Our little tumbler

(as always, you can always click on a photo and it will enlarge to fit your screen.  Some of these are kind of smaller as they were taken from the viewing balcony at the gym.)

So since the last update, we have went to two more gymnastics classes.  Let's just say that the first class was totally a fluke.  Girlfriend is all over this class!  She was still a little shy in the 2nd class, not speaking up when it was her turn to tell the instructors what her favorite thing was.  But by the third class, she was telling the instructors which way she wanted to flip and she even told Miss Lauren which thing was her favorite on floor -- the "rolling" of course!

It's still super crazy-busy in there every time we go.  As referenced by the photo above (kind of a "Where's Waldo" type photo to find us in -- look on the balance beam), I wasn't lying.  There is no space in-between everything.  They pack as much as they can in the 1,200 square feet of the gym.  But I think that Finn got used to the commotion going on around her.  That and we now have two rules that are repeated over and over in the car on the way to class.   #1 -- We only do what the instructors tell us we can do and #2 -- We won't be sassy.

I also think that having E go to each class and sit in the balcony to watch her during the class helps a lot as well.  She can look up to the balcony and see how Daddy and Little Brother are watching her and she can show off some more.

Fish was eaten up a couple of nights ago when we hit up the park.  In the single hour that we were out in the park, he received five bug bites.  Poor boy -- I think that he has my special sauce when it comes to bugs.  They are always attracted to me (and not E).

But I think the reason that the classes have been a big success is that we focus on having fun, rather than being competitive as a lot of the other moms are there.  She doesn't do it perfect every time, and that's okay.  As long as she is trying and doing it safely, I let her do what she wants to do.  I mean, come on -- she's only two and a half.

 She is becoming more fearless.  She still holds my hands a lot more than the other kids in the class.  But there are times now during class where she will let go of my hand and jump on her own.  Something that she wouldn't have dreamed of doing in the first class.  She is getting more confident and becoming stronger.

The instructors also now realize what her skill set is (in that she doesn't have any compared to the other kids) and they are both really gentle with her, especially when it comes to jumping into the big pits of foam cubes.  She hasn't refused to do anything, but does require a hand to help her jump in.

At the end of each class, they receive stamps "for a job well done".  And it is one of Finn's favorite things.  She likes to run and how Daddy what kind of stamp she got for that class.  There have been kitties, cars, butterflies, and monkeys.  I'm glad that we stuck with this -- because I think that she finally really enjoys it.  And I think that we are going to be signing up for another month or two if she wants.