will be officially a *Senior* skater at our club! And, Kaitlyn and MacKenzie will be moved up to Intermediate!

When Kaitlyn and MacKenzie started the choreography for their music they could hardly do anything! At the close of this season, they will keep their same music for next year, but many more moves will be added to each routine. There will be a big difference in what MacKenzie does so that it will better fit her music. (I don't know why she selected it as it's not what I would have chosen, but she is the one who has to like it!) Kaitlyn's music fits her to a T. And, this week all of a sudden something has clicked with her and her spins have gotten to be quite solid and faster! She obviously had a lightbulb moment!

Training continues through the end of March and then during April it is spring school for the three of them. May and June will find Emi going back and forth to Saskatoon for a day or two here and there for practice and then July she will be training in Ottawa for three weeks. And, then in August all three of them will be back to 3 weeks of summer camp in Tisdale and then 6 weeks of fall camp before the season begins again!

We're off to Moose Jaw for the Jean Norman competition the first weekend of March.....then it's test day and then it's Carnival!

And, then....maybe I might look at a pattern or two and see what I can do....with a sewing machine that is!

If you're on Facebook...friend me! Look for Susan Swanson so that we may stay in touch once my time is up here.

Have a good one!
Susan