Just Like My Heart

Last year...actually exactly one year ago...I decided to sign Lexi up for a dance class at the YMCA. She loved the idea of ballerinas and seemed interested in the idea. So, I signed her up, bought her a new "lilytard", shiny black tap shoes, and darling little ballet slippers. We were the first ones there on the first day of class, and we both sat waiting for the rest of the class to arrive. One by one little princesses arrived with lovely pink leotards, tutus, fancy bows in their hair and excitedly ran into the studio. Lexi immediately clung to my leg and refused to let me leave her. The teacher allowed me to go into the class with her, but once inside she still refused to take even one step away from me, and buried her head in my chest. I sat with her in the corner while we watched the other children dance around in a circle to some of her favorite songs...she still wouldn't budge. Then each child was given a beautiful scarf to dance with...Lexi would still not get up. I wanted her to get up and dance so badly. I knew that if she would just do it then she would realize how much fun it could be. I continued to try to coax her into the fun until the teacher instructed the children to sit in a line along the mirror. One by one she had each child stand up and skip in a circle around the studio. At that moment I sat quietly, with Lexi on my lap, and held back tears because I knew that she could not skip...and what was worse...I knew that SHE knew that she could not skip, and that would be the end of any chance that she would participate in that class.
That day broke my heart. I have tried for years to not let Lexi's "gross motor delays" (or whatever PC term you want to use) get in the way of her doing whatever she wants - or whatever her friends are doing. I always encourage her to try things, even when I know she is not YET able to do them. But even after she went on to very happily join another dance class and have a blast there, that moment of that day continued to stick with me. Since then whenever the topic of skipping would come up she would end it immediately with "I can't skip." and refuse to try. I knew her teachers were working on it in school, so I tried not to bring it up at home.
Then, last week we were joyfully heading to swimming lessons (which is a whole other blog post entirely!!), and I looked down and noticed that my daughter was skipping. SKIPPING!!! Like...really well! I said, "Lexi! Are you skipping??" She replied proudly, "Yes." I said, "Who taught you that??" She said, "Josephine. She was skipping in the gym and I just watched her and then did what she did." I was so excited that I almost joined her in the skipping...right back into the building that we had both left one year earlier feeling so deflated. She was SO proud of herself, and I am SO proud of her. It was a tough skill for her to master, but she took her time, figured it out, and now she can just do it...like she's always been able to.
That's just how it is with kids I guess. It happens all the time. They can't do something...some skill that you think, "They are NEVER going to get this" and then one day, they're just doing it like it's nothing. But it just never ceases to amaze me. When I see my kids learn a new skill, especially one that they have worked so hard to master, and struggled with for so long it makes my heart sing...or skip.