I think of all of these things that I want to write about, until I have my tablet in front of me. Lately the girls have been SUPER active! They love to run all over. Finding the playground difficult and stressful (and full of dangerous situations when you have to have your eyes on two little ones) we have signed up for Gymboree (indoor, padded, playground with a weekly class and four open gym playtimes that we can go to).
Originally I signed up for one month of classes. It is a bit pricey, but we had money from the girls' bday and Christmas. So I figured that was a good use for it but we would only do it for the one month. Then a friend and I took her daughter and the girls to the park together. We figured three kids, two adults...we'd be ok. The second her cute little feet hit the ground, Kasey books it towards the mini-merry-go-round (which at this point is spinning at 50MPH thanks to a group of 9 year olds). So I quickly scoop up Kasey and put her in the baby swing. My friend pushes Kasey and her daughter in the swings (and Kasey is so little that the weight of other kids swinging actually cause her to swing too!). Sydney heads for the climber for littler ones (no issues there). She goes up the steps and heads toward the slide...SHOOT! I'm behind her on the climber, how to I make sure she doesn't fall off the top of the climber AND be the at bottom of the slide?! I get her to the top of the slide, then hold her arm as I climb down next to the slide and --whew we are ok.(Still stressful and that's with Kasey occupied in the swing with my friend)
So there was a lot of that. Rushing to help one onto something, then run to catch the other twin before she ran into the big kids swinging, then back to stop the first twin from climbing up the slide, then back to the other twin who is about to get her hands stepped on....sigh...I'm stressed just writing this.
So Gymboree it is!!!!
I love our gym class. We play, sing, chase bubbles. Then open gym we just run around. There are places for them to climb, and yes they can fall but there are mats AND a teacher watching all the kids AND other parents who watch out for the other kids too! The girls (especially Sydney who loves this) can run from one end of the room to the other. Sydney often does this looking a lot like Maria from The Sound of Music spinning on the hillside (arms spread out, mouth open-- not singing but certainly making LOTS of noise!).
They learn to share when someone else is on the toy they want, they do trip and fall and cry (but that happens!), they get to climb and slide and rock and run. Probably most important- they are safe from running into the street, there are no 9 year olds spinning scary rusty playground equipment at 50 MPH, there are no big kids who will step on their hands, and I can breathe and play with my girls. My heart isn't racing, I can play with them 1 on 1 (switching back and forth of course), they have fun and it is something that the three of us can do--without help---without my blood pressure and stress level going through the roof.
Once the girls are older and understand how to stay together, we can try the park again. But really unless I can pay the sitter to come with us, or we have family in town, or hubby is home and we can go as a family... we will budget to be able to go to open gym and Gymboree class!!!
Originally I signed up for one month of classes. It is a bit pricey, but we had money from the girls' bday and Christmas. So I figured that was a good use for it but we would only do it for the one month. Then a friend and I took her daughter and the girls to the park together. We figured three kids, two adults...we'd be ok. The second her cute little feet hit the ground, Kasey books it towards the mini-merry-go-round (which at this point is spinning at 50MPH thanks to a group of 9 year olds). So I quickly scoop up Kasey and put her in the baby swing. My friend pushes Kasey and her daughter in the swings (and Kasey is so little that the weight of other kids swinging actually cause her to swing too!). Sydney heads for the climber for littler ones (no issues there). She goes up the steps and heads toward the slide...SHOOT! I'm behind her on the climber, how to I make sure she doesn't fall off the top of the climber AND be the at bottom of the slide?! I get her to the top of the slide, then hold her arm as I climb down next to the slide and --whew we are ok.(Still stressful and that's with Kasey occupied in the swing with my friend)
So there was a lot of that. Rushing to help one onto something, then run to catch the other twin before she ran into the big kids swinging, then back to stop the first twin from climbing up the slide, then back to the other twin who is about to get her hands stepped on....sigh...I'm stressed just writing this.
So Gymboree it is!!!!
I love our gym class. We play, sing, chase bubbles. Then open gym we just run around. There are places for them to climb, and yes they can fall but there are mats AND a teacher watching all the kids AND other parents who watch out for the other kids too! The girls (especially Sydney who loves this) can run from one end of the room to the other. Sydney often does this looking a lot like Maria from The Sound of Music spinning on the hillside (arms spread out, mouth open-- not singing but certainly making LOTS of noise!).
They learn to share when someone else is on the toy they want, they do trip and fall and cry (but that happens!), they get to climb and slide and rock and run. Probably most important- they are safe from running into the street, there are no 9 year olds spinning scary rusty playground equipment at 50 MPH, there are no big kids who will step on their hands, and I can breathe and play with my girls. My heart isn't racing, I can play with them 1 on 1 (switching back and forth of course), they have fun and it is something that the three of us can do--without help---without my blood pressure and stress level going through the roof.
Once the girls are older and understand how to stay together, we can try the park again. But really unless I can pay the sitter to come with us, or we have family in town, or hubby is home and we can go as a family... we will budget to be able to go to open gym and Gymboree class!!!