gymnastics

One day my 4 year old came to me with about 8 pony tail holders and asked me to put them all in her hair.  I was surprised with how cute it turned out and she was excited when she received compliments on it from her friend at church.  After realizing how well it stayed in, I decided it might be worth trying this for gymnastics.    (this is it after a night of sleep)IMG_2235

So, we tried it out for gymnastics that Tuesday.  After their classes, my 5 year old told me she gives me 1 point for her hair that day b/c it stayed in, but was loose at the end.  Her sister however awarded me 3 points b/c not only did it stay in, but her teacher told her she liked it. 

And so it began.  

It, of course, being, my receiving scores for how I style my daughters hair for gymnastics.   (because you know there isn’t enough pressure already as a mom…)

Each day before class we started allowing extra time when getting ready so I could do something special to their hair.  They always have something in mind that they want, and I try my bestest to make it happen.  And after class they’d come out and tell me my score. 

This fancy do right here earned me a 300 from my 4 year old (even though the barrette fell out in class). 

IMG_2312

IMG_2311However, this do on my 5 year old (in which I divided her hair into 5 sections, braided each section and them combined them into a pony tail) got me a whopping 1 point.  (because it looked nice but got loose by the end).

This caused me to delve further into their grading scale.  Basically, my 4 year old is happy if I use a lot of pony tail holders, someone compliments her and it doesn’t all fall out.  She’s easy to please, and more about style than function.   

My 5 year old is a tougher judge.  She informed me that the highest score I could receive is a 10.  When I asked her what I could do to earn a 10 she told me, “Well mom, you could just do a pony tail, just a pony tail, and if at the end of class all my hairs stayed in and none were falling out, that would be a 10).   So, with her the issue isn’t number of compliments, number of pony tails, or even style.  It’s all about function.

hmmmmm

IMG_1466

Well, it turns out that if you sleep in a head full of braids, you wake up the next day with wavy hair.  This was a big hit.  In fact, when she wore her hair to the tutorial the next day with two tiny pony tails and the rest all wavy, it went over very well.  (whew… perhaps redeeming the 1 point score from the night before)

The next day for gymnastics, she told me that she wanted 2 little braids to come together into a pony tail.  This seemed much easier than the 5 braids I had attempted on Tuesday.  And it combined a little bit of style to the function of a pony tail.

IMG_2330

IMG_2337

 

 

 

 

 

 

Actually, I think the style helped with the function, as the braids helped keep those loose shorter hairs from flying out during class.  This was of course critical to my scoring at the end of class.

My score? 

100 points! 

(off the charts baby!)

{ 4 comments }

When talking to my oldest daughter about things to look forward to in 2012, I mentioned to her that the Summer Olympics were going to happen in 2012.

“Oh,” she exclaimed, “I’ll be 6, can I be in the Olympics?”

I told her that when she was 6 she can try out for the gymnastics team at her gym, but she has to be 16 to try out for the Olympics.

“Well,” she said, “I’ll have the 6, I just need the teen!”

I opted to leave it at that and omitted details about the selection committee, the Károlyi’s and the slew of other things that would stand in the way of her and London this summer.  No need to dash a young girls dreams!

Even though she isn’t on the Olympic team… or any team for that matter, I am super proud of the skills she’s accomplished this past year.   A year ago she couldn’t yet do a pullover… now she can do a pullover, cast, back hip circle and is working on her dismount.   A year ago I couldn’t have told you what any of those things meant… I guess we’ve both learned a lot this past year!  Here’s a clip we snapped of her at practice a few weeks ago.

Visit here for more tiny talk.

{ 8 comments }

IMG_1884My girls had their Mini Olympics Show yesterday afternoon and I gotta tell you, I was one proud Momma as I watched them perform.  

Their class did a floor routine (which was super cute to watch) and then each girl had a chance to perform on the bars, trampoline, and tumble track.  

IMG_1778

IMG_1875

IMG_1821

The event concluded with a trip to the medal stand for each girl and then the opportunity to pose for pictures afterwards.  In January, the girls were placed into the same class.  This was nice, not only b/c it allowed me to take fewer trips to the gym each week, but also b/c the girls really enjoyed being together in class.  This summer my older daughter will move up to a new class.  I hope though, that it isn’t the last time they share practice time. 

IMG_1985

They both worked so hard this year and learned so many new skills.  I love, LOVE watching them work hard in the gym as well as practice their skills in the living room floor, on what they have deemed the “gymnastics couch” and on the sidelines of their brothers baseball games.  I am very proud of my 2 little gymnasts!

{ 4 comments }

Mark your calendars now for the 2024 Olympics… our little gymnast has started training!  IMG_8550

I must say I have truly enjoyed watching her at her gymnastics class this year.  Since I can’t even do a forward roll, I am always so amazed as I watch her do back rolls or “flip overs” on the bars.  Neither Scott nor I did gymnastics growing up so it is not a sport we would have normally thought of but she is so short, strong and flexible (remember she still sleeps folded in half) that we just had to get her involved.  Add to that her fearlessness and toughness and I think you have all the attributes one looks for in a gymnast (and a whole lot of attributes her mom does not share).

IMG_8561_2 

IMG_8589

She’s had a ton of fun this year at gymnastics and it turns out our intuition was right.  This summer she was invited to the join the precompetition class for the next session.

Perhaps one day we’ll see her on another medal stand? IMG_8611

{ 5 comments }

IMG_9008

After spending many hours on the sidelines watching her big brother play soccer or baseball, today my middle child had a chance to shine in a sport of her own…

GYMNASTICS

IMG_2009

And my fearless and flexible tumbler, LOVED it, much like I anticipated she would. 

IMG_2004

She told me at the end of class, “Mommy, I’m a gymnast!”

Watch out Shawn Johnson, the 2020 Olympics could be all hers!

{ 12 comments }