Yippee for Gymboree

I've been concerned about Max's not getting exposure to other kids and had been making an effort to take him to the YMCA to just put him in the child care so that he could interact with other kids.   He doesn't really enjoy it at first and has been running away from me once we get into the sign-in room.  He's almost reached the front doors of the building.

One day that we were supposed to go (Tue, Wed, Thurs), he and Simone kept whining that they would rather stay home.  Maybe I was feeling particularly lazy that day.  Maybe I had a moment of clarity.  Who knows!   But I told him, "OK.  We'll stay home."  The kids watched Magic School Bus which relieved me a little because it's an education cartoon.  I also got to work on more of my own projects.

The next day, we went to Max's scheduled Gymboree class that focuses on different sports.  It's a drop off class (so I don't have to stick around).  It's not competitive and slowly introduces kids age 3 to 5 different sports.  Max so far has done Track and Field and is now doing Soccer.  If I had signed him up earlier, he would have been doing golf!!!  It really suits his energy level and love of music - all in an environment that I think more closely mimics the school atmosphere (i.e. there is a lot of listening for instructions and waiting for one's turn).

Since Max had missed the previous class (Michael and I had been working on the car and totally forgot to take him), the teacher said that he could substitute it with the art class that immediately follows the sports class.   Max said he wanted to do the extra class and I enthusiastically consented.  Max would get more exposure to kids and the classroom environment and Simone and I could have more "Mommy and me" time!

Now I'm contemplating letting go of our YMCA membership and just using that money for the Gymboree classes.  The only reason why we were heading to the Y recently was to get Max to his pretend "preschool" which was really just child care and had no structure, something I feel he needs to get used to to prepare for Kindergarten public school.   One thing is for certain:  Max is excited to go to Gymboree and doesn't whine about it.

Max and Simone feel impatient waiting for the baby class to end.
Once it does they get to enter the play area.

Don't blink for the next photos - you might miss the blur that is Max.

These photos were taken in a span of a mere 15 minutes.  And this was before he took his sports class.   When we picked him up 2 hours later, he still was hyper!