Stick the Landing!

The questions start on Saturday morning...."Is it gymnastics day yet?" It is first thing she says, even before asking about hot milk. I needed to see what the big deal was for myself, so I took last Monday morning off and joined Cheryl and Molly at Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute (www.chowsgymnastics.com).

Molly is the youngest in a class of six or seven. The other kids are closer to four and have been doing this for some time. Unlike dance where the girls sometimes get distracted and drift off to do their own thing, all of the kids look out for each other and make sure everyone is participating. What this really means is that they all make sure Molly stays on task or knows what the next drill will be. There is jumping on the tramp, lots of balance beams, somersaults, cartwheels, swinging between stacks of mats, and jumping from the pommel horse into a huge pit of foam blocks. I don't want to say she is a natural, but she does already have the gymnastics run down.

The class always ends with a stamp on her hands or feet and very happy, tired little girl. She is now jumping off everything she can climb on and we have build a little balance beam so she can practice during the week. I am not sure how we are going to build a pit of foam blocks.