Gymnastics

Julie LOVES gymnastics. We take a class at the park district once a week and it is amazing. It is one of the only classes that actually works for Julie. There are several reasons for this. One - she is a very active, physical little girl who needs to move. Two - she can function in the class solely by imitation and intuition. So much of what happens in other classes goes right over her head because there is so much talking/listening involved. Not here! In fact, gymnastics class is the first place we've been where someone made a comment about Julie being advanced! It took me totally by surprise, actually. Usually I have to explain to people that yes, she's almost 3, but no, she won't be able to respond to all the questions you are asking her, etc etc. We had our first evaluation at the local preschool (special ed services) - for physical therapy. Although Julie will probably qualify due to low muscle tone and delays, the therapist was impressed by how far she has come. She has only been walking for 13 months yet her jumping skills are on par for a 3 year old. Most kids start walking much earlier and take longer to arrive at the same spot. With a little more therapy and time, Julie's gross motor skills should be just fine. Anyway, I digress. Here are some pictures of our little gymnast doing flips over a beach ball at home.




(check out that smile!)

In this last picture, Julie is preparing to do a somersault over the ball all on her own.


Her newest favorite thing is to do backward somersaults (on the floor), but she needs a little help to get up and over. I also can't believe how long-legged she is getting. At last measurement, she was nearly 36 inches tall! Slow down time!