YEA today

This is the 2nd week in a row that we have intentionally gone to YEA! late. If DS1 is not signed up for a 9:30 class, then I am going to continue with this timing. I have been able to keep up with watching DS2 so much better, and both boys seem to enjoy the time more and not get so crabby by the end. Last week we arrived right at 10:30 for DS1's class. Today we didn't arrive until about 11. They played for about 40 minutes, then we had lunch. At 12:00 DS1 went to his cookie baking class, and I facilitated "construction and demolition" (building things with giant cardboard box blocks, then knocking them down). I was really pleased to see the kids cooperating and helping each other to build a really tall tower by the end of the hour.

During our lunch time, after DS2 was finished eating, he went over to a chalk board and WROTE HIS NAME! This is the first time he has ever done that without any help (or any prompting). I was so excited! The letters were very clear and neat, even the 'R'. And me without my camera. :-(

DS1 also made a "growing up" step. (Or maybe this was a mommy "letting him grow up" step.) While the cookies were in the oven, his class went out to the playground. He stopped on the way out and told me he was going. I let him, even though I thought there was not going to be an adult with them. Most of the kids in the class were 7-12. I think there was one other 5 year old. The playground area is fenced. After a few minutes, I went out to check. I was right, no adult. The girls were all outside the fence playing an "untangle" game, and the boys were all inside the fence climbing on the equipment playing some kind of make believe adventure. DS1 was on the slide. He hasn't joined the bigger boys in their adventures yet, which is fine with me. I asked him to promise to stay inside the fence (and not run laps around it, like he likes to do) unless an adult was out there also. The next time I saw him, he was bringing me a sample cookie from the kitchen.

DS1 is also becoming more outgoing in regard to speaking to others. He asked one of the moms to watch DS2 for us while we got the boxes out of the car; he told his teacher "thanks"; he asked her to push him on the swing after I said I was going inside; and he asked an older girl to push him later, too. DS2 interacted with the other kids on the playground more, too. It's really nice to see them interacting with other people more instead of clinging to me or even playing alone.