Today, as I type, Miss Mai is going off to the Big Gym for the first time and I want to throw up. We’ve been talking about it for a few days now…you know…”You are going to go to Gym ALL BY YOURSELF, but with Coach Carla, but WITHOUT Daddy or Mommy except we’ll be there watching!”. If you think she gets any of this you would be mistaken. I really thought we’d have until the fall to wait for the Big Gym classes but her coach is not doing a baby class this summer so our options were to switch coaches or move up. And since she’s extremely attached to her coach and also since she’s been recommended for the move for five months I could put it off no longer.

I just don’t think she’ll do well. In terms of her skills and abilities she won’t be doing anything new and she has a good handle on all the skills. That isn’t the problem. The problem is that she is used to the one-on-one interaction, guidance and assistance that her class with Daddy offered and I just am not sure she is capable of sitting on the side, watching her instructor and then waiting her turn to preform the same skill when called. That seems so…well…big.

And also I’ve watched the Big Gym classes and those kids are BIG! Yes yes I know her class is limited to 2.5-3 year olds but Addison won’t be 2.5 until fall. So those kids ARE big. And they are more vocal and more worldly and more BIG. I am afraid my girl will latch on to Coach Carla and never let go! Or worse, she will march on out of the gym and refuse to go back.

I am just not good at this little-to-big transition business. I’m so not good that the transition INTO Gym in the first place was rough (for me). I thought she was too little, I wanted to pull her, I wanted to quit. Instead I just let Tony take her in my place. He enjoyed it, he didn’t think she was too little at all. They loved it, together while I fretted at home about pushing my baby too far, too fast. Here we are again, deja vu. Of course I’m at home while Tony, all laid back, is taking her to Big Gym. I sent him with the camera and her with a kiss.

Here we were last fall when she first started gymnastics:

Look how itty-bitty! She doesn’t even fit into that leotard anymore! I know she’s big but still sooo small.

**update**
She I survived! She did really good, had no issues with the separation, listening, following directions, etc. She is VERY proud of herself and had a very good time. Sigh. I guess she really IS that big.

Here’s a pic from today on her way out the door:

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 at 5:15 pm and is filed under Milestones, Photos & Videos. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.