A new chapter....

Remember when I asked for good thoughts last week??? Well here's why....

Katherine is currently taking gymnastics at two different places -- Urbandale and Chows. At Urbandale she's in a class called Superbunnies, which is the start of their competitive program. She's really growing as a gymnast -- getting stronger, improving her form, learning routines, you know.... actually practicing gymnastics. However, this past summer two of her coaches quit and as a result, we believed that the program was in jeopardy. So I immediately called Chow's and enrolled her in the only class they'd take her for -- a recreational kindergarten class.

** As a side note, I asked if they'd evaluate her to see if she'd be eligible for their competitive program. It was a resounding NO. I was told that they didn't work that way and she had to start in the recreational program. So fine. I signed her up for the kindergarten class with the hope that she wouldn't have to stay in the class for that long. Oh, and I paid for a trimester which ends on 11/14.

Things at Urbandale worked out -- the coaches came back, the program is thriving, Katherine loves it. It's perfect. Oh, and the kindergarten class at Chow's is super elementary and Katherine is bored. Really bored.

Now -- the events of the last two weeks....

I found out that Chow's would be evaluating the rec girls (Katherine's class) in the next couple of weeks to determine if they were in the right class or if they were eligible to move up into a different class. Since it's impossible for me to talk with Katherine's teacher before or after class, I decided to call the gym. In a nutshell I wasn't given a good answer -- they had to talk to her teacher who wasn't in for a few days, and then the following week she had a substitute, so any questions I had couldn't be answered at that time. So I spent the past two weeks waiting for them to call. Today, I decided I was tired of waiting, and called again.

The girl I talked to told me that she had been meaning to call me and that yes, Katherine could be moved up to another class. They suggested that she be moved up to Beginner girls 1, but all the classes were full, so she'd be put on a "wait list". Not cool. Really not cool. Katherine is bored out of her mind in the rec class she's currently in, and paying $60/month for her to crawl through nylon tunnels isn't a good use of time or money. She didn't know when a spot would open, but would keep us in mind. Since I wasn't happy with the fact that Katherine could end up in the same rec class all year long, I decided to feel her out about any other options we might have. She told me that she'd do some checking and would call me back before she left for the day.

45 minutes later she called. Li (Chow's wife) wanted to see Katherine tonight and wondered if 7 would work for us. UUUUUMMMMMM, yea!

When we got there, Li was working the front desk, so I went up to introduce myself. I told her my name, and she instantly said, "Oh, yes! Katherine's mom. I hear she's very talented". A few minutes later she took Katherine into the gym while Matt and I watched from outside.

Literally, Katherine was in there for about 7 or 8 minutes. Li had her do the splits, a bridge to kick over, cartwheels, backward roll, handstands, walk on the beam on her tiptoes, a pullover on the bars, pull-ups on the bar, as many leg lifts as she could on the bar and then asked Katherine what the hardest skill she could do on the beam was. Katherine told her a somersault so she lifted her up on the high beam and let her have at it. Li gave Katherine several high 5's and when they emerged from the gym, they were both beaming. Li told me that Katherine would be a great fit for their talented and gifted (TAG) team and that she was super strong and flexible. I get the feeling that Li really didn't care what she could do skill wise ... she was more concerned that she was strong and flexible and that if she was, everything else would fall into place. She also made a point of telling me that this class was by invitation only, and that Katherine was exactly what they were looking for. Wow... Just wow. Katherine is elated. Literally she's on cloud nine, and hasn't stopped smiling yet. She told me that this is her dream..... I know I've said this before, but honestly, there is nothing in life more rewarding as a parent than finding your child's passion in life and allowing them to chase that dream. I don't know too many kids her age that have truly found what they love at 5 years old, but she has, and that is such a blessing. So as long as she wants to chase her dream, we'll support her -- physically, emotionally, and financially.

So... that leaves Urbandale. I have so many mixed feelings about it. Urbandale is where Katherine fell in love with gymnastics, it's where she's met so many wonderful people, had great coaches and made wonderful friends. It's where her confidence grew and her gymnastics skills improved. So if we decide to leave it's definitely bittersweet. In many ways, it's like breaking up, and I'm so not good at that....