So you think you can . . . dance!

As summer starts to slip away the signs of fall begin to appear.  There is a single branch on the tree across the street that has an undercurrent of reddish orange to it.  The branch is still green but somehow it is orangey green.

We have been taking advantage of back to school sales and buying homeschool supplies.  Enough notebooks and folders to hopefully last the year.  Even when you school at home there is something cool and fun about organizing your work space for the new grade and the kids have been loving this.

The various organizations that our kids are involved in start to gear up.  Emails have come in about a youth group trip to Maine over Columbus Day weekend for Rob.  Last week Lissa's gym sent mail about this year's classes. 

Turns out that Lissa's class was moved from 4 p.m. on Fridays to 10 a.m. on Tuesdays. And she would not know anyone in the class.  Lissa loves gymnastics but she said flat out that if her 3 friends were not in the class, she did not want to go.  So I emailed Coach Amy and we are not signing up at the gym this year.

Tonights mail brought info from the dance school where KC studies.  KC who has rhapsodized about being old enough for hiphop this year. . . right up till the schedule came.  Then he felt like he could not give up ballet and tap.  So he is deferring hip hop for another year (though he does freestyle at home all the time and breaks in my front hall like you would not believe).   I am not totally surprised as I know as much as he wants to study hip hop he really truly loves ballet and tap.  If I could have said he could take all 3 he likely would have. 

Then Lissa piped up.  Miss "I think dance is stooooopid" has changed her tune.  Seems she wants to try ballet and tap out for herself!  So much of Saturday mornings will be spent at the dance school this year.  I emailed KC's teacher and told her of his change of heart. She was thrilled as she doesn't teach the hiphop, another teacher does. She said she didn't want to lose KC yet and wasn't ready to share him with Miss Laura.  LOL  And she is excited to have Lissa in the younger class.  The 2 kids personalities are wildly different but Miss Heidi has met Lissa and knows how high energy she is.  It'll be a fun ride!

Back Flips or should I say, flipping back!

A few weeks ago Coach A. approached me and wanted to bump Lissa up to the more advanced level of gym classes.  Actually this is the class that prepares for meets and I heard from another parent the night we went that they are expected to come to two sessions a week starting in the summer.  Kind of a red flag for me, as Lissa is only 4.  She is not really ready for that level of commitment and I am not sure that I want that level of stress on her little growing body either.  But I didn't really have to decide because Lissa did.  She did well at the class when we tried it. But she wasn't happy.  At almost exactly the hour mark she came to me and said "I all done now, I go home."  The class is actually 90 minutes at this level, something else I told Coach A. didn't seem tailored to a somewhat flighty 4  year old.  And when we were walking out of the gym, Lissa burst into tears and said she didn't want to go to that class again.  I tried to talk about it during the week and she was adament. She wants to be  with her friends. Almost all the other kids are older in this class, it didn't feel fun.

Well I am not trying to raise the next Nadia, or Mary Lou, it is supposed to be fun!  The next week I had to work late so she missed class.  The following week I brought her for her former class time and collared Coach A.  I expected she would be understanding and perhaps regretful.  I did not expect that she would be ticked off!  She pointed out how well Lissa had done. I agreed but said I was not going to make my daughter cry over gymnastics.  She said that this whole thing surprised her because she really thought Lissa needed more of a challenge. I said that might well be true but she also wanted to be with friends, and the new class was from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. which was a really hard time for my daughter. She typically goes to bed at 6:30 since she wakens with the robins dawn chorus. 

About then, Coach A. said that Lissa was somewhat "disruptive" in her old class.  I said I agreed and that I had been kind of surprised at the antics that she allowed to go on.  In truth, I don't think Lissa is the only disruptive child, but  unfortunately she seems to kind of have a "ringleader" personality.  Coach A. said she does not want to have the role of disciplinarian. I said that I respect that, though most coaches I have dealt with do have a component of the disciplinarian in them.  I have always said that if Lissa is disruptive that she has the option of sending her to me and choosing whether to let her return to class or not.  But that the bottom line is that she was not happy in the more advanced class and would not be attending it.  As a little aside, I have paid for her enrollment in the less advanced class through June way back in September, , so if she kicks me to the curb she owes me a refund! LOL

Coach kind of backpedaled a bit then.  I don't want to be mean.  And I likely will not sign Lissa up next year.  I like to expose kids to lots of different things unless they show a passionate interest in something.  Lissa was passionate about this for about a year and a half which is a pretty long time for a little kid.  But it might be time to back flip on to some new challenges!

The Gym Meet

 I wanted to do something with Lissa's box braids that would incorporate the team colors.  She didn't really want to let me fuss much with her hair so we came up with this effect.  Lately the part of the hair that I used the pony-os on is usually in a bantu or zulu knot to the side front of her hair.  But by undoing the knot and just putting these running down it, I could get everything into a small braided bun.  I then decorated with the red ribbons.  My blue ribbons were too stiff and stuck out really weird but the red ones were perfect and they really whipped around when she was out on the floor too.

 Warming up for the big event --before we even left the house.  Our dog Blake is watching.

 My happy daughter assumes the demeanor of a basilisk as they come out to greet the audience.  In reality, she was nervous and said that is why she looked like this.  She had made me promise not to cheer for her but didn't factor in that there would be other events occuring simultaneously and that there WOULD be cheering even if it was not necessarily for her. The first time it happened she stopped, glared at the crowd and put her hands on her hips. Then she stomped over to the apparatus and did great!

Participation trophy and a smile once more!  It  was super hard to get decent photos in the gym.  My flash wasn't strong enough to go the distance from where I was to where Lissa was. But all in all, it was a great experience and I think it was good for the younger kids to get a feel for what a meet is like.  For us parents too as I have no experience in this venue and if it is something she wants to do, I need to be able to support her.

Coach A talks about Lissa

So today when I got to the gym, Coach A called to me and asked if she could talk to me privately about Lissa.  All I could think was "oh no!"  I mean, I watch the class each week and hadn't seen anything THAT horrible going on. 

Turns out it wasn't horrible. Coach A wants to bump Lissa up a level because of her strength and ability.  But the next class meets from 5  to 6:30 on Friday nights.  Now first of all, I don't think Lissa has 90 minutes of attention span.  At all.  Secondly she usually is tucked in bed at 6:30 p.m.  Poor Coach A was stunned to hear that, but I explained that my kids waken early no matter what I do and that Lissa refuses to nap. 

I said I would try the  new class if she would let me take her out at 6 p.m. and she said that would be fine and there is no committment at this point to the change.  But man, was I shocked!  Truly, to the untrained eye my daughter does not always look like she gives a hoot about what they are doing out there.  Some weeks she is pretty on, but a lot of week she is rolling around the floor totally oblivious. 

Lissa's Up Next!

Last weekend the big focus was primarily on Robbie.  This weekend, he does have stuff happening but the big focus will be Lissa.  You see on Saturday afternoon, my wee daughter is in her first gymnastics meet. It is not a super competitive thing.  And it also helps raise money for a gym family who are facing a serious medical crisis. But my flibberty gibbit daughter is supposed to do a routine.  On her own.  Wow, who would have thought we would even be thinking about this a year ago. Totally blows me away. The team colors are red and blue so I am going to find some sparkly ribbon and do something with her box braids and the ribbons.  We also could order flowers for our gymnasts so she will get a bouquet of red white and blue carnations from us as well.  She is very blase about the whole thing which I suppose is a huge plus.  Goodness knows I don't need to high anxiety kids like KC!  LOL

Tomorrow we visit Fiona

There is always all kinds of excitement leading up to a visit to see Fiona.  (or 'my big sissy') as Lissa puts it.  Tonight will be busy as I have to pack some crafts for us to do together, snacks for the kids on the train ride there and back, and the gifts I bought for Fi.  I replenished her hair care supplies and found sugar free candy to make her a Halloween treat bag. All the kids worked together on decorating the bag and it is really cute.

Today is also exciting because it will be Lissa's first class in the new gymnastics class.  She got promoted to a more advanced group and this also means a new coach so although she is excited, I think she is also a bit anxious.

Busy times!

Back Handsprings?????

Today was gymnastics for Lissa.  We barely made it to class on time because she has to eat before we go or she is so desparately hungry when we get home that she melts down in a truly unbelievably awful fashion.  We have found that mac and cheese give her just the right combo of protein and carbs and then she has a light supper when we come home.

But back to the class.  We did the first exercise which involves pretending one is a tree in the forest that has been chopped down and falling backward onto a mat.  She does this fearlessly, did it for the first time last week and apparently adores it.  So Coach M stepped up the game and taught her how to jump into this backward falling tree thing and happily told me it was to prepare her for a back handspring.  Oh my.  

Then we went over to the straddle roll station and she aced that.  Then to the place where they practice something called donkey kicks, except that with Lissa she is practicing handstand readiness as she does amazing donkey kicks.  (which is no surprised as my wee miss can be totally mule headed; please excuse bad pun.)  Then because I guess Lissa decided things hadn't been "fun" enough she hollers to her coach, "Hey Coach watch this and throws herself backward on the mat sort of putting her hands up behind her head.  If it had been done with more control it might have been a graceful backbend.  It wasn't that but she didn't wreck herself either.  Coach M gasped as Lissa laughed.  I looked at Coach and said "this is my living room, every single day."  I bet she  finally REALLY believes me now that I didn't teach Lissa that dive roll!

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!

Multiple Intelligences

First off, a big thank you to Gas Station Cap. who suggested I investigate 'multiple intelligences." I am happy to report that I have and found the concept fascinating.  I had previously decided that Lissa was most likely a kinesthetic learner (as is my eldest, Chet) and have approached our learning situations together with that in mind.  But I had never heard of the concept of multiple intelligences and it fascinates me.  It also very much speaks to my core belief that everyone has a niche, a gift, and "blooms" in their own time and space when properly nurtured.

Last night at the park, Lissa was "playing circus".  We have a narrow plastic border to the play area that we walk on and pretend we are tightrope walkers.  If we slip off we either fall into the lion pit or the safety nets; she tends to change up the result of error! LOL  At any rate, this border is actually a bit narrower than a balance beam and she can walk it for a long time without slipping off.  Last night she decided to add an occasional skip as she went along and STILL did not fall off. (she also has never done this type of thing in her gymnastics class so it was something she thought of on her own.)

  I am in awe of that balance ability at such a young age.  It has its downsides too, from a parenting perspective.  I feel like I am always watching to make sure she doesn't leap gleefully off something too high (say, a cliff!) because she obviously can't gauge such things and like myself, she appears to be a bit of an adrenaline junkie!

Lissa gets a trophy and KC does math!

Sunday was Lissa's first gymnastics "show" and she wasn't there.  We have only done gymnastics for 3 weeks and her class was going to march around the gym and then do an obstacle course.  I had a committment to chair a meeting at church and had no way to get her there without going insane.  I opted for sanity and skipped it as she at this point has no real clue what a show entails and wasn't upsetting. To her, gymnastics happens on Wednesday and it isn't even on her radar on  a Sunday afternoon.

So yesterday we trucked over to the gym.  She did awesome, her fearless drive to try the apparatus amazes me.  One of the skills they worked on was standing on the low bar of the unevens, reaching out to grab the high bar and then letting go, to practice sticking the landing.  She did great, falling the first two times, sticking the last two.  Then at the end of class they gave her a trophy, which would have been given at the show.  Thankfully there were 2 other classmates who also were not there and received their participation trophy in class as well. 

We came home and I discovered our home school curriculum had arrived.  I had just ordered this on Tuesday so the speed amazed me.  Rob's going to be in grade 9 and KC in first grade, the first year we have to "officially" home school him and file a letter of intent with the city.  I am pretty familiar with Rob's courses so I started looking at the first grade curriculum.  I have never homeschooled a first grader.  I discovered that in the math section, he is all ready beyond this curriculum.  They have the kids grouping manipulatives to add and nothing they add comes to a sum greater than 10. He stopped using manipulatives for addition at about 4.  KC counts to 100 by 1's, counts to 100 by 10's and is learning counting by 2's.  He does addition with use of a number line and adds numbers by ones and twos but the sums can total up to 30.  This is via a Kunan math workbook I found at a bookstore!  So we are going to skip the math component in Oak Meadow and keep working with the Kunan system.  I do love the way Oak Meadow does their science, social studies and english components though.  KC was ticked this morning though to find out he wasn't getting  a "new" math book!  Too funny!