Creative Movement

    Wednesday, February 15th, Andrew knew it was meeting night. He asked me if he could read on stage! A couple of weeks ago, a youngster gave his bible reading and had to stand on a step stool to see over the podium. Andrew was mesmerized by it, and while the boy was practicing before the meeting started, Ted was explaining to Andrew what was going on. Scott Perry let Andrew stand on the step stool to see too (he still could see *under* the podium.. lol) and it seems that Andrew now very much wants to do his own Bible reading. We told him he has to just keep practicing his reading.  Wednesday night we had another young one give a bible reading, and though he didn't need the step stool, Andrew studied him and listened the whole time.   
    Last Saturday, a friend asked me if I take Andrew to storytime at the Library. I told her I'd never even been to the library. (gasp!)  She told me every 3rd Thursday, after StoryTime, there is craft time and then "creative movement" time. Her favorite part is the creative movement. 
     Well, Thursday is also one of the "Mothers Day Out" days at Storybook Village and I have a 4 day credit since I had to take him out of MDO in November due to his concussion.  Today my plan was to take him to MDO and go home and go back to bed for a change. Well, the director was out today and only the young assistant would be there handing 7 toddlers alone. I didn't feel comfortable with that so I decided not to leave him. We hung out for a little over an hour when I remembered the storytime at the library.  I asked Andrew if he'd like to go to the Library and he was excited about the idea.
     We totally missed Storytime and craft time (I thought it started at 10:30 and we'd be 10 minutes late, but it really started at 10.)  However, I had no idea the Library had so much to do there!!  I saw Michelle and Patrick Lafferty there with Blake (they're the ones who told me about it). Andrew immediately jumped in the tent that Blake was in and started playing, following other kids around and copying whatever they were doing. I showed him the train tables and activity centers and he just helped himself to the activity. 
     Soon it was time for the creative movement. So we went into the story time room. There were several little boys and girls sitting on a rug with their shoes off. So I got Andrew all settled in having no idea what creative movement even was!  It's conducted by a young girl from a dance conservatory. It's basically getting the little kids to stretch and move in a directed fun manner. I can't remember most of it, but for example, pretending your fingers are silly spiders and you tickle from your head to your toes, holding your ankles and kissing your knees and then stretching your hands up above your head before doing it again, or painting a rainbow by spreading your feet far apart (while sitting) and reaching to one foot to get some paint and then painting over your head all the way to the other foot and repeating with other colors.  Fun things to get them moving and stretching.  They pretended to be bees buzzing around in a circle, they skipped, they jumped and then had to "freeze!" which Andrew didn't really understand that freeze meant stop. He was starting to get the hang of it when they were about done with playing freeze.  They had to balance like a flamingo on one foot. The first time, he started to get it right but something must have confused him because before long he looked more like a kid desperately needing to use the potty and trying to hold it - his knees were pointed together, feet in opposite directions, one arm in the air. The second time, he had it perfect.   I found it interesting though that he didn't want to mirror what the lady was doing, he wanted to stand exactly like her so he kept turning his back to her and then trying to look back and see what she was doing.  Anyway - he had a BLAST and was so cute doing it all, or trying anyway. I hope I can arrange to get him there each month for that.
   It was about noon when that was over. I let him eat his peanut butter jelly sandwich in the car on the way home. When we pulled in the driveway he asked to go play on the slide.. so I let him go play as I cut through the house to unload. I fixed myself a sandwich and ate it in the top of his fort while he played all around me. We had to come in for potty and he asked for another sandwich. So, I made him his second sandwich (these were full sandwiches, not half sandwiches!) and then shortly after he announces "Andrew ready for bed!" He usually heads to bed at 1pm, but he was asleep by 12:45!  And as I'm writing this is is now after 4pm and he is still asleep!  Wow!  I guess I overloaded him with activity today. He's been a little angel today - so well behaved and cooperative.
  i so wished I had remembered my camera today - but no pictures :(