Project 365: Week Thirty-Six

For my former teaching colleagues, the thirty-sixth week of 2013 marked the start of the new school year.  For us, it was just another week of fun at the park, at Gymboree, and here at home!  And though it was a little strange not to be amongst all of those heading back to school, I didn't once regret my decision to stay at home with Maddie and Will!

246/365:  Rockin' Out

While my friends and former colleagues were celebrating their first day of the 2013-2014 school year, Maddie, Will, and I stayed busy at Gymboree Play and Music.  Since their first class a few weeks ago, Maddie and Will have become more comfortable participating in the activities and interacting with others.  Before and after class, children can play freely during "Open Gym" time.  During class, the teacher leads children and parents in songs, parachute play, and gym activities.  Each week brings a new topic of focus:  "Through", "Up/Down", etc.  It has been fun for me to see Maddie and Will in a setting that is a bit more structured.  Maddie typically sits with me as we sing songs with the group of children and parents, while Will usually does his own thing in the gym in spite of my every attempt to include him in the group.  Maddie shies away from other children and adults, while Will is a bit more comfortable with others.  The double-sided rocking horse seen above is one of the twins' favorite Open Gym activities (Will likes to rock out on the horse during class, too!).  

247/365:  Anywhere and Everywhere

Maddie loves books, and often carries them from room to room in the house.  She's been known to take them with her to the changing table, into the car, and even on walks.  Maddie loves to listen to others read, but she also likes to page through books on her own.  Here, she flips through a library book while eating her snack on the kitchen floor.  

248/365:  Smile

Will has become quite the climber recently; attending class at Gymboree might have something to do with that.  He can now climb onto chairs and couches with ease.  While drawing with chalk on the patio on Thursday afternoon, Will climbed into a chair to proudly pose for a picture.  

249/365:  Picky Eater

Maddie isn't necessarily a picky eater, but she does have her moments.  She is much more cautious about food than Will, and she certainly takes more time to eat her food than her brother does.  On Friday afternoon, however, she just wasn't having the pepperoni pizza and green beans that I was serving for dinner.  She didn't simply leave it untouched on her tray, though - she had to place it upon her head to make her point that she wasn't interested in eating it!

250/365:  Chalk Collecting

Our Miss Maddie can be a funny little girl.  She's always seemed to appreciate order and organization.  For months now, she has been filling, emptying, and sorting.  She consistently helps me as I clean up after the twins, always putting toys back where they belong.  When objects are out of place, she typically cries until they are returned to the places in which they belong.  On Saturday, Maddie was busily emptying the chalk bucket, sorting the chalk into piles, and then filling the bucket up once again.  She never actually stopped to use the chalk for drawing.  

251/365:  Buckle Up

Will can be just as quirky as his sister.  He has become a bit obsessed with buckles lately, and seems to want to learn how to fasten a buckle on his own.  While Maddie played in the yard, Will chose instead to sit in the wagon and practice his buckling technique.  He never did get it, but with his determination, he will!

252/365:  Underfoot

One of the perks to being a SAHM is that parks, in addition to the library, stores, and the zoo, have emptied of the crowds of school children and families that populated them in the summer months.  When we went to a local park on Monday morning, we found it to be completely empty, which I was grateful for when I got on the ground to snap this picture and others like it!