Last evening I had the rare treat of taking McKenna to her gymnastics class minus one mischievous little boy. Cooper usually keeps me preoccupied as he runs around the gym during McKenna's class. I try to keep my eye on what she's doing but it's not always easy. So last night I finally escaped without Cooper and could fully concentrate on McKenna. She did well on the floor exercises and was a little hesitant on beam but she seems to be progressing along. I was most amazed when I sat and watched her on bars. Anyone who knows McKenna will tell you that all her life she's been scared...of just about anything. I guess that's why I'm so surprised by her lack of fear when it comes to gymnastics. Last night she jumped right up to the bars, grabbed on and did a "skin the cat". I couldn't believe my eyes! She did it! It was one of those little moments when you're so totally proud of your kids. I know it was just practice, but I couldn't help but smile inside. And I couldn't help but remember when I was just a little older than McKenna. I spent my summers at the playground (along with some of you who I know will be reading this) swinging from the bars and "skinning the cat". Watching McKenna last night so small and so innocent was almost enough to take me right back to those playground days. What I wouldn't do for one of those warm afternoons when all you really had to worry about was who you were going to ride bikes with that evening. As we look forward to moving to our new house I'm really looking forward to the friends McKenna and Cooper will surely make there. Our goal when we set out on our house hunt was to find a neighborhood that would give our kids the kind of childhood we had growing up. The kind where you could walk out your front (or back) door and be surrounded by friends. I hope their memories will be as fond as mine and their friendships as lasting.