This morning was Shawn’s first day in swimming lessons. We’re taking them through the Campenelli YMCA, though we’re not full-fledged members. It’s nice that they have an indoor pool to allow for swimming year round, otherwise we’d probably have to wait until this summer to go through the Roselle Park District. At the rate that we went today, we may need more time than just a few summer months!
Shawn loves playing in the tub with Raj and he had a blast at the pool in Hawaii last summer, so I had hoped that he’d have a lot of fun in swimming lessons. Nevertheless, it did not go as well as I had hoped. He was extremely nervous. His body was more rigid and tense than I think I’ve ever seen him. He clung to my arms, neck, and shoulders for dear life. He cried a LOT and even screamed a few times. I think it was the crowd of new people that made him uneasy, more than the water or the pool itself. There were about ten children (Shawn was actually one of the oldest in the group and some of other babies had already been through a session!), plus at least one adult (some brought their own entourage of family members to document the 30 minute class paparazzi style), in addition to the two teachers. So, there was quite a large group of strangers that Shawn was not comfortable around. The combination of so many new people, the new place, and trying new things was more than he could handle. On the other hand, if it really was the people that scared him, then maybe each week will get a little better as we get to know everyone. …Here’s to hoping!
Target sponsored a national Dr. Suess celebration, including story time and other specials today. I wanted to stop by after swimming class to see what it was all about, but rather than rush from the stressful morning to Target, and then off to my dermatology appointment this afternoon, I figured we’d need a little breather instead. Shawn and I took our time in the locker room after class, had a snack, and then calmly headed to my appointment. About two blocks before pulling into the doctor’s parking lot, I could see Shawn in my rear-view mirror – falling asleep. I guess we were a little too calm!
Since he had barely closed his eyes before I got him out of his car seat, he wasn’t hard to convince that the toys in the doctor’s waiting room were a lot of fun and waiting for him. I felt bad about waking him after such a rough morning, but he didn’t seem to mind once he found the fully stocked play kitchen and a cement truck with moving parts!
On the way home, we stopped at PetSmart. It was adoption day and the place was teaming with animals! We visited with lots of dogs and cats that were brought in from various shelters and foster programs. Shawn made friends with a few dogs that gave him plenty of kisses. We also saw birds, mice, hamsters, rats, birds, fish… However, we only brought home crickets for our frog – but they’re not quite as much fun to play with!
When we got home and Shawn was able to take a real nap without being disturbed, I made business cards and referral cards for Raj’s team at Artistic Smiles Dental. (Raj and I figured out that I could make them for lower cost than what his regular printer was quoting.) The doctors’ business cards have their names, the office contact info, and logo on the front and appointment reminders on the back. The referral cards look just like the doctors’ cards on the front, but offer a discount on the back for the girls to help bring in more business. I gave the finished decks of cards to Raj to bring to work on Monday, but he said it would be better if I brought them over myself. He thought it would be nice for me to give them to the girls in person. I thought it was a good excuse for Shawn and me to visit the office and say hi to everyone. Maybe we’ll just have to go out to dinner while we’re out there…
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