Since I last wrote I have been busy working on making a Plush LambieAnn doll to go with my book, which has taken up considerabletime, not to mention coaching skating, teaching ballet, doing house renovation stuff . I  probably could add lots of other things on my list, but I won’t. Just getting through the holidays was a feat in itself because it began with my youngest son graduating from University of Arizona and being commissioned in the Air Force as a 2nd Lt. He  is leaving for pilot training in March.

 In between all of this life stuff, I have been working on my 2nd book and selling my Champion Book when I go to competitions with my students. I have been having a great time because the skaters are starting to know who LambieAnn is and my book is continuing to have wonderful reviews.

People always ask me as to what age level is my book, The Champion Behind the Champion, written for and my answer is really…all ages. There is something in it for everybody. It is fun, it is educational & it is factual. I am so excited that Mom’s Choice Awards thought it was excellent also, because it gives my work even more creditability outside of skating. The really neat thing is, the story does apply to any endeavor a child may decide to put time into learning. It could be the piano, gymnastics, skiing, soccer, really anything and the information applies.

During the next week I will continue to work on my next book, and I’ll be watching the Olympics at the same time. I do not sit still well. However, my computer and Wacom Tablet are never too far away…so I am always busy. That’s way my next book will happen!

Although, I have to say, I definitely took time out to watch the fabulous Pair Skating, the Men’s skating, the snowboarders half pipe ,the curler’s and the skiers. Wow! Great skating,Skiing & Board tricks! The Chinese pairs were unbelievable! I wish I could have been there in person…It was very exciting to see Evan win the Men’s Figure Skating Championships! While I haven’t been a fan of IJS because it makes me still slightly crazy choreographing programs.  ( if you are a skater, you will know what I am talking about)  The good news is that  the IJS system did work as it was designed to. We saw it actually work!  According to the IJS Standards, Evan was the winner. Evan had beautiful clean triple jumps landed effortlessly, wonderfully centered combination spins, great footwork and an overall quality Olympic program. So what if he didn’t have a quad! The GOE gave him the edge, as it should have and for whatever it is worth, in my opinion, skating is not just about jumping up in the air and rotating around 4 times. I personally find a jumping program without artistry quite boring. Skating is an art form that incorporates athleticism, creativity, showmanship, presentation and great artistic skill. Figure Skating is an exciting and very difficult sport/art. It takes a lot of work and dedication to do it well!  I don’t think that Cleveland’s wonderful Basket Ball star, Le Bron James has to consider pointing his toes, keeping his head up and landing in the correct position after he makes a basket! He is wonderful, but add all the rest of a skater’s requirements into making a basket and then you can really talk about greatness!

And furthermore…The best was yet to come after Evan Lysacek was declared the Men’s Olympic Figure Skating Champion.  Evan handled his interview with maturity and graciousness in the face of a  controversy made by a certain opponent/competitor. Everyone is very proud of Evan. He is more than a championship skater, he is a champion human being!

So, back to the Olympics for more great athletes!