First Day of Gymnastics

This summer we enrolled the girls in a set of 4 gymnastics classes at one of the local places. And today was their first class. Ally protested the whole way there that she didn't want to do it and that she didn't like gymnastics. She was nervous about not knowing anyone and was a complete downer. Kelsey, on the other hand, was super excited. I think this is more her style than dance...she's a rough and tumble kid. So, she's the real reason we're doing this...I wanted to see how she would do and if she would like it. I thought Ally might like it as well and the summer seemed to be a perfect time to give it a whirl.

Lo and behold, the girls were called to class and they both went in immediately...Kelsey because she was excited, Ally because she knows about school well enough to know to suck it up and go in there when you're called. After 5 minutes, they were both HOOKED!!! Ally came out half way through the session to potty and I asked her how she liked it and the grin that spread across her face reached from ear to ear. When I asked her if she liked this or dance better, dance got a big thumbs down. Hmmm....interesting...for someone who went in kicking and screaming to not be there. What amazed me about Ally was how natural she seemed to be. She was doing back bends and working on the balance beam with kids who had been there for awhile (I know because I chatted with the moms in the parent room) and she was doing as well as they were. She just seemed to "fit". And Kelsey was just as thrilled to be there as well. She had a full class of 4 year olds with her and they walked around a small area of the gym completing different tasks...somersaults, the uneven bars, balance beams, and other things. Kelsey tried it all, fell off a lot of stuff, but got right back up and tried again. Both girls loved the block pit. It's a huge "pool" filled with foam blocks that they could jump in to. The bottom is a trampoline, so it is extra springy for them. The foam looks to be about 5 or 6 feet deep so they have plenty of cushion when they jump from the platform about 5 feet in the air. That doesn't sound too bad, but when you see your little one on a platform so high and then they jump and sink in to oblivion, it's a little unnerving to see the first time.

So, the question becomes...what do we do in the fall...gymnastics or dance??? Bo and I aren't sure the girls should do more than one thing at a time, so it's hard to decide what they would do better at and what they would enjoy more.

Ally, in the black leotard, warming up and stretching.


Ally doing her backbend.


Ally chillin' on the beam.


Ally practicing her walk.


Ally getting on the beam...doesn't she look like she knows what to do????


Ally learning how to do a Cartwheel.


Kelsey warming up and stretching.


Kelsey on the beam.


Kelsey doing a sommersault.


Kelsey on the bars.


Kelsey on the Uneven bars.


Free time on the slide.