To the Gym

We recently discovered that the fitness center at the university where Justin works has a really neat Family Gym that we can use. I can't believe I lived here for more than 2 years without knowing this, but I'm going to take full advantage of it now that I know! I'm making up for lost time! This place is so cool because it has all sorts of fun things I can take Elias to do, and it's indoors and free to use! Win-win-win! So we've been going there at least once a week since the semester started - we call it "going to the gym," and Elias has started to ask for it!

It has a big open gym with three full basketball courts, and we can use their balls to play. Elias loves to watch Mommy "shoot hoops," although there's more airballing than anything else! Then upstairs there is a big walking track that Elias and I like to walk around.Elias likes that it looks down onto the gym, so we can see anybody playing down there. There is also a big rock-climbing wall, which is definitely too much for us. However, they also have a smaller version for kids and weenies like me. It's only like 10 feet tall, but it's fun to try to climb it! And there are soft cushions to catch you if you fall, and Elias likes to flop and play on the cushions.
We have some friends who first told us about this place - David is a professor at the university, and Elias and I have become good friends with his wife Jodee and their son Ethan. Ethan is only about 6 months older than Elias, so they're on pretty much the same level. Ethan and Elias call the rock-climbing area "caves," and they like to explore the caves together. Cute!

The last time we met Jodee and Ethan at the gym, they introduced us to an activity that it would've never occurred to me to try with Elias - racquetball! Here are Elias, Ethan, and Jodee in the racquetball court:You can't play in the court unless you're wearing goggles, and so I was afraid that was going to foil our efforts to play in there. Elias has NEVER been willing to wear sunglasses or anything else on his face, and he was pretty resistant to the idea at first. But he watched Ethan put his right on and have fun playing and bouncing the ball in there, and after about 10 minutes, Elias finally submitted. How cute is he in his racquetball gear???
I wanted to get a picture of the boys together... Here is Ethan standing nicely for the picture, and Elias wandering away with the racquet. Sigh.
Anyway, we're thankful for new friends and for this awesome facility where we can come and play together!!