My Little Gymnast

I don't know where the idea to enroll Ella in gymnastics came from exactly. Maybe it was the fact that she is super freakishly flexible and has loved to hang upside down like a possum ever since she was a baby. Or maybe it was because my favorite blog writer's daughter (who has Down Syndrome) was in gymnastics last year and gave me hope that Ella could do something 'typical' too. Possibly it was because one of my friends has her daughters enrolled in classes and told me how much they loved it. Maybe it was because I wanted to provide her with any available 'therapy' to help her gain more strength and balance. Or maybe I wanted to prepare her for school a little, by giving her the opportunity to be around other adults and kids and listen to instructions from someone other than me. Orrrr perhaps it was really the underlying issue that once upon a time there was a little girl who wanted desperately as a child to be a gymnast and despite many pleas and arguments, alas she never got the opportunity to take classes (no hard feelings mom.. well, at least not many) so now she is trying to live vicariously through her young (only) daughter by enrolling her in a gymnastics tumbling class at 3 years old?? 

Ehhhh.. whatever the reason is, here we are.

Last week Ella started her very first gymnastics class.. and I gotta be honest, I was a little nervous about how everything would go.

The week before classes started I made sure to get in contact with the teacher and explain to her how Ella rarely leaves my side and probably won't go out on the mats without me.

I told her how she doesn't let strangers touch her and can get very anxious in new situations.

I warned her that she might not understand everything she's supposed to do.

And probably won't follow instructions very well. 

Oh.

My former friend gently suggested to the teacher afterwards that maybe Ella wasn't the one with the problem letting go... 

Needless to say she LOVED her first class. 

When Ella was first diagnosed with CdLS, every hope I had for her future was crushed. 

Every dream I had died.

I couldn't possibly imagine what her life would be like. 

I couldn't possibly have imagined this.