Gymnastics

There isn't a prouder mommy, I love you Julia.

Daddy said yes!

Last Friday we did a trial gymnastics class.  We arrived at 10:25, class started at 10:30, we went to the potty and then Julia was lined up with the other 3 children (all ages 2-3) and brought into the very LARGE gymnastics room with mats on every piece of floor and different stations set up.

Marky and I stood outside and talked with friends and watched Julia from the large window looking in.  First Ms. Michelle warmed the kids up by doing jumping and such, then they sat and did some stretches (the whole car ride there we talked about how important following directions and LISTENING to her teacher was, in fact on the line going in to class, Julia turned back to me and went, "Mom, I (will) listen to (the) teacher!"

Always smiling like mommy

The first station was the trampoline...she LOVES the trampoline, and she LOVES to jump (we don't call her JuJu Bean for nothing...she's always jumping our little bean, who looks so tall and skinny now without wearing a diaper).  The students had to take turns and Michelle gave each child one on one training on how to jump and then land on their "seat" and jump again.  It was awesome to watch.

Always dancing or moving or jumping!

There were about 4-5 other stations with new skills, new instructions, and new one on one time, I love the small class size because each child is given special training.  The last station was the long tumble mat, and the students first lesson is learning how to jump up and down properly and exit the mat to the right.  I think Julia could have taught this part, she did great, apparently not everyone can jump up and down, some kids skip but Ms. Michelle was teaching them the proper way because as they get older they will do all kinds of tumbles and jumps and flips down this mat (so cool).

Loves making friends :)

Lastly, each child had to sit on a mat near the door and if they were good (which they all were) they got stamps all around their feet (they do all this barefoot) and Friday night is bath night, so Julia was quite sad when her stamps washed off, because she was SO proud of them.

She's so proud of herself, and she's getting so big!

Class is supposed to be over by 11:15, but it ran a few minutes over (50 minutes of gymnastics her first day!!!) and as I put her socks and shoes on, JuJu Bean cried her eyes out because it was over, "Again!" "Again!" she kept saying.  I loved how during gymnastics class she got such individualized attention, she got to use her muscles and exercise, she got to be with her friend Samuel from church (he's 2 and such a sweetie).  The only thing that calmed her down was knowing we were going to the Party Gym afterwards, and the fact that I packed a fun snack for her for the car ride.  I grabbed the paperwork (determined to ask John if we could afford this) and said goodbye to our friends Gina and Elizabeth, Brie and Samuel, and we headed to the Party Gym, so Marky could run and play and jump like Julia.

Always wants to be active!

I called Daddy immediately and told him what fun she had (he used to work at that particular Gymnastics Club as a teen) and he promised to think about it.  Yesterday he said yes, and Julia and I could not contain our excitement.  I promised to speak in some chapels (I'm already scheduled for two in December) and do some Focus groups on the side to help pay for it.  At prayer time last night, as all four of us held hands in our circle, Julia prayed very loudly, "And thank you for gymnastics, and I listen to the teacher!"  As we kissed each other good night around the circle (we have a fun ritual) Daddy and Mommy knew they made the right decision.  What a happy girl Julia is...Gymnastics on Fridays!!! Woohoo!!!

Have a great weekend!  Tomorrow is Saturday's Recipe Swap!