Saturday, May 5th was our last Kindermusik class with Miss Judy. We have been going to Kindermusik in Ames on Saturdays, for back to back 15 week sessions, fall and spring, for a total of 30 weeks per year for three years!! I have been dedicated to Kindermusik for the simple reason that the kids love it and I think it is such a great experience for them. Since Jack and Savannah don’t go to daycare I think it is important for them to be in a classroom for a short period of time with other kids to learn things like listening to a teacher and following the routine and sharing with the other kids. I loved the fact that it was something we could do together on Saturday mornings, just Mommy and kids, that gave Dad a little break, especially on those fall football Saturdays so he could watch GameDay in peace. I will admit there were many times when I had exhausting weeks at work and the thought of getting up and getting everyone ready to get out the door at 8:15 was overwhelming. Chris always was helping us get out the door on time. In the beginning Jack and Savannah were in separate classes, Jack in the toddler class, Savvy in the baby class. Christina usually always met me in Ames to watch the child who wasn’t in class with me. Christina made it possible for us to even do the classes, without her help I probably wouldn’t have been able to have them both registered for class at the same it. It was always a great time to catch up with her. In between classes we would run to Target, get coffee and catch up on each others lives. Then, Savannah graduated from the baby class and joined Jack in the toddler class. We did two sessions of that, and Christina came to each class and sat with a child during those two sessions. She is such a great aunt! Kindermusik is a lot of playing pretend, dancing with scarves, experimenting with musical instruments, and lifting up my heavy children. Christina always played in class with a huge smile on her face. Jack eventually graduated to the preschool class and was able to go to class by himself! This allowed for more time for Christina and I to hang out with each other. At the end of class families were invited to join the preschoolers to watch and participate in a few activities to demonstrate what they learned in class that day. Jack was always so excited to show off what they had done during class.
I know the kids have learned so much from all these classes. They both have developed such a love for music and dance. The IPOD they share is filled with all the music from their kindermusik CDS and we always have songs to sing in the car. I think the classes have really helped Jack learn about patterns, sound recognition, and the ability to differentiate between sounds and rhythms. Not to mention all the social skills he has developed from participating in a group class with many other children. Most importantly, they have had so much fun. And so have I!
After Jack’s class the kids each presented Miss Judy with homemade cards and stickers for her classroom and gave her a final hug goodbye. I didn’t anticipate feeling emotional, but I was. She has been so encouraging to Jack, and very understanding of his motor limitations with his right hand and arm. Miss Judy really helped Jack learn that he can still enjoy music finding his own way to use two handed instruments.
After our last class we headed to Des Moines to meet some friends from dental school for lunch. Kelly and Leah were in Des Moines for the annual dental meeting and I jumped at the chance to see them both before we move. We met at the Jordan Creek Mall. Chris and Ben took the kids to Chick-Fil-A so me and the girls could eat lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. It was so relaxing to sit outside and catch up on what is all going on in their lives. It is amazing how all three of us have BIG changes, including moves and career transitions. It is so much easier to face big changes when you know you are not the only one going through major life transitions. We had a great time at lunch and I will miss being close to Kelly and Leah. With Leah moving to Des Moines and starting her new job, and Kelly moving to Milwaukee for Chris’ endo residency it may be a very long time before we are together again. It was a great Saturday, even though it was filled with good-byes!
No comments:
Post a Comment