Too Many Options

Now that we have a job and a house, we feel like we should start enrolling our kiddos in different activities. Unfortunately the price tags on these different activities add up unbelievably quickly. Most recently we did a ballet class at the YMCA where I work out with each of the girls. It was adorable. By far my favorite class we have done with them so far.

Check out this cute video of a little bit of the tap portion of Miriam's class.

This is the actual performance. Unfortunately because Eliza was in an older/more advanced class she couldn't do the performance (we didn't realize we were only enrolling them for the last month of the class!) However, Miriam was allowed to perform because the teacher was going to be out there helping the kiddos anyway. 

The first half of first grade Eliza enrolled in a tumbling class. She didn't really love it, but since then she has been working on her cartwheels and hand stands and wants to enroll again. But at the end of the class, she wanted to try something different. She picked a little cheer/dance class. She really enjoyed it. I think it was because she made better friends in this class.

Earlier this spring, we enrolled Miriam in a little sports class. She was introduced to nearly every conceivable sport including hockey! It was adorable.

In addition to doing these little classes, John has started giving Eliza piano lessons every Thursday right after work. Maybe this sounds too focused on the dollar signs, but I couldn't believe how expensive piano lessons are. Twenty dollars a week, just indefinitely?? That really adds up! We looked into it and decided that this was something that we could do ourselves. So far it has been great! She loves it, and John seems to enjoy having this special time with just her. She is happy to practice everyday, (we'll see how long this lasts, haha!) and she seems to have picked up the songs surprisingly quickly.

The only problem with all of these things is that there are too many options out there. Both girls loved the ballet class, and really want to keep going with that; Eliza has been so proud of her progress with the tumbling and wants to give that another go; someone at stake conference has talked and emailed us about this amazing choir experience out in Gilbert that would be fantastic (and right up our singing-loving girls' alley); AND we kind of think we should actually enroll them in something that involves a ball so they can start to develop enough coordination in that regard so as not to be embarrassed later on. Phew! We really don't know what do to. We don't have the time or the money to do everything all at once. I guess maybe we just have to do one thing at a time, but what is our highest priority? I don't know. 

I guess for right now we are starting swimming lessons tomorrow. Eliza seems to have gained a lot of confidence in the water over the winter (you know, when she wasn't swimming). I am hopeful this is the year that it clicks for her. Miriam is still pretty scared. I hope a couple of sessions of swim lessons this summer will do her some good as well. It is super fun going swimming as a family. We went swimming last night at 6pm. It was a record breaking day of 117 degrees yesterday, so it was still plenty toasty at 6. I love going swimming when it is that hot outside. And I LOVE going swimming in the evening when we don't have to put on sunscreen! Sunscreen is the worst. :)