Perpetual Motion

Another fun activity we are doing this winter is gymnastics. We signed up to take lessons with our friends, the Letts', who we also took our first swimming lessons with. We are going to Perpetual Motion. Sadly, we have missed two lessons already due to a raging sinus infection my Little Chief has been fighting, but we were back into the swing of it today and he had loads of fun with his buddies!

The boys were horsing around outside the gym. I took about a dozen photos of these goofs. The poses remind me of a preschooler rap crew album cover LOL : )

This springy runway is so cool! The kids bounced down the lane, hopping up on foam mats and finishing it by jumping in to a huge pile of foam blocks. I wish I could do it!

The instructors do a nice job of challenging the kids. I hope Owen learns some body confidence from these lessons and becomes less afraid of new physical adventures- like climbing a ladder and swinging from a bar!

He flipped over the bar with some help from his teacher! I was so proud of him for trying it!

This is a great way to burn a little of that winter energy. I think we will try this activity again. It's good exercise and good fun!

Little Chief of the Water

This year we decided to take the plunge and sign up for swimming at Foss. Owen has a few friends who have been taking lessons there with stellar results, so we decided to give it a try.

We have all been so happy with the lessons and the progress so far. I am sure it was a combination of age, positive peer pressure, and the lessons, but our kid is swimming! I mean, face in the water, learning the freestyle-diving-to-the-bottom-flipping-to-float swimming!

This is our second 4 week session. We go twice a week for 8 lessons. He is so happy to go!

Troy and I still can't figure out how they get the kids to pay attention and learn. It seems like chaos in there. It's a relatively small pool set up into lanes and each lane is divided in half with lessons going on on each side. There are at least 6 classes going on at the same time and the move them quick. One class jumps out another jumps in. But, however they do it, the results are there. Those Foss folks sure figured it out.

I really like to swim and I hope that Owen will find the joy in it as well. We spend a lot of time in the water during our brief summer months so swimming lessons are more than just fun- they are for safety as well.

I'm not ready to let him swim on his own yet- he doesn't know how to take the breath and tread water, but I don't think it's too far away. This summer I will stay close to him in the water, but I have a feeling by next year I will be able to sit on the water's edge watching my little fish swim!

Such a boy!

I'm not quite sure when it happened, but sometime within this past year my darling toddler turned into a rambunctious little boy. He loves nothing more than to run, jump, leap, and climb. We now spend at least a few minutes everyday taking all of the pillows and cushions off of the couch and creating elaborate agility courses. We run down the hall, jump over blankets, kick the football, weave through the kitchen, walk the couch frame, jump to the lounger, and finally leap into the pile of pillows. and then we do it again. And again. Well, he does it again and again. I participate some, mostly keeping a phone handy to call 911 (Heaven forbid!).

When the lure of diving into pillows wears out, he then turns to the ever popular "build a fort." He gets upset if it's not just right or the cushions fall. Who knows? Maybe I'm looking at a future architect.

Actions shot

Boy's got some good air onthis one!

The pure joy is so apparent on his face. How can I say no?