Thank goodness for a change of scenery at Music Class at Gymboree. Miss Elizabeth subbed for Miss Kim. There were many of the usual students missing from class, but there were also lots of new people in class either coming as makeup from other sessions or newly joining us. Miss Elizabeth used Abby to demonstrate the movements for some lap-riding songs and my lap was happy to take a break from having two “riding along”! Shawn was pretty quiet today (maybe all of the bickering earlier wore him out!), but he participated and followed Miss Elizabeth’s directions for each of the songs. Whenever a new tub of instruments was brought out (maracas, blocks and sticks, or the music exploration box), he’d suddenly jump to life and sprint across the room to pick out his instrument. He and Abby always want their maracas to match. They even pick matching ones for me to use, too. (Sometimes that means taking a little longer to find “the perfect” colors they each want to use.) Abby was very hot and cold in class today – one moment she’d be enthusiastic and excited about the activity and the next minute she’d cuddle on my lap or (if we were standing up) she’d want me to pick her up. (I don’t think she was tired because she normally puts her head on my shoulder when that’s the case.) Even with her unpredictable mood today, she was an absolute star during the “Bah-bah” activity. Miss Elizabeth held the microphone to Abby first and she showed the class exactly what to do. When it was Shawn’s turn next, he froze like a deer in headlights! Rats! I thought last week was the beginning of a new trend! Oh, well. We’ll try again next time. It turns out that Abby was one of the only kids in class who did the “Bah-bahs” today! Way to go, Abby!
After class, we had a few minutes to play in on the gym equipment before heading home for lunch. A few of the parents from music class asked about Shawn and Abby and I had to explain that they’re not related. More than once, I heard about how well they get along with each other and how nice it is that they get to do things together… I have to agree - though maybe I wouldn’t have this morning!
On the way home, Shawn called out, “FedEx mail truck!” each time he saw one, and we must have been on a busy mail route because we saw many of them. We also practiced identifying colors by naming the signs, cars, and trucks that we saw on the way home. Abby figured out pretty quickly that when in doubt, the signs are green (at least on the highway)! She asked for a pink sign, too, but as hard as we looked, we didn’t see any. Maybe we’ll try a different way home sometime or maybe one day we’ll see a billboard that will be pink. In the meantime, we’ll keep looking.
I assumed Abby would be more than ready for lunch when we got home, so I got the kids in their boosters right away. Abby gobbled down her yogurt without hesitation. She looked like she was enjoying it so much that Shawn asked for some yogurt, too! While the yogurt was disappearing quickly at both seats, I warmed up Abby’s mac & cheese and cut up some turkey and cheese for Shawn. I presented Abby with her main course as well as a side of blueberries, a granola bar, and her cookies for dessert. I guess I didn’t have to rush quite so much though because all she wanted was her yogurt – nothing else interested her. Not even the blueberries or cookies! This is not normal for Abby. I got her to eat a few fork-fulls of the mac & cheese, but only if I fed it to her. (She’d be tight lipped until I got it to her mouth and then she’d take the bite with no problem.) Meanwhile, Shawn kept eyeing her untouched blueberries, so I made sure to get him a bowl of his own.
About halfway through the meal, Shawn started making requests for various songs: The Wheels on the Bus, Ring Around the Rosie, The Monkeys on the Bed, Mr. Sun, ABCs, and Boogie Woogie Piggy… just to name a few! As I performed my best repertoire of children’s songs (which you will NOT be finding on video! Again, I’m instrumental, not vocal!), the young diners helped me with the words and actions when they could and when they couldn’t they giggled encouragingly at Silly Mommy! When it was pretty clear they weren’t going to eat any more and I was getting weary of my own song & dance act, we were off to nap time.
Abby woke up from her nap seconds before Bill knocked on the door to pick her up. She was definitely still drowsy when I brought her downstairs with her head on my shoulder. When Shawn woke up from his nap, I found him climbing into his rocking chair with a book. When I greeted him, he replied, “Abby at home. I see Abby to-mon-ow (tomorrow).”
Raj got home from work just in time for us to go to a Mothers & More Family Outing to MagiQuest in Lombard. We had never been there before and really didn’t know much about it, but this was a good excuse to check it out. It was a sort of a living video game. The website describes it as, “an interactive live-action, role playing game where players embark on quests and adventures in an enchanted fantasy world using real magic wands to solve the mysteries of the game.” The interesting thing about the wands is that they ‘remember’ what quests you’ve done and what you’ve already accomplished on each quest. Repeat visitors can buy their own wand, so their progress is recorded and so they can visit other MagiQuest locations (or online) while adding to their own profile. (Of course, the store in front as all sorts of trinkets to buy in order to ‘personalize’ the wands, too.) When we got there, we were given a Magic Wand and a pamphlet sized guidebook, or Ancient Book of Wisdom, to use along our ‘quest.’ The Magic Wand worked as a sort of remote control to trigger things to happen along the way. We’d point the wand at a treasure chest and it would open to reveal the loot inside. We’d point it at a forest scene and the monitor would reveal a nymph or wizard who would grant us a charm or give us a clue for our next step. Shawn figured out that the wand caused things to happen, though he didn’t always point he wand at the hidden sensors in the scenery just right, so he’d start shaking it wildly in hopes that something would react to it. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t! He really liked pointing at the gemstones that would light up in different colors. Later, we actually went on a quest to find all of the gems and Shawn was thrilled to revisit them, so we already knew where most of them were. Along our quests we found a Pixie, learned from a wizard, fought a goblin, and tricked a dragon. Though it’s a good thing we could use Shawn as our excuse to be in this living video game, I can honestly say we had a good time and it was fun to act like kids running around on secret quests through dungeons!
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