Just The Mays Family: PAT August Group Meeting

Today we had a Parents As Teachers group meeting at the Little Gym. I had to wake Samantha up to take her into the meeting, so I was ready for her to be in a bad mood. Sometimes I dread group things because Sam freaks out around a lot of people. And I know you guys know by now that it takes her awhile to warm up. But NOT TODAY! Samantha saw the gym and she ran right in-once they told her she could anyway. And she went straight to the mats and turned flips and ran around and danced. Then she got a little braver and climbed on some bars. And it wasn't long before she was asking the teachers to show her how to do a cartwheel-so she showed me how to begin teaching her. And then she was doing walking the balance beam by herself. And she did some flips on the high bars. The teacher said she was pretty impressed with how strong Samantha was. I asked her to honestly tell me if she thought she was strong or not, and not just patronizing her, because I needed to know. She said she really was, compared to the kids she had worked with. I was so happy I almost cried because the doctor told us since she had Hypotonia she would not develop muscled tone at a normal rate until she was at least 7 or 8, and it seems to me she has! She really is strong. She did a pull up on the bars! She did, however, notice that Samantha's feet point outward, which the braces did not correct like they were supposed to. She said that can work to her advantage though if she continues with dance. They also did several activities with the kids. Samantha participated, with me, but she didn't HAVE to have me. And she was the first one to answer all the questions that they asked. She was just very out going and lively today! She was so into gymnastics!
Here is my dilemma though...I asked her, after the gym class, if she wanted to be in gymnastics or dance. She said dance, but she sounded kind of sad. So I asked her what she liked about dance. Her exact words were, "Um. I don't know. I guess I like dancing. And I like to tie my ballet shoes...And I like tondue and posse." (Dance Positions) And then I asked her what she liked about gymnastics. She stared jumping up and down, talking so fast about all the things she enjoyed that I couldn't understand a lot of it. The only thing I can think is that she wants to stay in her comfort zone, what she knows. And that is dance. I asked them about classes and she said that they offer a class that involves gymnastics and dance and they intertwine. It is an hour long. They have a recital every spring, just like she does at GBA, but she would get to do gym too. However, because classes are an hour long, the monthly fee is $71.00, whereas at GBA is only $30.00. We would really struggle paying the extra $41.00, on top of all the bills we just added with the house. It adds up. He is getting a promotion and a raise up to $13.00 an hour starting in November, plus overtime, and he can go out of town once get this promotion, and they make pretty decent money when they go out of town, which of course is only like a week or two out of the year, but anyway, I don't want to count on it yet.
So, we are going to Tammie's-her teacher's-daughter's birthday party on the 1st, at the same gymnastics studio. Jessie said he wants to go and see how she does, because if she does as well as I told him she did today, he said he will do what it takes to get her in classes there. So we will see. And as for dance at Gingerbrown, she is supposed to try it again for the first time since last semester when we took her out, on the 21st, but I don't think she is going to do too well because even though she will be in the same room she was before, she won't have the same teacher, and I just don't see her being comfortable, based on her personality. (She told me when I signed her up, if she wasn't going to be in Room 1 like she was last time, she didn't want to do it. Slight change just bothers her. Which is odd since moving and such doesn't...) I told her she has one chance to do well, because I don't want to pay the registration fee and monthly fee and costumes and all, like I did last time, and her drop out.
Here are some pics and videos: Nevermind...video probably won't work, but I will give it a shot.

Side Note: She decided the other day she was ready to sleep in her bed. I am sure I mentioned that. So we got her mattress yesterday and I set her bed up last night. Jessie went to bed early so I thought it was the perfect chance to see if she wanted to try her new bed. So we did. We read books, played, talked about her day, and said her prayers. And finally I gave her a small toy and some books and turned on her lantern that the lady left her, and said I was going to my room. For a second she changed her mind and I reassured her she was fine. I would leave both our doors open so she could get to us if she needed us. And it didn't take 2 minutes before she fell asleep, in her own bed, by herself. I wasn't even laying with her. She came in our bed at 4:30 this morning, but that is okay because I missed her. lol. I guess she really is ready to sleep by herself. I hate it, but I know that it is going to be nice to have time at night with Jessie, just us. And I know she will probably still sleep with us on weekends and crawl in our bed early in the morning, so I am okay with it. Okay, side note over.