Tales of a Yummy Mommy: Give me a sign

During Ariel's gymnastics today, I thought to myself, please, give me a sign, Ariel, that signing you up has not been a complete and utter waste of time. Yes, she likes going, and that should be what counts, right? When I ask her, "Do you want to go to gymnastics?" Today or tomorrow, the answer is always in an excited drawn out whisper, "Yahhh!", which means she really does.
Lately, however, I have been feeling like I do not want to go to gymnastics. Parents must enter the gym with their children at her age, and we spend most of the class elsewhere: at the water fountain, in the washrooms, in the change room (today, eating our after-class apple), waving to the loving spectators...you get the idea. It's exhausting chasing after her and constantly redirecting! But wait, there's more! Ariel engages in activities our group has either already performed; or stands where the older children are tumbling dangerously close; or runs around like a maniac, and sometimes (very cutely) stands in the middle of the giant floor by herself, bouncing up and down dancing to the music in an off-beat sort of knee-jerk motion. Throw in a few tantrums here and there, a few 'hands-on' pushes and stare-downs to any other kid she thinks gets too close to her personal space, and that is one hour of pure gymnastics fun in a nut shell! And to think I used to coach eight of these little monsters no problem.
Until, UNTIL today!!! On this glorious gymnastics mourn, Ariel jumped on the trampoline, and I mean really jumped, for the first time!
The class began like any other. We started off being a tad late (okay, we missed warm-ups! geez). Next we were over checking out the older kids and by the time we'd gone to say hello to daddy and Elyse for the fourth time I was beginning to lose hope. Somehow she knew. She pulled herself together, got up on that mini-trampoline, held my hands and jumped harder and higher than she's ever jumped before! Those little feet came right off the ground. She knew it too, grinning from ear to ear. See mommy, I do like gymnastics.
I was so proud of her, and told her that with a big hug. She jumped on the two other kinds of trampolines as well with growing confidence.
It isn't easy being the only parent whose kid is 'out of line', doing their own thing, running their own show, but I guess I had better get used to it. And, you know what, it really isn't that bad after all.
Now that Ariel can jump, I think we'll try dance in the fall...:)