Head of the Class

Dear Henry, 
In search of something to keep both of us occupied I turned to our public library to look for a class we could take together.  Mommy looked into swimming and music classes but dang! those classes are expensive!  At the library Mommy found 1 class we could take called "Bouncing Babies."  Last week was our first class.  We arrived about 10 minutes late! ARG!  The library has been remodeling and it was impossible to find a parking spot!  We rushed in,  Mommy looking like a crazy unorganized mom.  I'm not really but I felt stupid setting the bad precedent of being tardy to class.  We enter the room to see a room full of babies and just in time to join the circle and have them sing about how, "Henry wore his striped sweater, his striped sweater all day long!"  You sat on Mommy's lap bouncing around and kicking your legs to all of the songs.  We came to sing "Bah, Bah Black Sheep."  I don't think they thought about the meaning of "one for the master" but I let it slide as I doubt the 7 to 11 months old's set needed a lesson on the controversies of many childrens' songs, and honestly scholars still debate over if it is in fact an embedded slave reference.  

 

 So, the teacher passed out different colored sheep to each kid and you were to hold it up when your color was sung about.  You had a blue sheep.  You don't know your colors yet so you just decided to fly your sheep in the air each time the song was sung.  It was cute.  When that song was complete I asked you to hand the teacher, sitting to our right, your sheep.  You held it out to her and she didn't see you so you threw it at her.  Mommy handed it back to you and asked you to hand it to her gentle, I got her attention and you did.   So proud!  She then pulled out a big book about a train and you pulled yourself around so you could see.  You were the only baby to babble at the book and point.  So proud!  At the end a box was put out with toys that the babies could play with.  You had fun with this and found a book to look at with a little girl.  We checked out the remodel in the kid's section and as you were playing with a train car at the train table you walked to me to show me the car and fell.  You started to put the train in your mouth and a bigger kid, 5 or 6, walked over to you and said, "Hey! Get the train out of your mouth!"   I took this photo as he was talking to you. 

 OUch!  You stared him down then ignored him and gave it a little lick anyway.  I decided you were hungry and took you over to Laughing Planet for our weekly Hungarian Mushroom Soup.  You love the stuff.  Then we returned home for a nap. 

 

before

 

 after
This week we returned to class, but we weren't supposed to.  When Mommy registered for the class the lady said it was every week.  It is on the calendar every week but it is only supposed to be once a month.  We stayed anyway.  This was the year old to three year olds.  You fit better with this group as you're walking, babbling and it was full of energy. 

You were much more settled in my lap this week and really looked around at the other babies.  You cheered after the songs and clapped your hands.  A couple activities were different and it was fun to see you enjoying the songs.  We did one song with ribbons on a stick and you love waving like a flag anything you can get your hands on (socks, wipes, or you jammie pants you've managed to take off) so ribbons were totally your thing.  When getting your ribbon you became preoccupied with a little girl's gingerbread sweater.  She liked you too and tried to lick your face.  This threw you off and you stumbled and fell over together.  It was really cute.  Mommy happened to be filming at the time.

We checked out some books and went for soup at Laughing Planet, meeting up with Auntie Krispy who was enjoying a snow day.  She and Auntie Carrie working down stairs cuddled and showed you off a bit and it was time for us to go.

It was fun watching you interact and play.  I am so proud to be with you.
Love, Mommy