At the Little Gym

Last fall when Hailey started preschool, Keelyn and I started a class at The Little Gym. I did the same thing with Hailey when she was little, and it was a great way for us to get out and do something fun on a regular basis with regular people. I can tell you with great confidence that neither of my kids enjoys hanging from bars, turning upside-down, or walking on beams...when it is asked of them and someone is watching. They both have perfect monkey grip and can latch onto clothing, skin, or even an eyebrow in the event that I might encourage a flip over a bar while the teacher is spotting.

BUT, give Keelyn a little space, and she's a regular monkey. She can gallop on the high beam, people. It was such a joy for me to see her do something independent. I learned just how much she needs me, despite her desire to do it all on her own at home. I learned how she relates to other little ones her age by letting them go first, and watching what's around her. I learned that she really loves being recognized by her teacher...Miss Elise did wonders for her little developing self-esteem. And I also learned that she loves music, and parachutes, and bean bags, and bells a whole lot more than the parallel bars. So, we won't be going back this time, which makes me sad for the loss of a good teacher, but I found that Keelyn enjoyed the cuddle time and songs with Mommy just as much at the library program...something I also did regularly with Hailey, but have struggled to find time for in our now busy schedule. We're making time now, and she loves it.

Anyway, the gym was great...and here are some highlights from her "show" on the last day...

My very favorite part of every single week was seeing her face as she ran back to me after picking up or putting away a toy. Especially if all the kids were jumbled and she had to look around a little to find me. The excitement in her eyes was breathtaking.
Even though she didn't enjoy doing a lot of the "assigned" activities, she loved finding things to climb on and explore.

And she loved the balls.

Here she is getting her ribbon with her teacher. A little shy about being up on the stand with people clapping...but she was SO proud of herself.

You can see the excitement in her expression as she showed Hailey when we came home.

And again with Daddy.

What a sweet, sweet girl. I'm so glad we did this together and exposed her to something that challenged her. If you catch her jumping, or practicing her forward rolls, she'll tell you, "Gym. 'Lise. At The Little Gym...".