A friend said, “When you have one child, it’s all about the first born, then when you have a second, it’s all about the first born.”
So I decided Rex needed something that was just for him for a change. Not his sister or his dad taking him along to the restaurant, or mom dragging him along to work or exercising or what she needed to do, but just him. Although he does enjoy the post workout time with the babies and moms at Stroller Strides.
By the time Vivien was 6 weeks old she had been attending four classes and was ready to teach one at the Learning Annex (maybe that’s overstating it, I don’t know, those days are a blur) But, with Rex, I’ve held off. Partly due to money and also I just didn’t see the need.
But he is almost walking and getting very active. So I took him to Fit for kids, a place that Viv had enjoyed as a kid. It’s a big, safe, carpeted room and the babies can amble around the ramps and slides while fun music plays.
It’s adult music like 80′s tunes and classic rock. Not kiddie music, which helps parents not go koo-koo. After the initial free play there is a circle time…a generic term for forming a circle and at some point singing and/or clapping. Then the instructors lead the kids through obstacle courses or bring out push toys. When they get older there is a mini zip line and more complex activities.
Rex loved it. He loved looking at everyone and trying to go up the slide and he loved when he went through the facilitated tumbling. But most of all the value was that he was in a large room. So much of his life now is being hemmed in or being steered away from something he shouldn’t touch, well here he could push a plastic lawn mower across a room the length of our house and nothing would break. You have to watch out for the toddlers who might bonk one another, but they have little chubby arms so it’s not that hard.
I ran into a friend of a friend which was nice, and best of all there is a place that sells espresso across the street, which I think is a key to motherhood. I remember when I took these classes with Vivien I was a tad lonely.
Okay, very.
And I use to want the other mommies to be my friend. Never really happened. But, now that I do have parent friends, strangely, everyone seemed so friendly. Maybe I was needy.
Yay for Rex! We finally signed our daughter (who is 2) up for a Fun Fusion class as her special thing as her brother gets to go to preschool, movies, etc. She loves it and I’m glad she has something of her “own” now too.
I’ve done The Little Gym and My Gym w/ my daughter but their concepts are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CHEESY that I never went back! LOL
We do The Music Class and Gaby loves it (and I do too). We used to go to another musc class franchise and it was bo-ring!! The music they used was right out of “The Sound of Music” soundtrack..haha.
Gosh, Rex is SOO cute. Is he walking yet? I know you said in another blog that he was almost there but not quite. Gaby walked at 15.5 months…then she never.stopped.moving (you know how it goes)!
i hear ya on the free movement! was at elder daughter’s neuro appt yesterday and lil bit loved crawling all around the waiting area that was totally baby proof. the 2nd half of the wait time, done in the exam room, was tiresome, as there were cords! and garbage cans! and wheeled equipment stands! and and and.
yes, gives mom a break as well to not have obstructions.
no, he is not walking yet.
Oh, those pictures make me cry
I remember when my 3 boys were that little. And it breaks my heart to even look at the pictures.
He’s having so very much fun!!
Isn’t it amazing how espresso changes everything! A ho-hum trip to the grocery store, returns to the library or a baby class suddenly becomes this hip adventure. I’m not sure if that’s what you meant by key to motherhood but that’s what came to my mind. When my 4yo was an infant I’d go and get a decaf (thanks to breastfeeding) just to feel normal! Now trips to the coffee house keep my feeling young even at the ripe old age of 42! You’ve gotta hand it to Starbucks for making standing in line for an overpriced cup of coffee in a paper cup the lifeblood to staying hip! Well at least for an antique mom who wouldn’t dare wear the latest fashions and drives a minivan.
yes, I think it’s a little bit of an anti depressant.
I am really trying to savor every moment of his babyhood.
He is such a cutie and boy does he take after your husband!