Gymnastics 2012-2013 Winter Season

  I am sure my few readers as SO glad I am finally done with all of our Christmas blogs. With those out of the way and the pretty weather here, I can finally feel like Spring is HERE!

I have been so excited for Lyla to reach an age where she can start doing activities she enjoys in a structured environment. 

Since day one, this girl has LOVED to move. She is always on the move, doing something. I noticed how much she loved dancing, tumbling, rolling around and using pretty much anything as a balance beam. We moved in to our new neighborhood and since it is FILLED with mommies and kids, there were so many suggestions of where to take her and what activities were offered close by. We decided to start with gymnastics and see how it went. This girl was beyond excited to start her gymnastics class. She asked every day if it was THE day to finally go to class.

We started the week after Thanksgiving at All Around Gymnastics in John's Creek. Love this place, love the gym, love the teachers. We love everything about it. And this is the nurse in me, but it is SO clean.

It was an 11 week class, 45 minutes one day a week and for the money I thought it was so worth it. With it being cold outside, it was the perfect activity to do during the winter to get out of the house. We will definitely be signing up for another session. Lyla loved Tuesdays. After all that is the day she got to go to "Hop, Hop". Her gymnastics class was a mommy and me class. They have to be three years old to go by them-self, so I got to participate as well :)

"Hop, Hop, momma?". Her question almost everyday. Once we got started, she always wanted to know when she was going to get to go back. The "days of the week" lesson is HARD for a two year old!! She loved practicing in between classes, and always says "else, momma?" so that I will tell her different things for her to do and she will do them. The first day, it was just Lyla, me and her teacher Ms Laura. I had kinda hoped for other mommies and kids in the class to meet people and for Lyla to be able to socialize with. They promised me that there would be more people to sign up, but if no one else did, they would move us to another class. The next week, there were two other little girls and their mommies. After Christmas, two more little girls and their moms joined as well. So it ended up being a good size class.

Every two weeks, they changed the "theme". The songs and activities related to the theme, which kept it interesting. Since Christmas and Valentine's Day also fell in our session, they made sure to add those to the themes as well. One of the rooms they do class in is a Disney themed room. So it has all the characters, which Lyla loved and they incorporated them as well.

We always started off in a circle, stretching and doing more fine-motor skills, pointing toes, to a few songs. Then, Ms Laura always set up a circuit of things for the kids to do so they each had something to do and we would rotate through them at least three times for them to get the hang of them. The first circuit was always the bars. They got to hang on them, swing on them, pull up on them, flip over them, walk on them, and do the rings as well. Lyla proved to be pretty strong!

Then we would do a circuit with forward and backward rolls, holding their knees and rocking back and forth, hand-stands against the wall, cartwheels, tucks and jumping. 

Then we would move to the other room and practice on the balance beam. There was four of them, and Ms Laura would have them do different things on each one, like walking backwards, walking sideways, bending down to touch the beam, and jumping from one side to the other.

Then came Lyla's absolute favorite part. The trampoline into the foam pit. She LIVED for this one. They jumped feet together, feet apart, backwards, they got to run and jump. If Lyla could just do ONE thing the whole time we were at gymnastics, this would be what she would choose. I have a few videos posted below of her on the trampoline.

The first class was pretty easy, as far as Lyla paying attention and listening to Ms Laura. She was the only one and got all the attention. The next class was a disaster. It was horrible. She did not listen at all and would not do what she was told. So after we left, we talked about obeying and listening ALL week, until the next Tuesday came. I reminded her as we got out of the car she needed to obey and if she did not, we would have to leave. She was a perfect angel the entire class!! After Christmas break, the first class back, she had trouble listening again, but I think it was because she was just SO excited to be back. After that, class was so enjoyable and she really did SO well! 

It was so fun to do this class with Lyla. I know that she is growing up so fast and there are not many opportunities to actually share in activities like this with her. I will soon just be watching from the sidelines, cheering her on and being so proud of her and her talents. 

Here are some pictures from the last day of class. I did not get any of her on the bars, but recently she has been asking to go back to "Hop, Hop", so I see another session in our future :)

Listening to Ms Laura explain what to do at each station.

Back-roll.

"Ta-dah!!"

Point those toes.

Hand-stand

Cart-wheel.

Head-stand again.

Tuck.

Front-roll

"Ta-dah"

Balance beam time.

It was Pirate Theme week when these videos were taken, so that is why there is a "plank" to walk at the end of the trampoline :)

                                       
                                       
                                       

Foam-pit!!

Rock and roll.

Waiting patiently for her turn to jump on the trampoline.

All of the kids got to stand up on a platform one at a time and received a ribbon the last day of class. It was too cute. They had no idea what was going on!!

Getting her ribbon on the last day.

With Ms Laura.