Special Connection Homeschool

Gess tried  dancing when she was 7 years old. She liked the dancing but the recital at the end was a bit too much for her.  That summer we tried gymnastics. At the end of summer I gave her a choice. Did she want to keep going to gymnastics or go back to dance? She was for gymnastics all the way and has loved it ever since! That was 5 years ago. I am saddened to say that our gym is closing down. We were so tremendously blessed to have had it as long as we did. Her coach is an amazing athlete that you probably continue to hear about in the future. I have a feeling he is moving on to coach on a more competitive level. At one time he held the record for the mini-trampoline for Team USA. He is sure impressive. While Gess didn't excel at gymnastics, she certainly enjoyed it! Here she is with her coach, Casey Finley. You might have seen him on TV last year as one of the American Ninja Warrior contestants, or on NBC doing flips on a trampoline while wearing skis before the Sochi ...

We had another Special Olympic competition and Gess did much better this time around.  While the races were still full, except for the last one, and the girls pretty much evenly matched, Gess managed to medal in each event! Her first event was the 50 meter dash.  She was so excited to win the silver that she got up on the podium before anyone else! Next was the softball throw.  She got the silver for this event as well. She was anxious to get a gold and her dream came true as she came in first for the standing long jump. I thought getting the gold would make her relax but my Gess has a huge competitive streak.  Even so, she really shocked me during the 100 meter dash when she just laid down on the track and quit because she noticed she was coming in last!  For this event there were only 3 girls remaining.  It was late and the day and some of the entries had left for home.  I had my camera all ready to start taking pictures an...

We had our first of two Special Olympic events this year.  While Gess qualifies for state, due to scheduling conflicts we probably won't go.  Here are pics from April 16, 2014. Waiting for the events to begin. Gess ran in the 50m Dash and the 100m Dash.  Look at her determination to run hard.  She took 4th place in the 50m and 6th out of 7 in the 100m. Here she was taking a break after a hard run. In the ball throw Gess took 6th place as well.  This was her first year throwing a soft ball.  She used to throw the tennis ball.  I am sure her arm will strengthen. Her best event was the standing long jump where she took the silver. Here she is adorning all her awards for the day. It was very windy which made it awfully chilly.  We took cover under our hoods to warm up. Here is her smile as she boarded the bus for the ride home.  I think she had a great day.

Gess has had trouble riding a traditional bicycle.  She just doesn't seem to have the core strength or coordination to pedal, steer, and keep the bike steady.  Training wheels helped some but she really tried to lean on them too much, especially when she got tired.  My husband was attempting to make a recumbent bike for her but it was a tedious task with the materials he had access to and our budget simply didn't allow for us to buy one. Then God surprised us with the neatest hand-me down gift ever!  Some dear friends at church blessed us with this large tricycle. The seat was a little worn but her daddy crafted her a new one and it was good to go.  Now she can pedal and steer without trying to also balance her body!  She will still have to work on her stamina as she tires after a short ride, but she can ride!  I am so happy!  Thank you Lord and thank you friends for giving us this new toy!

I have mentioned Gess' famous gymnastics coach before.  Well Casey has been in the spotlight again.  He was a first timer on the American Ninja Warrior show and made it to stage 3!  He also had the fastest time in stage 2.  He is really incredible!  He is also amazing with the kids.  Gess absolutely loves going to Casey's gym.  He is completely involved with each student and does an amazing job teaching them.  His patience is remarkable and he has certainly helped Gess through some great struggles and fears.  She looks forward to each and every class and now has a dream of being an American Ninja Warrior when she grows up too. Here is a glimpse of the gym Gess gets to go to but more importantly you will see Casey's son who has apparently inherited that jumping gene that Casey has.  Look for Max in future Olympic and sporting events.  This kid has talent!

Gess was supposed to attend 2 Special Olympic competitions this year but she was sick when they had the first one.  The second one was set for last week but rained out.  They rescheduled it for yesterday and it couldn't have been a more beautiful day for it.  This was the first time this city hosted an event and with the cancellation I think some teams ended up not being able to make it so the attendance was down and in most events Gess competed against only one other girl.  There were plenty of boys in their heats but there seemed to be a shortage of girls.  Well, that meant that Gess would either get the gold or the silver and she managed to get the gold in each one!  She had four events and got four gold medals! She was so ecstatic!   Here are a few pictures of her joyous day. The Tennis Ball Throw - Gold Making waiting more fun with a game of Duck-Duck Goose. 10 Meter Dash - Gold As you can see she was not a fan of the sou...

Gess has been taking gymnastics for close to 5 years now.  We are actually very blessed to have a really great coach who has some real time experience on the trampoline.  This past Monday Casey Finley got to show off his stuff on the Today Show as they began counting down to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.  Apparently skiers practice their tricks on trampolines and Gess' coach Casey was there to demonstrate some of those moves.  He is the one the blue jacket. Casey has received some medals for the trampoline and I believe this next video is him when he held the world record for the double mini pass which apparently has been surpassed by now.  Still, it's pretty impressive that her coach held that record at one time. The best part is that Casey is so good with the kids and super great with Gess.  While she isn't one of those kids who has a special gift in gymnastics, she certainly loves it.  I haven't taken any video of her in a couple o...

You know an awful lot about my daughter who has Down syndrome and have shared in some of her struggles and have watched many of her successes.  What I do not usually talk about is me and don't worry, I won't bore you with that now, but I do want to share this one thing.  A few years ago I finally reached my weight loss goal!  That's right, from my highest weight I lost a total of 63 pounds and I have now kept it off for about 3 years.  Even though I have managed to keep the weight off I still struggle with getting enough exercise.   Therefore, when I was afforded the opportunity to review Family Time Fitness I thought, "how perfect!"  Usually I have to find time before or after "school" for my workout, but not anymore.  Now my daughter and I are both getting the exercise we need while spending some quality time together as well.  What could be better!? Gesserine actually loves exercising way more than I do so we were both anxious get starte...

When you think of Summer Camping you usually think of tents, sleeping bags, campfires and mosquitoes.  But that is not the only kind of camping people do in the summer.  Sports camps are very popular, especially for athletic kids, but don't think those are the only kids who should go.  Sports camps are a good way to introduce your child to new experiences and get them exercising, even if they are not that good at the game.  From basketball and baseball to football, soccer and more you can find a sport camp that your kid might love.    Some camps are overnight and some are day camps in your local community.  Some are expensive and some not so much.  You need to shop around and see what is out there in your area and what your kid might be interested in.  There is also a new trend that I am really excited about.  Many churches are now offering free sport camps to the local area and include some bible lessons as well as sports training....