Day With Dalen!

Last week I saw a status on Facebook about the Gymnastics Center of Chattanooga. I decided to take full advantage of their open gym (which occurs every Friday from 10-12 for preschool aged children). After paying $5 and spending about 5 minutes in the gym I knew it would be worth every single dime...and it TOTALLY was!

A few things Dalen got to do was walk on a balance beam, jump on trampolines, jump into foam pits, and run absolutely wild. I know I am going to sound like a complete and total dork but I have to share this...there was one jump into a foam pit that was really high up and Dalen had to climb a ladder to be able to jump off. I helped him up the ladder walked him to the edge and said, "Ok, one, two, three...JUMP! Uh, JUMP!" I could literally feel Dalen shaking all over. He was bent over laughing holding his stomach with his hand and his left was holding mine. He was adorably nervous but so excited all the same. I got really serious with him and said, "Dalen you have to jump! You can do it!" He looked at me, wide eyed and said, "I tan't (can't)." I told him I would hold his hand his first time but after the first time he would realize he could do it on his own. Finally, he went flying through the air and landed in the foam pit laughing so hysterically his face was red. It is a moment I will surely never forget.

I looked down from the side laughing and said, "Buddy, you did it!" He stopped laughing immediately and looked back to the jump and said, "Oh wow, Mom! I did!" He said from the beginning he couldn't do it and after he did it was almost like he was so convinced he couldn't that he still couldn't believe that he did it. The next time I made him do it alone. Some people probably think that's a little harsh for a little guy but it's amazing what happens when you push your kids a little bit, strictly for the fact that you know they can do something. Every time I watched him jump I could just see him believing more and more in himself. He would climb up the ladder with more and more confidence, step to the edge, bend over laughing and confidently leap into the pit below. This is a place we will definitely visit more and more.