Socialization. . .

A few weeks ago I signed our family up for a holiday special at the Homecourt YMCA that is just a few blocks away from our house. Basically, it's a free 6 week membership and if you or a family member workout at least twice a week during the 6 weeks, they will waive the registration fee if you decide to sign up. We've been meaning to sign up for the last year, so it was kind of a no-brainer.

Gloria and I have really been the only ones to take advantage of this great deal. It's been a fun, bonding experience for us. Not that we hang out together or anything. I run on the treadmill and she walks around and meets everyone. I'm not sure exactly what she does but she's usually good and sweaty by the time we leave.

She made friends with a girl about her age last week whose father teaches a class on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. It's geared towards kids ages 10-18 and teaches all kinds of skills while offering a pretty good workout. Tonight, as I was finishing up on the treadmill, I could hear shouts coming from across the gym that sounded something like, "Go, Gloria!!" I had no idea what to expect but I had my camera phone ready. . .

Gloria and her new friend were wrestling on the mat while the rest of the class stood by and cheered them on. It was kind of a strange sight but the coach was closely supervising and handing out words of encouragement as they wrestled. I could tell Gloria was having a good time so I just sat back and watched. She had a real sense of accomplisment afterwards and I think it was a positive experience for her. It was also probably her first experience with a competitive sport. She still surprises me sometimes with her confidence and people skills. Kind of strange for someone who's been homeschooled all her life. . . :)