In the end...

My project is officially done and that makes me super happy.  After finishing with the pool, the last day, I started putting the finishing touches on my binder.  The binder includes everything that was required to start my senior project and everything I did for my senior project. I also included a mini story in each section to tell what that portion entailed.  All I have left to add is my reflection paper and my research paper.  I will also be putting my presentation together the end of February/very beginning of March.  That's all I have for now!

three...two...1...WE'RE DONE!

Today was the final day of my senior project.  I am happy to say everything went really well through the entire process.  Everyone had a lot of fun, and so did I.  For the final day, I had a fun day.  The day consisted of SWIMMING!  Any kids who could come and I went to the Clear Lake pool today for a nice swim.  I am glad thta it ended up being really warm out, so going in the pool was a relief.  Everyone seemed to have lots of fun, and I really enjoyed going as well.  Not only is swimming fun, but it also applies to the health and fitness of my program.  It was a great day, and a great way to end my program.

Lesson I learned today: Kids have nothing to worry about, they are carefree and happy.  We should all be more like children, and be a little more carefree and always happy.

Almost the end...

I totally forgot to write my blog yesterday, which is kinda sad.  I enjoy writing this blog, because I like to tell people what I have been doing.  So, yesterday I started off by having them write down something for me.  They had to write down what they learned from the class, what they liked, and something they would have changed.  I am actually surprised that none of them wouldn't have changed a thing about the class.  I figured being kids they would be brutally honest, but I guess they must have really liked it.  After they wrote that for me I had them tell me one thing that they wrote on the paper.  They did this to receive a certificate and a letter.  The certificate just said congratulations on completing the program, and the letter was just my way of telling them thank you for helping me out with my program.  I wanted them to know that I greatly appreciated what they helped me do.  Not only did they get a certificate and a letter they also got a medal.  Granted, the medal was pink and said gymnastics on it, but they seemed to enjoy the gratitude.  Then again they didn't really care what it was, or what it said on it.  After receiving all of that they also got to take some fruit snacks, even though they aren't the healthiest thing in the world.  Toward the end I let them have a free day, to do what they wanted.  Mostly, they jumped into the pit and made up games to play.

Lesson I learned yesterday: Kids enjoy a lot of simple things in life.  Once they start something fun, they don't want to stop.

The countdown is almost done...

It's nice to know that I am going to be done with my senior project when school starts.  That fact is going to make my life so much better and easier, when the time comes.  So, anyways, on to what matters most.  The talk about what I had the kdis do today.  Today for running the kids had to run around the gym three times.  I try to make running less boring by doing all sort of kinds of running.  Of course, the next thing we did was stretch.  Like normal, that is what we always do after we fun.  After the running to day I had the kids to an obstacle course.  I had six different stations (I suppose you could came them that) that the kids had to go to.  First they had to jump down the tumble track, and then jump into the pit and crawl to the wall.  Then they had to jump over a row of mats I place on the floor.  After that they had to try and roll down and mat and then back up another mat.  Once they completed that they had to jump over an octagon, and then work on balance by walking across the low beam.  Lastly, they had to run back to the tumble track.  I had them complete the obstacle course as a race, and they really enjoyed the "competition".  The game was played a few times and then they continued working on their fitness things.  They are getting better at it every day.  Elimination is the name of the game we then played.  It is a game played with two balls, and it kind of reminds me of dodge ball a little bit.  Either way you have to try not to get hit by the ball, if you do you're out.  Once all that was said and done we had watermelon as a snack, they all really enjoyed that.

Lesson I learned today: Kids will follow what older people do because it seems that the older you are the cooler things are.  Frankly, I think little kids need to do what they think is right, not what others are doi

Only 3 more days!

Things are really starting to wind down.  Or course, I mean that theoretically, considering so many people are extremely busy this time of year.  Today was another exciting time with my program.  The first thing I had the kids do today, was to run.  They each got a turn to run anywhere around the gym for 1 minute each.  They really enjoy being able to go wherever they want to in the gym.  After running we always do stretching, as I usually state on my blog.  It's really not their favorite part, but I want them to know the importance of stretching.  After stretching we played the circle game.  I believe that they really enjoy the game, because it is a challenge.  I enjoy it, because it is fun to see them enjoying themselves.  I allowed everyone a turn to be it, that way no one feels left out or something like that.  I always see the people going for certain people right away, as if they are the best ones to get out first.  The fitness training was next.  They really didn't like the mention of the word fitness training, but they all did it very nicely.  We did a sort of shuttle run, pull-ups, and sit-ups again.  They all really seemed to improve in some areas and maintain in others.  We then played yet another game.  The game we played was a test of balance.  They all had to do the wheel barrow, and then they had to walk across the beam.  They need some balance, trust me.  I brought a snack again, this time it was cheeries.  I am glad that they all really enjoyed those!  Tomorrow they get watermelon, they are all really looking excited for it.

Lesson I learned today: Kids are some of the busiest people in the world, and yet they have more energy than most adutls.  It's just not fair.

It's been an entire 24 hours, that's like a full day...

One week left, and it's been a fun run!  Today, for starters, we did running.  I had the kids do a normal running today.  They just ran around the floor three times, skipped twice, shasayed twice (foward and backward).  After they got done with the running we sat and stretched.  I usually try to do each stretch for about 30 sec, or whatever me counting to thirty is equivalent to.  After we did that we played some dodge ball.  The game was not your typica dodgeball, however.  Instead of using little balls, we used the bigger fisio balls in the gym.  I did, though, have specific rules about using the bigger balls.  I wanted it to be more fun, but I also didn't want anyone to be getting hurt while using them.  The kids thought that was a really fun idea, at least I think so anyways.  After we played dodge ball we did some more fitness things and some running.  The kids are really starting to show some imporvement on their fitness training.  I am glad that I can see the improvement in them.  After we did the fitness stuff we played another game.  In the groups I told them that they could pick their favorite game that we have played thus far.  The groups each had a different favorite.  In the first group we played mat tag, a really fun game where you jump from mat to mat with someone being it.  They enjoy running from mat to mat seeing how far they can jump and who they can tag.  The second group did an obstacle course, that they set up themselves.  I made them do it two times, and they did a really good job with it.  At the end I gave them a treat of strawberries.  They all really enjoyed that!

Lesson I learned today: It's hard to make someone feel better, when you really don't know the root of the problem.  However, once you figure it out, you do all that you can to make them feel better.

And we're 21 hours in..o boy!

It seems that the time is flying by, and I am not just talking about the summer.  I thought at the beginning of this project that 40 hours was a lot, but as I am now going through it the hours seem to be flying by.  Here I am already 21 hours into my project!  It just seems crazy!  Anyways back to the important information.  Today at the program we did a few different things.  The first thing that I had them do, was to run.  They kind of did follow the leader.  Each person got to take the group around the gym, where ever they wanted, for one minute each.  They thought it was fun to take the people where ever they could to make it difficult.  After they ran we sat and stretched and talked like every other day.  After that we played a game.  Today we played my version of duck-duck-goose.  When they called someone goose, before they could run they had to do strength.  It was interesting to see how they managed to get the strength in and chase down the tagger.  They thought it was a blast.  After we played that game, we did some more fitness training.  I am just trying to see how well they can do from day to day.  They do pullups, timed situps, and running for me, however they do a lot more in P.E.  I know they really don't enjoy that part of the program, but it is a benefit to them.  Once we were done with that we played another game.  We played forward roll tag for the second game.  It was fun to watch them be so excited about one game.  I surprised them with the snack of peaches at the end of the program.  They all really enjoyed that, and thought it was a great idea.

Lesson I learned today: Sometimes it is easier to get to a persons happiness through their stomach, or so it seems.