The Junior Jazzercise Holiday Hop event will be offered at The Pointe Academy in West Des Moines to kids ages 5-8 in the form of three-day mini-camps, for two-hours each day. The mini-camps will provide parents a few hours to shop, run errands, or wrap those holiday gifts while the kids have fun and get fit in a safe environment.

The mini-camps will be conducted by certified Jazzercise instructors that have completed a comprehensive certification and training program that aligns with Aerobics & Fitness Association basic standards. All instructors are CPR certified.

The first mini-camp session will be held on Sundays, December 2, 16, and 23, from 2:30 – 4:30 pm. The second session will be on Saturdays, December 8, 15, and 23, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm. Kids that pre-register for the mini-camps will receive their choice of a free Junior Jazzercise drawstring backpack or Junior Jazzercise T-shirt. While supplies last!

Today’s children are becoming increasingly overweight and less active. Jazzercise instructors believe, as fitness professionals, we have a unique opportunity to help turn this trend around. By teaching children from an early age that exercise can be fun, the chance that they will stay active throughout the years increases dramatically.

Junior jazzercise not only makes kids feel good, it will promote their good health. The program emphasizes cardiovascular activity, good posture, balance, coordination and agility in a non-competitive atmosphere in which everyone feels comfortable.

For registration information and questions, call Kate Payne, Certified Jazzercise Instructor, at 515-480-0905.

Childcare is offered to infants 6 weeks to 10 year olds. Also offered is preschool for three and four year olds, as well as, a prekindergarten class for little friends that turn 5 before December 31. At Imagine That! Preschool, the age cutoff is Dec. 31

This special Holiday Hop event is being offered in the form of mini-camps and will be open to kids ages 5 - 8. Each mini-camp session is spread out over three weekends, for two-hours each day. This kick-off event is geared to give parents a few hours to shop, run errands, or wrap those holiday gifts when the kids are having fun.

Mini-camp session I will be held on Sundays, December 2, 16, and 23, from 1:00 - 3:00 pm. Session II will be held on Saturdays, December 8, 15, and 22, from 2:30 - 4:30 pm.

All sessions will be held at The Pointe Academy, 2150 Delavan Dr, Suite 8, in West Des Moines, IA.

Kids will have their choice of a free junior jazzercise drawstring backpack or a junior jazzercise T-shirt with pre-paid registration.

All mini-camps are conducted by certified jazzercise instructors trained in CPR, dance technique, strength training, and phisiology.

Gwendolen Gross, the author of The Other Mother, shares her thoughts saying, “I wrote this novel with one narrator who is a stay-at-home mom and the other a working mom to accomplish something I thought non-fiction couldn’t. What I wanted was to be able to stand in shoes of both moms, in hopes of illustrating how we judge each other unnecessarily, and understanding, myself, how important it is to respect other people’s methods and choices even if they don’t match my own.”

In recent reviews, moms tell how they relate closely to both mothers in the novel. The Mom Blog My Life As It Is writes, “As the story continues we truly get to know both Moms. OMG – I loved them both. I hated them both. I wanted to hug them both. I wanted to shake them both. I wanted to crawl into the pages and bang THEIR heads together. There was so much of ME in both of them.” Jill Asher writes on the Chicago Moms Blog, “I could totally relate to both Thea and Amanda. At some points in the book, I kept yelling (to myself)… just talk to each other! Get your issues out on the table and you will both feel a lot better. At other parts, I wanted to give them each a big hug and tell them that they were doing a great job as a mom.”

The balanced portrayal of the challenges of motherhood for both stay at home and working moms is noted in many reviews. Super-Mommy Blog says, “This book really touches on some of the deepest issues that come with motherhood, and no matter what side you belong to, you can really get a feel for the other side’s life.” According to Work It: A Blog For Working Moms, The Other Mother “displays with pinpoint accuracy the challenges for both stay-at-home moms and working moms - and the delicate balance that all women face on a daily basis.” Go-Go Mommy says “The Other Mother clearly illustrates the self-doubt that is a part of parenthood, the firm convictions that we carry with us - be they right or wrong, and the special treat of being able to really see issues from a perspective other than our own.”

Mom reviewers are also talking about the deep emotional impact of Ms. Gross’ novel. The Mom Blog Reviews From the Couch says, “Some experiences in the book led me to tears. I cried because it hit too close to home. It is difficult to not have the power, trust, or heart to stick up for one’s choices, and then nearly have a heart-attack of fear and regret when one finally does. I can understand being simultaneously brave and cowardly.” Along the same lines, The Mom Gadget Blog writes “the characters are so believable and are sure to leave a lasting impression, long after the final page has been turned. While I can’t tell you how the book ends, I will tell you that it’s the first time I’ve ever had to reach for the box of tissue while reading a book.”

Working Moms Against Guilt sums up her thoughts, “What I really like about this book is how the characters experience doubts and emotions that every mother experiences. Though Thea and Amanda fixate on one another, the real conflict lies within themselves. In the end, this book isn’t about The Other Mother, it’s about being a mother in general.” Karianna - Reviews From the Couch also writes “The Other Mother is enjoyable, thought-provoking, and definitely an excellent book club book because not every woman will read it the same way. It is bound to create lots of heavy discussion and introspection.”

The Other Mother is described by Booklist as “an electrifyingly complex and explosively gripping portrait of contemporary, have-it-all motherhood,” and has been featured in the New York Daily News, the Toronto Star, Redbook, OK! Magazine, on National Public Radio. This new novel is the selection of four national book clubs including the Book of the Month / Smart Reader Book Club. The Other Mother by Gwendolen Gross is available at Amazon and in bookstores. In connection with the book, Ms. Gross, an award-winning writing instructor, is offering a free online writing workshop for moms.

Gwendolen Gross is the author of the novels Field Guide, Getting Out, and most recently, The Other Mother. She graduated from Oberlin College, received an MFA in fiction and poetry from Sarah Lawrence College, and was selected for the PEN West Emerging Writers Fellowship. In addition to her novels, Ms. Gross has published poems and stories in dozens of literary magazines, as well as essays in collections including It’s A Boy: Women Writers on Raising Sons and It’s A Girl: Women Writers on Raising Daughters. Ms. Gross lives in northern New Jersey with her family.

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