Little Gym Semi-Annual Show

Today Bryn and I met our friends, the Bramens, at the US Mint. Bryn and Sydney said the Mint was "boring," but seeing the ribbon-like rolls of metal and the blank discs that get punched out of the metal was definitely interesting. And the sheer quantities of coins that are minted on a daily basis is fascinating; the Philadelphia and Denver facilities alone produce 65 million to 80 million coins a day. In the gift shop we bought two books that we are now filling with the 50-state quarters, and Bryn is so interested in this undertaking that we went through my wallet, looking for quarters, as soon as we exited the building.

After our very quick stop at the Mint, we spent a little time at Franklin Square, and then walked about 5 blocks to Jones, a trendy Stephen Starr restaurant, for lunch. Bryn was such a trooper -- didn't complain once about all of the walking. She was just giddy to be on an outing with friends, and she beamed from ear to ear when Sydney said she wanted to sit next to Bryn in the booth at the restaurant.

This evening was Bryn's last Little Gym class of the semester, and on the last night, the participants put on a show for the parents. Bryn was really excited about the show -- she put on her favorite leotard and asked me to put her hair in a bun with a ribbon. One of the teachers asked her to be the first to perform on the uneven bars, and Bryn was one of only two children to do the full routine.
On the floor, you can watch her skip from the third skill to the fourth; skipping is Bryn's tell-tale sign that she's excited and having a great time.
At the beam, Bryn eagerly raised her hand when the teacher asked who wanted to go first, and so she did -- acting out a caterpillar emerging as a butterfly from its cocoon.
You'll hear that Luke was in attendance, too. He was surprisingly well-behaved throughout the show -- he stayed in his seat, and never once tried to play on the gym equipment. And so he joined Bryn on the podium for the photo opp.