Guest Blog by Cary:
It is a bit long, it covers a large period of time and who knows when I will write one again. The pictures are a bit lower quality as they come mostly from my phone, but will give you a taste of what the kids have been doing.
It has been an exciting few months this fall of new activities and independence for both Garrett and Kelsey. It all started with Preschool in September.
On the first day, expecting a tearful “don’t leave Daddy” I was instead treated to a hug and “goodbye”. Three months later, he still loves every minute of pre-school and every morning wakes up asking if it is a pre-school day. He has made new friends, has learned new songs (that he is too shy to share with us), and has created lots of works of art, so much art (it all comes home).
Also, this September we started Kelsey in a parent participation Gymnastics program. She has absolutely loved exploring the equipment, swinging on the rings, bouncing on the trampoline, and jumping in the foam pit. For some reason however, she hates the balance beam, maybe because she is always being told what to do when she is on it; kind of an independent spirit!
On the first day of Kelsey’s program, Garrett and I went to pick her and Shannon up, he saw the equipment and insisted that he too should be taking a gymnastics class. Not convinced he was really into it, the next day I took him to a class thinking that we could drop out if it wasn’t his thing. When we arrived, the instructor told me I wasn’t needed, that although it was a parent participation class she wanted him to try without me. Garrett ran in and eagerly started following his teacher’s instructors, I got to sit down with a coffee and watch with amazement as Garrett completed circuits on equipment with better accuracy than most grade 7s I have taught. What started as an impulsive add-on to our already busy weekly recreation schedule has become the highlight that Shannon and I argue each week over who gets to go watch (and enjoy a quiet 45 minutes with a coffee).
Despite the high-maintenance nature of swimming, we felt it was time to try again. Neither child had seemed to love swimming when they took parent participation lessons in the past, but clearly were more interested over the summer the couple of times when we took them into our friends Ryan and Jenny’s pool. Three year olds can take lessons on their own, and given Garrett’s success with pre-school and gymnastics we figured he just might be ready, and sure enough, first lesson he met his teacher, took his hand and happily started splashing about in the water. Suddenly the boy who doesn’t even like having his hair washed in the bath is fine with dunking his head and splashing with his teacher and classmates.
Now with the hope that Kelsey could also be this successful in lessons I signed her up for a parent participation lesson thinking that (hopefully) after one more set, she would be able to move into the independent lessons in the new year. And while taking Kelsey swimming after a work day didn’t seem too appealing (having to rush home from work, get her changed for swimming, rush to the pool, then dried and dressed in a crowded change room after the lesson), we persevered and made it to almost every lesson this fall. Turns out she loved it also, though not as daring as her brother, she enjoyed floating and kicking and playing with various kickboards, boats, and pool noodles. I know Kelsey looked forward to swimming as evidenced by the picture below when one afternoon she went and put on her swimsuit a couple of hours before I got home from work, when I finally got home I found her sitting at the bottom of the stairs holding her towel and my swimsuit, waiting to go.
Next came skating, we are still very much on the fence as to whether or not we will be a hockey family, but thought seeing how Garrett takes to the ice would help make that decision easier down the road. At this point we didn’t even doubt his ability to participate independently.
Looks like we have a future of early morning practices and stinky equipment ahead of us.
A couple of months ago Garrett and Kelsey started spending one day a week together at a private daycare. They have enjoyed meeting new friends, all kinds of painting and crafts, and various creative play led by their daycare operator.
Each afternoon on these days, Garrett goes to pre-school and is then picked up by his Auntie Lori to play with his cousins Austin and Cruz after school. Daycare, pre-school, then play with cousins (and best friends), he is one tired boy on these evenings.
Kelsey meanwhile joins me at my school after 3:00 each week and spends what may just be her favourite hour or two of the week. She plays in a Kindergarten room with her new best friend Hunter, a grade 5 student whose mom teaches at my school. She gets a whole classroom of toys and a ten year old boy doting over her and playing any game she wants. I find it very challenging to convince her to go home on these days. She LOVES Hunter! (but won’t stop playing long enough for me to get a good picture).
Shannon and I simply cannot believe the changes in our children’s personalities this fall (mostly positive). It has been so exciting watching them both developing confidence and independence while trying and learning new things.
