Back to the Gym!

No, not me, Lissa.  (though I love working out, keeping up with the kiddos consists of my workouts these days!) Yesterday marked the start of the new gymnastics year and Lissa was sooooooo ready. She has been marking this down for the three weeks hiatus between the end of the abbreviated summer session and the start of the real classes in the fall.

It amazes me that my daughter who can't sit still for virtually anything at home can sit angelically on the floor while her coach explains the components of 5 stations and demonstrates.  Other kids jump up and try and run over and begin a station during the explanation, but not Lissa. 

This class is a bit of a step up from her beginner class so we are working on her holding my hand less when on the apparatus and letting her coach spot her.  Mostly I am okay with this, but part of me feels a pang too because the gym is a place where she wants to hold my hand.  Many times I have to remind her to hold my hand for safety; she is so independent that she doesn't want to just companionably walk holding hands. (by contrast KC will still do this at 6)

On the balance beam she got a little bored at the first station with just stepping over the obstacles placed on it so she jumped over them. Coach M loved it and said this is the "next step" so apparently we just hopped to a new skill. (chuckle)

Then we got to a station where there was an inclined pad to tumble on.  Lissa figured out how to do a dive roll in our living room last week (she routinely tries to give me gray hair I swear!) and she put this into play there.  Coach M said that most 3 y/o's don't have the arm strength for this and did I teach it to her. I said not at all, she did it in our living room and I told her she had to wait and do it in class for her coach.  So while all the rest of the class did regular tumblesaults, Lissa did diving rolls.  Aside from the benefit of having a place to shine and a skill that is unique to our family, the thing I have noticed most is that she focusses better and is less hair trigger temper when she has the outlet of gymnastics.  It isn't just the physicality as we are a very active family and say, substituting kick ball or hiking or a day at the beach don't have the same effect.  I don't understand it but I like it!