learning...before my very eyes

so last night, as i do every monday evening, before i went home from work, I went to the CirKids arena to pick up J. At first when she signed up for Cirkids, I was seeing her participation there as an additional opportunity for me to have some time to myself, maybe attempt to go swimming or work out at some gym or something. Instead, I've found myself coming in late to work on Mondays so I can volunteer at her school library, then stopping at the grocery store on the way home and then heading over to the arena. The fact is, I love watching her, and the other kids too, at CirKids.

first of all I find it fascinating, watching all these kids, ranging in age from about 7 to about 15, using their bodies in fun and creative ways. The atmosphere is not coercive...in fact I was worried that she wasn't actually getting enough guidance at first. But she really enjoys herself. All the kids do, that's really obvious.

there are several stations:

Movement (or Motions, as J calls it) is everything from basic ballet moves to choreographed dance routines. It's obvious to me, the adult observer, that these movements are done for basic muscle strength, control, and balance. J finds it very difficult. The older kids are working on a Thriller routine which is a total gas to watch.

Unicycle: pretty straightforward. I was worried about this on J's behalf, since she's not much of a cyclist. I don't think this is a physical difficulty though, since she has reported improvement in uni. She has felt coerced into cycling, and she really doesn't enjoy it. I wondered whether proficiency on a bicycle would correlate to proficiency in uni, but it doesn't seem to. She likes unicycle.

Juggling: also a difficult skill. I never learned it, though I never had any concentrated training either. I think it's one of those things that she'll eventually get if she works at it.

Tightwire: this is one of those skills that fascinates me. I think it's all about centre of gravity, and focus. Oh, and balance of course :) She seems to enjoy it, and my heart swells with pride when she lets go of the coach's hand for a few seconds, then kneels down and swings herself off the wire to the mat.

Trapeze: since J's favourite activity on the playground is hanging and swinging from the bars, I knew this would be one of her favourite stations in CirKids. And she really is like a little monkey, sure of hands and feet, her fingers and toes curling comfortably around the bar. Her face and voice are filled with joy when she's working out trapeze routines.

Tumbling: flipping, somersaulting, cartwheels, all that fun stuff. J is very confident in her physical abilities so it's a lot of fun to watch her...although I've never managed to see her at this station. She always seems to hit it before I get there.

Trampoline: what inspired this post was watching her on tramp last night. I was feeling a little anxious because she didn't seem too comfortable on the trampoline. Oh yes, she will bounce and bounce and bounce away happily, but as for doing even simple tricks, she didn't seem to really have it. Until last night, she achieved a "swivel hip," which is a seat bounce-turn around-seat bounce, without putting the feet down in between. She had a lot of trouble with it, but then there, right in front of my eyes, she did it successfully for the first time. The sight made laughter bubble to my lips. She looked over at me and gave me a thumbs-up, the most ecstatic expression on her face. It was one of those moments of pure parental joy.

I think this is one of the most worthwhile activities I could have possibly found for her.