Year 2011 started with a blast with the Australian Open. I’ve always been a fan of tennis and it is probably one of the few sports that I actually couch-potato on. Because I like it a lot, that may be why D&D caught on it as well. Last year, the two started their respective tennis lessons, too. For fun, of course! But you never know if they do want to become pro someday…
For the first time ever, Tennis Australia held a “Kids’ Tennis Day at the Rod Laver Arena forecourts, which are the same courts that the world’s best tennis players play on during the Australian Open. Best of all, it was free! Denise has done 2 terms of Peewee tennis lessons last year (i.e., half courts where small kids start) while Danica had coaching the entire year. So it was with confidence that they tackled the courts. (And as it seems, so did a hundred other kids!)
But that wasn’t all of it. Danica joined a 3-day tennis holiday clinic during the summer which was on the
first week of the Australian Open. The second day of the clinic was specifically a trip to the Australian Open itself and watch games at Rod Laver Arena. When I booked her into the clinic in Dec. 2010, I was lucky enough to secure “parent-escort” tickets through the clinic organiser. And so it became our first time to watch at Rod Laver (even if it was just for Day 2 and Round 2 of the Australian Open)!
I’m happy that I’m able to provide these opportunities to my daughters as they are growing up. It allows them to explore what they are capable of and gives them learning activities outside of school. I think my Paulinian education has rubbed off on me too much in developing well-rounded persons in my daughters. But isn’t that part of what being a parent is for? 
