Okay, so my daughter Lily is only 3 1/2 and my son John Diego is one month away from his 1st birthday, so I'm still learning about the myriad of activities children participate in. Of course I've heard the stories from other parents about the financial burden and insane schedules of their kids activities. Sports, dance class, music lessons, art lessons, karate, horse back riding, drum circles, I don't know....whatever else kids do these days. I know that a huge calendar and an entire package of dry erase markers are in my future so I can keep track of all of it.
I know this is coming, and I know it will be like a second job and I know that some parents tell me that I'll take back what I'm about to say, BUT..... I'm so new at all of this that I still find it VERY fun (I know, I know, but I'm still new at this, and I LOVE it) --
Currently Lily has swimming lessons, dance class and something called "Fun Bus"
(which really just means that a big bus pulls up in front of her daycare and she and a bunch of other kids play around inside of it for about an hour - she LOVES it).
Now, there are kids in Lily's class that don't participate in the "Fun Bus", for reasons that I am not privy to. I think I'm too over emotional to ponder this too much, but I hate the thought of the Fun Bus pulling up and all the kids screaming and running out to play on it, and who are the 3 or 4 sad kids that are left behind to hang out in the classroom for that lonely hour? I'm sure they have their reasons, but I swear I almost cried when Lily told me that not all the kids do it. Maybe some of them just plain don't like it (although, the word "FUN" is in the title....so what's up with them??)
Anyway, she also recently started dance class, and so far her excitement level at that is pretty much off the charts. I'm sure at some point watching her do what she calls "bal-la-let kicks and spin-arounds" will get old, but we're not there yet. Dance class is a BIG hit. Swimming lessons however....didn't get off to the same enthusiastic start. On the first day of her swimming lessons, I was a nervous wreck. I loved that it was something she was starting through her daycare so she would be comfortable with a bunch of people she already knew, but I also hated the fact that since the class is during the day while I'm in the city at work, I couldn't be there. So on the day of her first class I was SO worried. Well, as it turns out, I had absolutely NOTHING to worry about, (except my money going down the filter) because she didn't even get in the pool!
Apparently she was afraid of the two male swimming instructors -
We played a game called Sharks and Minnows, and as soon as Tony the Tiger was "it" and closed his eyes (probably not the best idea for the man in charge of a bunch of kids still learning how to swim...but, what the heck, it was the 70's) - anyway, as soon as he closed his eyes, I took off. I ran away from the pool and hid at the snack bar (beginning a lifetime of safety, acceptance and comfort in the form of salty sugary snacks -
I love you lemon italian ice with that weird little flat wooden spoon...you're my very very best friend)
Well anyway, I'm happy to report that Lily did not run away, she just hung out pool side on her teacher's lap. I'm also happy to report that she has since gotten into the pool and can now kick, kick, kick with the best of them.
By the time JD is old enough to participate in some kind of activity, we'll have to win the lottery to afford all of these classes times two, but I look forward to it because I think something to channel his ridiculous amounts of energy will be good. Right now his interests lie in eating, doing everything in his power to splash in the cat's water dish, eating, climbing, pulling Lily's hair, smashing, and eating. So, I'm not sure that's on the weekly Fun Bus agenda, but maybe he will be ready to broaden his horizons by the time that's an option. I don't expect JD will have any fear of the swimming instructors, but I also don't know if he'll show any interest in the pool if there isn't some food floating in it -- so, we'll see how that turns out. If he disappears during the lesson, his mother most certainly knows where the snack bar is located... I guess both of my beautiful little nuts fell close to the tree in their own special ways : )
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