Club Chaos

The start of this week started off very well in playgroup but, unfortunately, it seems to have gone downhill at the rest of our clubs!

We began our week with Anna visiting a friend's house. I think it would be fair to say that I was slightly nervous about it, due to Anna's reaction to other little children in recent times, specifically when they have been playing with toys that she has an eye on (see previous post regarding playgroup). However, I am thrilled and relieved to report that Anna may have turned a corner!

When Anna was playing with her little friend, even if he was playing something that she wanted, she patiently watched until he had finished with it and then had her turn. Even when her little friend wanted something that Anna had found, Anna simply let him have it and went to find something else. The only slight issue was when her friend tried to take her red cube. For anyone that doesn't know, Anna's red cube is her most treasured object in the whole wide world. She takes it everywhere and, without her red cube, sleep would be non-existent. It is her security blanket and seeing someone else taking it away was a little too much. After playing so nicely, Anna's little friend looked slightly miffed at having this strange new object taken off him by Anna so his mum suggested that he go and find his teddy. Unfortunately, he couldn't see it but Anna was soon on the case and, without any prompting from me, had found the Teddy within seconds and had ran back to give it to him, to make him feel better. They finished the day by playing Kiss Chase! I think it would be fair to say that the game was a little one-sided though as Anna was doing all the chasing and her friend had a job on his hands to run away from a determined Anna! Once Anna had caught up with him, he was the recipient of some huge hugs and kisses.

Following the success at her play date, Playgroup saw Anna demonstrating her wonderful side yet again. She didn't snatch any toys and, if other children were playing with something that she would have liked, she either watched them or just walked away and came back to it later. Cue one very relieved Mummy! I have also decided that Anna is incredibly sociable. With the staff and other mum's being ignored for the majority of the time, Anna insists on going up to each and every mum, carer and staff member and waving and saying 'Hello' before giving them a huge smile.

After 2 great successes, I was feeling on a high for Anna's music class on Tuesday. As I have said before, Anna doesn't just sing in this class (like all of the other children do!). Anna goes for the whole experience and likes to dance too! Her current favourite trick is to spin around until she is dizzy and then go swaying until she falls over (in time to the music of course!). Unfortunately, Anna didn't feel as though enough people were watching at Tuesday's class so insisted on standing in front of the teacher and demonstrating, to make sure everyone was watching her. (I don't know where she gets this showing-off from... 'like Mother, like Daughter', I hear some of you mutter!!!). Anyway, not only did she upstage the teacher but she then felt an extra song was needed so, while the teacher was changing the CD's over, Anna decided to give her own rendition of the naughty monkey song. Everyone was instructed to listen (by Anna singing louder and louder until everyone was quiet) and then finished it off with a rousing applause... for herself. All of the other mum's then joined in and cheered and clapped her too. I then reminded them that their applauding her just encourages Anna's inner diva.

Now, some teachers could have become slightly annoyed with Anna for constantly doing her song and dance routine and interrupting the flow of the lesson. In fact, I was talking to some mum's in playgroup this week who were complaining that their babies' music teacher (they go to a different class to Anna) was not very good as she made any child sit down if they started jigging about. I then replied by saying how fantastic Anna's teacher is and how she actively encourages Anna to go to the front of the class and 'perform'. Anna's confidence is unbelievably high, thanks to her efforts and I am so fortunate that Anna has had such a wonderful experience, thanks to Sue. Therefore, imagine my horror, when Sue (Anna's music teacher) announced that she was stopping the class! I feel gutted about it! The silver lining is that a teacher from another area has decided to expand her business so will take over in this area. However, I am now panicking that they may not be quite so tolerant of Anna's diva-like enthusiasm. Anna adores her music class and it just won't be the same anymore!

I then think back to today's session at Tumble Tots and my heart sinks even lower. I had decided that Anna may benefit from going to Baby gym classes again. We did attempt to do this when she was 6 months old (in the 6 months - walking class) but Anna refused to roll, let alone crawl so we had to stop going. However, seeing as though Anna is now using the sofa as a trampoline and the dining table as a climbing frame (given half a chance and a seconds hesitation by me!), I thought she would enjoy using gym equipment. Oh dear!!! For the entire 45 minutes session, Anna refused to go on any of the equipment apart from crawling through a tunnel twice, where she insisted on going in the wrong direction so that the queue of children coming from the correct direction had to back up. For the rest of the time, she ran around the hall like something had just stung her on the bum, only to then start spinning around extremely quickly until she fell over. Just in case the staff couldn't see, she then went round every staff member (all wearing white T-shirts so easily identifiable to Anna) and spin wildly directly in front of them. There was just no controlling her! Every time I managed to catch up with her and try to pick her up, she shouted and went stiff-like. I tried putting her on top of the slide (which she adores when we go to the park) and she wouldn't bend her legs so that I could sit her down. I wouldn't have minded her running around for the entire 45 mins if it was open-space but this was a hall packed with 2 year olds so Anna had no choice but to bump into unsuspecting children. The equipment was completely lost on her. Thankfully, it was a trial session but, after Anna's reluctance to do anything which involved gym-based activities, I am very reluctant to pay £5 for Anna to just run around for 45 mins. She does that in the park or garden most days and it doesn't cost anything!

Our baby signing has stopped now as well, due to a change in the teacher's circumstances and swimming is still too risky at the moment, even taking her to normal lessons which don't dunk them underwater. Considering that I used to attend 5 clubs a week (one each day), Anna and I only attend 2 sessions now (Playgroup on Mondays and Music on a Tuesday) and Music club might have to end if the new teacher doesn't see Anna's enthusiasm in quite the same way as others see it!

I am now feeling very lost about all of our social gatherings. I fear that, without enough clubs to keep us busy and entertained, Anna and I will find ourselves making a lot of mischief!