For the Journey


Any day spent with you is my favorite day. So today is my new favorite day. ~A.A. Milne

"You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance." ~Psalm 65:11
It's no secret around here that Ellie begged to trade in her dancing shoes for a beam and uneven bars.  It was exactly a year ago that she began asking to take gymnastics instead of dance.  I didn't pay much attention at first until it became a daily obsession and conversation.  So I told her she had to finish dance and dance in the recital and then we would talk about it.  She insisted this summer that her mind was made up.  So here we are.
I know absolutely nothing about gymnastics, and I knew absolutely nothing about where to even start.  I talked to a few friends, and everyone had a different opinion regarding where we should go.  There a big difference between gymnastics and cheer-mastics so that began narrowing it down a bit.  The beam and bars were a must for this one.  I finally decided we would start "small" just to truly gauge her interest.  I mean, she's five years old.  She's a rather determined five year old though and for the most part means serious business.
So we started out at The Little Gym in August.  Now look.  I didn't immediately tell her the name of the place.  There was a reason for that.  I just told her we were going to gymnastics.  So after her first class, Mason and Hannah Kate were all hot-to-trot to see the pictures I took.  And, of course, Mason would be the one to spoil it all.  And, let me tell you, he knew exactly what he was doing!  Ellie was not thrilled when he informed her that she was going to The LITTLE gym.

When we walked into the gym the following week, Ellie took one look through the window at the equipment and then turned around, looked at me and said, "Well, you do know that I'm going to need a BIGGER gym when I do gymnastics at LSU."  She has aspirations and big dreams apparently!

But let's just say she loves The Little Gym.  I actually get to watch her entire class because there is only a huge wall of glass separating the floor from the lobby area.  This has been quite a difference experience for me because I've never been able to watch the girls' dance classes.  But now I'm able to watch this.  These pictures aren't great because I took all of them through the glass, but you get the idea.

These were from her very first day in class.  I think she did well on the beam.  She seems to have pretty good balance already for such a little girl.
I took this video a couple of classes later.  That little leg is killing me.  I'm afraid she's been watching too much LSU gymnastics.
Her favorite is the bars.  She couldn't wait!  This was the last thing she did on her first day.  (I mean, I don't even know what my favorite part about this picture is . . . that tongue or her little friend laid out on the mat behind her!)
Her face right here says it all!
And here's a video of her on the bars that first day:
Over the past three months, she has continued to work on the beam.
She's been trying to get a little too fancy though.  Sometimes it's hard sitting behind that glass wall because I want to get up, march onto the floor and remind her that she needs to obey her teacher's instruction.  On this particular day, she clearly was not.  One of the other teachers was watching her from the lobby and said, "Well, that's not what she's supposed to be doing, but it's actually harder than what she's supposed to be doing, and she's doing pretty good."  Have I mentioned lately that I have my hands full?!
Here's exhibit B.  I can't hear the conversation, but I know Miss Madison is instructing Ellie on the proper technique for a hand stand.  That's something else she's been working on.  She usually goes over backwards so she's working on sticking it.  I have no idea what Ellie said to Miss Madison here, but I can only imagine!
And she's also recently been working on flipping over the bars, which she loves.

I'm not sure where all this is going to take us, and I honestly can't even think about that right now.  I just know this little gymnastics girl has her sights set high!