Gymnastics!

This month Declan and I are doing Acroroos Gymnastics on Wednesdays! Today was our very first class. There were 4 other little boys in our class for kids 18 months to 3. When we arrived, we met Coach Annie and the other boys. Then Declan got to choose a beanie baby. I put the beanie baby at the top of a ladder and he climbed up, grabbed the beanie baby and climbed back down. Next we "flew" with our butterfly wings to the pit full of foam squares. Declan tossed his beanie baby in the pit and then had to go get it and bring it back. It was hard work and he was sweaty afterwards.

After that Declan got to do an obstacle course. He crawled through a tunnel, stood up, ran to a mini trampoline and jumped. He clambered up unto a small platform, then jumped off on to an angled mat, on which he did a somersault to the bottom! Once he reached the bottom, he ran to another trampoline and bounced on to another angled mat to do a hot dog roll. He climbed up on to another angled mat and did a third somersault to the bottom! Then he started again. He did it about five times and loved it.

 His coach asked the boys to stop and had them come over to the wall. Declan was so disappointed to stop that he cried and cried. He didn't understand he was doing a new activity! She had the boys back up against the wall and try doing a handstand. Declan tried his best. After the handstands, Declan walked on three balance beams with help and then got to jump into the foam pit! He loved it! He struggled to get out of the foam pit. When he made it out, we went over the bars where his teacher helped him to do a flip off the bars! He loved hanging upside down!

Next the kids crawled way up high on a big mat. They had to do a somersault off the mat on to a long, rectangular trampoline. Then Declan had to jump, jump, jump to the end, turn and run to another station where he did three somersaults in a row and then jumped on a trampoline. It was so much fun.

He loved every minute, except when he had to wait his turn. He will learn that too, at gymnastics! At the end, Coach Annie gave him two stamps, one on his foot and one on his hand since he did such a great job. We can't wait to go back next week! Next week I'll try to get some pictures.