Gymnastics Pictures, Finally!

So, after six weeks of gymnastics I finally took some pictures!  I would have taken more - but I was asked not to.  Can you believe that?  I like the owner/instructor, but he is pretty darn strict.  I get that he has to be - for safety reasons and all, but c'mon!  The problem I have with being strict in certain ways is that it doesn't lend to flexibility at all.  And my life is all about rolling with the punches and is as opposite of strict as can be.  Each day is a battle of flexibility and problem solving and more learning.  I do not have the luxury of a strict routine, strict schedule, strict anything!

I know he doesn't like that we are never early.  Okay, okay... just a few minutes late on occasion.  Okay, okay... all the time.  Geez.  But, seriously - getting there before 9:15am is almost impossible.  And trust me when I say it is not for the lack of trying!!!  You should be a fly on the wall in my house in the morning.  Hey, my new response is "they don't call them special needs for nothing!"  hehe

Plus, let's get real.  These are three and four year olds.  In a recreational gymnastics class - for FUN.  They were stretching and I took these two photos (Harlie's in the dark pink)...

and he came over and asked me to stop because "this is a classroom style instruction and their focus is supposed to be on the teacher and you are distracting them from the teacher."  Now I ask you... do they look distracted?  Not one of them had a clue that I was taking pictures.

And I'll be honest... it took all my strength to smile "sweetly" and calmly leave the room.  When inside my mind was screaming, "have your kid almost die several times and have someone tell you that you can't take their picture when they are doing something you never thought they'd be able to do!"  But, I can't say that.  There is NO possible way he can look at it from my perspective.  Nor would I ever expect him to.  And I'm not going to play "that" card.  Unless I absolutely need to.

And I get that he has rules that must be followed.  And if one mom sees me taking pictures when she's been asked not to before, yeah, yeah, I get it.  But when I went back to where the parents watch through the glass, one of the moms said that he let her take a bunch of pictures the last week.  Later, when Brandy was in the room suctioning or something, he told her I could come back and take pictures now that they were on the equipment.  I'm kinda thinking that's a worse place to distract them (like when they're walking on a balance beam vs. stretching), but whatever.  I am nothing if not flexible.  And I can roll with the punches like no other.  So, here are some more pictures (and I am oh so grateful to have them!)...

Seriously, could they be any cuter???

Go, Harlie go!

Love, love, LOVE that Harlie's arms are up and she's enthusiastic!!!

That adorable outfit is courtesy of my friend, Lindsay.  She gave it to Harlie for her birthday.  So cute!  Thank you, Lindsay!

Harlie loves gymnastics.  The instructor says that she's not afraid of anything and wants to be so independent.  She asks for very little assistance, which is great.  She has wanted to jump with both feet leaving the ground at the same time for a while now.  She has practiced almost every day (since even before gymnastics started).  And last week she finally did it!  Now it seems she practices even more!

I signed her and Murphy up for another six week session.  I am anxious to see how things go with more time and experience in the gym.

Okay, that's it for tonight.  I'll have more pictures for you tomorrow.
Thanks!
~Christy