Kids and Sports: Gymnastics

This one is my favorite. #lifewithapreschooler #jackjack #mohaus2016

A video posted by Cheree Moore (@mo_haus) on Jan 12, 2016 at 1:06pm PST

Sports. Every time we discuss athletics in reference to our kids, Daniel and I find ourselves sitting on the fence. 

On the one hand, we both had really great experiences growing up and playing various sports (even if we were never great). On the other hand, we are concerned about the level of competition and expectations for kids these days (even little kids). To be honest, we are turned off by the whole hullabaloo.

With that being said, we are slowing dipping our toes into the waters and getting a feel for what may, or may not, be in our future.

We don't plan to push our boys into sports if they don't like it, but we do want to give opportunities to try things. And there are pros to participating in sports like discipline, team work, and becoming stronger and more coordinated.

At the end of last year, Jack came home saying that he really wanted to do gymnastics. It was pretty much all he talked about. So, we signed him up for 8 weeks of classes with friends.

He had a great time participating in these classes, but I don't really see him doing gymnastics on a long-term basis.

While the little girls (for the most part) attempted to learn how to properly do cartwheels and rolls, Jack treated the floor exercises like a timed obstacle course. He didn't care about doing it right, he just wanted to do it as fast as possible.

 

Also, he wasn't crazy about the bars. Flipping over them is not his cup of tea. I am proud of him for trying everything even when it scared him (another benefit to athletics is getting out of your comfort zone!).

Overall I would say that gymnastics was a good experience. He has really good balance (he has been walking on narrow beams since he was two), but I don't think we will sign up again unless he shows more interest.

 

It is spring now and baseball season has come to our neck of the woods. So I signed Jack up for tee ball (I didn't want him to have to go straight to coach pitch next year without the opportunity to hit off a tee first).

 

Jack is super pumped about tee ball and can't wait to practice at the park across the street from our house.

T ball is more involved than gymnastics in that it is an evening commitment to practice every Monday night, as well as a Saturday commitment for games. For EIGHT weeks. This means no spring camping and our Saturdays will revolve around ball games. We don't love this, but we're trying to embrace this season of our life.

Also, when we signed up for T ball I was envisioning the movie The Sandlot. You know: a rag tag group of kids, old tennis shoes, sharing a bat and even a helmet.

That time Jack didn't feel good and refused to do an assisted cartwheel on the beam... afterward we went to the grocery store and he threw up in the checkout line.

Then we received the list of things each kid needed: glove, cleats, bat, helmet.

This was not exactly what we had in mind. We weren't dying to spend a ton of money on something he might not even like. But we had already paid our fees, so I checked our church's Mom Swap group on Facebook to see if we could get anything second hand.

I am so thankful that I did this because church friends with older kids hooked us up with gear they had outgrown, and I don't have to feel guilty about spending a bunch on new things. If Jack decides he likes it we might consider some new gear, but for now, we are sticking with second hand.

Here's to spring tee ball season and all that it might hold!

Little Trail Runner

We have gone hiking at Prentice Cooper State Forest a few times this year – Jack always requests to go to Mushroom Rock – and on these hikes we always cross paths with trails runners.

Jack is enamored by the idea of trail running and every time we go hiking he runs ahead of us, running at least a mile each time.
 

Daniel is excited about this development because trail running is one of his favorite activities. 

On our last hike I carried Isaac in the backpack carrier so that Jack and Daniel could run ahead.

Jack created a game where he would run out of sight of me and Isaac, then wait until he could see us again, and then run away from us as fast as he could. 

The only negative about the running is that the trail to Mushroom Rock is mostly downhill, so on the return trip Jack is already worn out and then we have to go up some big hills.

Thankfully he has been a trooper and finished the hikes/runs with a little prodding from us.

Jack will tell us that he is low on energy – specifically that his energy tank goes from his ankles to his head and that his energy is at his ankles. Such a funny kid! 

We use Transformers to our advantage and talk about needing to "power up and energize!" After a snack and water, he is typically ready to power up.

We are thrilled that Jack is embracing our hobbies and that Isaac seems to like being outside.

One last funny(ish) story... 
On a recent hike, we passed a teenager who was trail running without a shirt on. Jack was immediately questioned this practice. We told him that the runner was probably hot and took off his shirt, and that someday Jack might also choose to run without a shirt on.

At the time Jack was wearing a hat, so he took it off and handed it to me. I guess he wasn't ready to take his shirt off to run, but the removal of a hat seemed like a logical step.

Until our next adventure in the woods!

Chats with Jack ⎮ January-March, 2016

Jack continues to keep us on our toes with the funny things he says. These days he just seems like such a big kid (especially when compared to his little brother). Age 4.5 has it's hard days, but the good far outweighs the more difficult things.

Stuff Jack has been saying this year...

Why aren't there any kid sisters in our family?

Aunt Becky, Joseph needs a consequence for not obeying. 

Said while visiting with family at Christmas,

J: Maybe a booster pack that's a special kind of jet pack it has to be attached our bicycles so we can fly over the street.

D: Is that right, Jack?

This is how I always get down here... Have I been here before?

Me: You need to brush your teeth so they don't rot and fall out of your head. 

J: That's called cavities!

Where does he learn this stuff?!!

One of the moms of Jack's friend asked Jack if Santa came to see him. 

Jack: Santa's not real.

This was an interesting conversation because we didn't make a big deal about Santa but we didn't officially tell him he wasn't real.

Me: What did you learn about in bible class?

J: Getting water from a rock. 

Me: Who got water from a rock?

J: All of the four-year-olds and some of the three-year-olds. 

They actually got water from a rock as part of their wee worship on Sunday morning.

Stop talking to me, you're disturbing my creative process. 

Where does he come up with this stuff, "creative process!?!"

Mommy, you're a can of poodles.  

and You're a poodle head. 

Preschooler trash talk??

Me: Is it still raining or is the rain changing to something white?

J: That might be bird poop. 

Me: Anything else that's white and falls from the sky?

J: Like poodles. 

When building with blocks: This square one is the electrical panel for my building.  

He's been talking about electrical panels with Daniel.

I'm a good trail runner. 

It (the map) says there is mud ahead. 

Things he said while hiking.

Boogers don't taste very good, right?

Umm, no they don't.

It was the next day before tomorrow. 

Fever is how you say "sick" in Spanish. 

Do you know how fast my excited shoes make me go?

We bought him new shoes and he is always talking about his "excited shoes."

Me: What does daddy do?

J: He makes money by working at work. 

Me: What does mommy do?

J: You work on the computer.

I'm ready for my next lunch (otherwise known as a snack).

Isaac keeps ruining this. And it's very special to me. 

Isaac is not a very good baby. 

Jack has been experiencing some frustration about little brother being mobile.

If we correct how Jack says something, he will say, "That's how we say it in Spanish."

Aunt Becky: Who cut your hair?

J: My haircut place. 

The telephone rang at my parents house...

J: Is that a telephone? I've never seen a real one before!

Jack was speaking gibberish. 

Me: Are you speaking Jack-i-nese?

J: No, it's French!

You're on the naughty list because you yell at kids.

I guess I better yell less to get on the good list!

 

Until next time!