Three gymnasts!

I started taking Nadia to gymnastics five years ago when she was just two years old. She was in the "Mommy and Me" class, which meant that I was expected to follow her around the gym during her 30 minute class. I was ever so grateful that spring that Ian was a late bloomer in terms of walking because I carried him around during her gymnastics class, and that became far more of a challenge once he was mobile and didn't want to stay in my arms. Once the child is three years old they are eligible for the preschool class, and parents can just sit and watch that class. Once she started playing soccer I had her choose between ballet and gymnastics, and this meant that for one year she took a break from gymnastics, but when she turned five she switched from ballet/tap back to gymnastics. They offer classes all year round, but we take the summers off (skip two 8 week sessions) for a variety of reasons such as that the gym isn't air conditioned, vacations, day trips, etc. She was promoted to a Level One class in August of 2013 (at the age of 5) and then to a Level Two class last August. She only took three sessions (24 weeks) of gymnastics last year, and I knew she wasn't ready to be promoted to Level Three yet. So she is taking Level Two again this session on Mondays from 4:00-5:30. I was pleased to find out that John (the gym director) is teaching her class this session as last year he didn't teach on Monday nights.

Ian has taken gymnastics sporadically over the last couple of years. The last time I had him in a preschool class it didn't go very well. I felt it was a waste of money because he wasn't following directions very well. I will say that it was easier for Nadia (not just because she was more mature) because I had signed her up for morning classes when she was a preschooler, and they are the only ones in the gym and it's far easier to pay attention to one's teacher. In the evening there are three classes going on at the same time - a preschool class, a level one class, and the competitive team is also practicing. Ian had two classes of a Level One class last January, and then the class was cancelled because John (teacher) didn't have childcare for his two kids during the class. Tonight Ian started a Level One class. He was the only boy in his class, and there were nine girls in the class. When Nadia was in a Level One class it was much larger so I was pleased that there were "only" ten in his class. During the first part that whole class was together (with John on the floor exercises), and then they were split into two groups with another teacher taking half the class (to the bars, rings, and trampoline). Ian had no idea how to do a cartwheel, but he did a fabulous job of following instructions and really giving 100% effort. I was proud of him, and I feel confident he will be making progress over the next eight weeks.

Oliver has never taken a gymnastics class before, I signed him up for a preschool class although he is JUST old enough for it (for ages 3-5). I wasn't sure if he would struggle like Ian did or not with the distractions. There were moments when he turned his head and was watching other things happening in the gym rather than focusing on his teacher, but overall I thought he did a fabulous job considering he just turned three and had never taken any gymnastics before, especially since the teacher assumed all the kids had already had gymnastics and was giving instructions that were meaningless to Oliver "everyone get in pike position" was the very first thing she said. "Do a donkey kick, "do a tuck roll," etc and he has never done these things before. At the end of class I told her that he had never taken any gymnastics before. She was surprised and said Oliver did "awesome." I am hoping next week she will show Oliver how to do a few of the things that she asked them to do tonight that he had no clue how to do. I will also try to work with him at home on a few of the things. Both boys enjoyed themselves and were pleased with the job they had done. Ian watched the first 15 minutes of Oliver's class before his began, and then Oliver watched the last 30 minutes of Ian's 60 minute class after his class had ended. We were in the gym for a little more than 75 minutes between their two classes. Nadia has a soccer practice from 5:30-7:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays so she was with Daddy on the soccer field during most of the time the boys and I were at the gym.

P.S. I didn't take any pictures at gymnastics tonight so this picture doesn't match this post at all, but this is the one photo I took today. Nadia started this colored pencil project last week and finished it this morning. She drew the fish on the paper with a regular pencil and then colored it with colored pencils. I helped her a little, but she did most of it herself. In fact many times I wasn't even in the room while she was working on it. I thought it turned out pretty well for a girl who just turned 7.