Gymnastics

In addition to Baby Lucy Ally's obsession right now is gymnastics. Her summer program is in full swing - she has had classes twice a week for 3 weeks now. After the first class they asked her to stay longer and practice some more with the older girls! So she is there for 2 hours. Its amazing to watch what she can do and how the coaches teach and help her.

The first week she was really scared to do a flip on the bar. One of the coaches set up a bar very low off the ground and worked with Ally on it one on one. Ally still refused to do the flip, so her coach April made a deal with her that Ally would do it the next week. They shook hands on it and everything. When we left after practice Ally and I talked about the agreement and she told me "I think maybe I am going to forget that I agreed to do the flip next week". I was so floored by her avoidance strategy and so curious to see how the coaches would handle it.

At the next class after some discussion and conversation Ally did the flip on the little bar and then the coach told her if she did the flip on the big bar the whole class could have a freeze pop after practice. She did it! And everyone had a freeze pop.
This week at practice she was working very hard at the flips and did not seem afraid at all!

The transformation in Ally while she does gymnastics and after practice is amazing to witness. She loves it.

She thrives on it.

It gives her so much confidence to work hard at tricks and get better at them. She does things over and over and over and over and never seems to get tired of it. She wants to get better and master the skill so she repeats it and keeps trying and so far at least is not ever discouraged by her performance and skill level. She is inspired by the older more experienced girls.

The only negative thing is that class runs from 4-6PM, and by the time we get home its 630 and Ally is WIRED she is so wound up from the post practice glow its usually after 9PM before she goes to sleep.

I wish I could get good pictures of her at practice but the gym is on the other side of a plexiglass window so its very difficult to get a picture, and no one else takes picture so it would be a little conspicuous. Becky took these with her phone while I was in Ireland and emailed them to me so I could see.

On the little practice bar getting a feel for it.

Mid back flip on the practice bar



Practicing casting off on the low bar.


getting ready for her back flip on the regulation bar



Sweaty happy girl with her freeze pop in the car after practice!