Shireen's Level 9 season started right after New Years.
One major problem was that Shireen was sick with the stomach flu all New Year's
Day!
She was better on Wednesday and went to practice that evening but she was really
weak
Her stomach was still not normal and she had no appetite.
Ahmad was weak and sick with a stomach ache on New Year's Day also but he didn't
throw up.
I thought Ahmad was maybe just really tired from working so hard but then on
Wednesday
I woke up feeling like Ahmad - weak and tired with a stomach ache.
I got sicker on Thursday. Shireen was slowly getting better but we were in a
mess for
our planned "trip" to Las Vegas on Friday!
We made it to the meet. Ahmad was feeling better on Friday as
we drove down.
I slept most of the way down and started to feel better that night.
Shireen seemed fine but still wasn't eating much. Her meet was Saturday morning.
We loved having the meet inside the Hotel. Our room was nice.
The meet area was large with two competition areas next to each other.
They started on floor. I had hopes that Shireen would do ok.
My hopes were dashed as she fell on floor and looked very weak!
She fell on vault and didn't even do a second vault.
Natasha was so understanding and realized she just wasn't ready to compete from
being sick!
She did a decent bar routine without her double-back dismount.
She wobbled quite a lot on beam and fell on her backhandspring layout.
Shireen did manage to get one medal (as a souvenir of this meet)
and she did really have a fun time here!
We enjoyed watching Brittany compete in Level 8 after us and
then it was time
to go "out on the town!"
Of course the funnest place for kids was Circus Circus!
The kids (and Moms) had a great time with the racing games!
Shireen won that game!
But all three girls made quite a haul!!!
The moms enjoyed a nice daquiri while the kids (and Ahmad) watched the circus
acts.
It was quick but we were able to get a fun trip out of it!
We were all worried about the drive home with pending snowstorms
but we managed to beat the storms and made it home without any problems!!
Shireen had only one week to come back from Vegas and build
her strength
which includes as much mental strength as physical!!
It was a very hard week and I didn't know what to expect for this meet.
We did not like the "venue" at all! Crystal Cup was
held at the
Olympic Skating Oval in Salt Lake. It was freezing for the girls and the parents.
They set it up right next to the (frozen) skating oval!
They did come prepared bringing slippers, socks, and jackets.
You can see that they are chilled!
Shireen had a pretty good meet.
Her vault looked very good and she got an 8.7!
She did ok in all her events except for a fall on beam with
her layout stepout again.
She took 5th on vault (8.7), 5th on bars (8.450), and 8th on beam (8.175).
I was very happy that she got 8's instead of her last week's 7's!!!
Shireen took 4th on floor (8.6). She also took 4th overall!
Her teammate McKenna (right) took 1st on beam and 1st overall
in Shireen's division.
Sydney was divided out into the older division and did good also!!
Their coaches Natasha and Yuriy were pretty happy with the meet but see lots
more work to do at the gym!!!
We stayed in the beautiful Embassy Suites hotel where the meet
was being held.
The hotel and rooms were just wonderful!!
Our first night there, we ate at the Cheesecake Factory which
was just
across the street from the hotel at a wonderful, large mall.
Of course, we also managed to find a few shops in the mall - Abercrombie,
Aeropostale, and Limited Too!!!
The meet was managed very well with three separate rooms in the convention center.
We had an early meet on Saturday morning.
Shireen did very well on beam getting her first "9"
on an event in
level 9. Her score was a 9.275!
She fell on her "double full" on floor which was disappointing.
Her vaults looked weak but were ok. Not her best.
She did an OK bar routine but fell on her "double back"
dismount.
It was an OK meet but by far not her best effort!
Shireen did get a medal for her beam routine. She tied for third
with
her teammate Sydney. Her other teammate McKenna got first place for beam!
That night we were able to watch "Elite" girls from other countries!
The little girl in front of Shireen was an awesome "11
year old" elite gymnast
from Russia. The moms and girls were so impressed at how good she was!
We also got pictures with the Japan team!
We really had a great time at the Elite meet and the WOGA
meet in general. The girls met and got autographs from
Nastia Liukin and Carly Patterson!
(Their autographs are on their pink jackets!)
We stayed an extra day in Dallas to explore the city.
We went to a great Aquatic Center that also had other animals!
Shireen's favorite animal was the Sloth!
They had cute penguins!
It was so cute watching the girls take cell phone pictures of the Sharks.
The flamingos were so beautiful with their orange water that
helps make
their feathers a bright orange!
We also went to the WOGA gym where Nastia and Carly worked out!
They got to see inside the gym.
It was a very nice gym and the girls really enjoyed seeing where their "idols" work out.
The girls weren't too excited to visit the John F. Kennedy museum.
But it was really good with a recorded program and earphones for each person
as we walked through the museum. It was really a great emotional experience
for the parents
and the girls to see the place where he was shot!
We really had a great day in Dallas!
The next morning we got up and had a nice buffet breakfast that
comes with the hotel.
Before our flight, the girls got one last dip in the nice hotel pool!
They had lots of fun sliding down the railing in this pool.
The pool was a good temperature but it was about 100 degrees sitting there
for the parents! We felt that we got a sauna while they swam!
Time to go back to the room, check out and fly home!
I was getting stressed with my Conferences starting tomorrow afternoon at school!!!
It was great to have every out of state meet this season inside
the hotel we were staying.
We stayed at the Grand Sierra Hotel. It was nice but very basic
especially when comparing to the wonderful rooms at the Embassy in Dallas.
They started with bars this time. Shireen did pretty good and
stuck her
double back dismount. She got an 8.375. which seems low but is
pretty good for her in Level 9.
It is so hard to take pictures with the small digital cameras!
They all turn out blurry
but I thought this one looked kind of cool.
She didn't do her first vault so I was pretty worried.
But she did a pretty good second vault and got a 8.8!
The highlight of this meet was that Shireen got a "34".
That is a magic number
for upper level gymnasts so they can advance to the next level. But a 34 isn't
usually
that great of a score if you want to place in all around!
Shireen took second on bars (with McKenna taking first)!
She also took 4th on beam and 5th all-around.
I am still encouraged because Shireen still hasn't came close to her best on
any event. Hopefully she will keep improving this season!
The team took 4th place and got a wonderful vase!!??
The girls got to play in the Arcade and they all got prizes
with their tickets.
We were all hooked on the Wheel of Fortune game.
While waiting for a bowling lane, the girls entertained themselves
with one of their prizes - edible bubbles!
Shireen got a 100 on bowling and won.
But I told her it doesn't really count with the bumpers!!!
After bowling, we headed to the airport and made it home on Sunday night.
The best part was having Monday (President's Day) off to unpack!!!!
We weren't looking forward to this meet that was at the Olympic
Oval.
After freezing at the Crystal Cup in January, we didn't want another meet there.
It was cold and the girls had their socks and sweats on between
events.
Shireen had a pretty good meet. She got her first 9.0 on Vault and took second!!
She did one of her best routines so far this year on bars.
She got a 8.650 which is pretty good but she still needs to improve on her
skills and leg separations. She went up to handstand the best I've seen though!
She took 4th on that event. She fell on her beam backhandspring-layout stepout
and
got an 8.4. Her floor looked pretty good and we were disappointed with her
score of 8.650.
She got a 34.7 overall which is her highest so far this year!
We are getting close to a 35!!
She always enjoys the meets with her teammates!
Shireen was also excited to be able to make it to the
University of Utah gymnastic meet that night!!
Shireen had her best meet so far this year!
She got another 9.0 on Beam
and took second place after her teammate McKenna.
My camera's battery was dead and Michelle let me use her's - I almost missed
the picture!
The pictures are dark because I didn't know how to use the camera
but at least I got pics!
Shireen had a pretty good bar routine for her and got an 8.525.
She took third place.
Shireen had a great beam routine and got a 9.1 and took second
place
after her teammate Sydney.
Bailey's has a very hard floor and Shireen felt lucky she didn't
fall in her routine.
She got an 8.85 which was pretty good and she took 4th place.
The highlight for us was having three teammates take 1st, 2nd,
and 3rd place!
Shireen took 2nd overall with McKenna taking 1st and Sydney taking 3rd.
Shireen had a 35.475 overall score - Her first 35 in level 9!!!
To top off a great meet, our team took 1st Place!!
This is the first time that the team Shireen was on took first place for the
meet!
We are getting excited for State which will be in Logan in 3 weeks!
Here we are in Logan warming up.
All the equipment looked good and the girls were excited!
Shireen is hoping for a good meet.
She is in the Jr. A division and hoping to score well enough to make regionals.
Many of the girls that she competed against this year is in
the Jr. B division
including her teammates Sydney, Taylor, and Kendall.
But McKenna is in her division.
Shireen did very well on Vault. She scored a 8.9 and took second
(after teammate McKenna)
Shireen had her very best event on Floor.
She scored a 9.275 and took second again.
Shireen did OK on bars but didn't do her best.
The bars were slippery and she was glad she didn't fall but she didn't
hit her handstands and she felt really bad that she didn't do better.
She got 3rd place with a 8.7.
She was in a very good position to do well in the meet before
her last event.
We were hoping she would do a good routine on her best event.
But it wasn't meant to be - she fell on her mount! Then she fell on another
easy trick!!
It was pretty devastating to have her do pretty good and then mess it up!!
Shireen was so upset after the meet!
Instead of taking second in the meet which was very likely,
she took fourth!
Shireen was blaming the bars for her beam mistakes.
She was upset about the bars and put so much pressure on herself to do good
on beam.
Natasha said that she was concentrating so hard on the hard things of her routine
that she wasn't focused on the easy things and messed up.
It was very frustrating to see her do all the hard tricks beautifully and fall
on two easy things!!
The good news is that she did qualify for Regionals and we will
be heading for
Long Beach in a few weeks.
The next day, Shireen was recovering from her sadness and enjoyed
watching her teammates and holding her teammate's baby brother.
We arrived in Long Beach on Thursday afternoon with Ahmad and
Grandma coming along.
It was a pretty quick drive because we left quite early in the morning and got
there by 4:00.
We checked in the hotel and waited for Denise (and Sydney), Michelle (and Brittany)
and Natasha
who flew into LAX and had to rent a car and drive down to Long Beach.
Sherry (and McKenna) came down sooner with friends and family and were in the
hotel already.
By 6:00 we walked across from our beautiful Hotel called the
Renaissance Hotel to the
Long Beach Convention Center for a practice session. We were impressed
with the big screen scoring but the room was not set up well for people to watch!
Shireen is on the beam. We had a hard time getting turns with all the "big"
girls
always butting in front of our "little" girls.
Our meet was early on Friday morning - 8:30.
It was a pretty long meet and lasted all morning with the awards at 12:30.
They started on floor and Shireen did one of her better routines and got a 9.0!
Next was vault. Shireen did a pretty good vault and got an 8.725.
Then they did bars. Shireen again did a good routine for her but she just got
an 8.45.
Her final event was beam and she redeemed herself from State and did a great
routine.
She got a 9.1 although I was hoping she would have gotten a bit higher!
We were all so proud of Shireen.
Her all-around score was 35.275 which was her second best this season!
I was hoping she would get a medal for her beam - I knew she
didn't score high enough to medal in the
other events. But she was one place out of medaling for beam!!!
But we were so happy that she competed well and stuck all four routines!
Natasha and Yuriy was very happy with Shireen too!
She kept improving and scoring higher all season and is doing so well!!!
We were all so happy that we finished the meet early. Sherry,
McKenna and her family left for Disneyland
and the rest of us headed over to Babba Gumps for lunch!!
Then we went back to our Hotel.
After enjoying our wonderful view from our hotel,
Ahmad, Grandma, Shireen and I went to visit Massoud and Minou.
Shireen really enjoyed visiting with her cousins Eleena and Camillia!
Then the next day, we packed up and went to a motel across from
Disneyland!
Ahmad spent the day with Massoud and Grandma, Shireen and I headed over to the
Happiest place on Earth!
It was really crowded so we hit as many rides as possible early in the morning
and then we just found the less busy spots. Shireen had lots of fun in tomorrowland
at Innoventions.
We happened on Nick Lachey who was filming for High School Musical
talent show on TV this summer.
Shireen was lucky to get her picture with him and his signature.
Shireen was little enough and lucky enough that day to be chosen
as a Jedi Trainee!
She was chosen a year ago but we have noticed that they choose quite small kids
- no teenagers.
Shireen managed to get chosen but I bet she was the oldest one up there!!
But Disneyland was only part of the day!
Shireen really felt that she wanted to support her teammate Brittany in her
meet!
I told Shireen that I'm sure they would understand if she didn't go but Shireen
really
was determined to leave Disneyland and go back to Long Beach for Brittany's
meet.
Brittany had a very good meet and actually got two medals and
we were so happy that we
went to see her!! She got a 9.4 on bars and tied for 6th place!
That's how tough it was to medal at that meet!!
We actually returned to Disneyland for a few more hours at about
9:30 p.m.
It was worth it because we got some Dole Whip!!!!
We really do try and get the most out of our trips!
We packed up the next morning and drove to San Diego.
We made it to Sea World!!
We took a tour that wasn't very good and definitely not worth
the money.
One of our favorite shows was the dog and cat show!
The end of the day, we were waiting for the Shamu show.
It was called Shamu Rocks and it was a really AWESOME show!!
It was a great finale to our Regional trip.
Of course the LONG drive home the next day was not great but the trip was!!
Check out Shireen's Level 8 season (2007)