Jump For Heart

Elena told me last week "Hey Mom--Jump for Heart is next week!"--I basically said "mmm-hmm", figuring it would blow over. I know what Jump for Heart is. It's a fitness initiative with jump ropes. JUMP ROPES.

Over the weekend, E mentioned it again...only, stronger.

"Hey Mom! Jump for Heart is next week."

"Yeah, okay."

"I'M DOING IT."

WELL. I guess it's time I started listening, then.

She's going to do it? DO WHAT? Jump rope? I know the kids had been practicing, and I know she'd done some running around the gym. I also know that Elena cannot currently jump rope--not like other kids, and my bet was, not like anything resembling jumping rope. Still, if she's planning on participating, I wanted to be supportive.

She told me her plan was to time it right to run under the rope. She was very excited about it. She even told Theresa at therapy, who asked if she had planned on jumping. A little while later, E decided to change her mind--she wanted to JUMP rope, not run under it. So we tried a few different things at therapy, hoping one of them would work.

Jumping rope is challenging for the most able of us--for E, it's just not very natural. I imagine it's like trying to jump rope in ski boots. Balance and coordination notwithstanding, E doesn't have a "spring" in her step, and without it, it's harder to keep time. Still, I wanted Elena to feel successful. I told her, and her teachers, that I would be there in case they needed me as a facilitator for E for the Jump for Heart Day. That was today.

Elena was VERY excited that I was going to be there. She was excited to show me her "Run Under".



Later on, I asked her if she was interested in trying to jump. She was intimidated, but very trusting. We tried two facilitators, a fourth-grader and one of her PE teachers.



She came to me, b/c the act of holding her arms to help her jump was uncomfortable. So, I asked her if she would prefer to hold my hands.

TA-DOW!



E was so proud of herself! I knew she'd do it--but I'm not sure she did. She certainly never expected the rope to come around again to jump over it. Some day, she will. ;)

HUGE thanks to Ms. Tee and Mr. Flint, and as always, to Ms. M (her aide) for all their help, and to E's school environment and her classmates for all their support!