Music, Ballet, and Swimming, Oh, My!

Poor Sarah.  After getting a taste of school last fall, and learning to love it, she had to leave her new friends and move east in November.  With no four-year-old kindergarten in M*ssachusetts and no reasonable (cost- and travel-wise) preschool option, she's been stuck at home with Mom and Dad full-time all winter. 

To enrich her life a bit, and keep us all reasonably sane, we've gone a little overboard (for us) on special classes.  She's been attending pre-ballet, M*sic Together, and swimming classes.

The pre-ballet class is Sarah's favorite, by far.  It takes place in a beautiful ballroom in an old school.  You could have knocked me over with a feather when, at the first meeting, she trotted off with the teacher and other students without hesitation.  What a difference from last summer (http://afamilyonfiveacres.blogspot.com/2012/06/jokes-on-me.html). 

She is completely focused during the class and works very hard at the various movements.  I get to peak through curtains on the floor-to-ceiling windows.  Lately, she's intent on teaching me the moves at home.  I think she will be continuing dance class of some sort.

First position, demi-plié (I think)

 

Sarah and her teacher

 

As the name suggests, I do the M*sic Together class with her, and we both have a lot of fun.  She started out a bit shy, but she's really come out of her shell and participates fully, requesting certain songs and offering suggestions for verses.  Her favorite song is "They Come Back," about caregivers always returning (still a bit of separation anxiety, I think).  We're between sessions right now, and she's eager to return to class on Thursday.

 

Then there's swimming.  Last year, we tried class on her own but were able to drop back to the parent-child one when that wasn't working (http://afamilyonfiveacres.blogspot.com/2012/08/olmpic-spirit.html).  This year, she's too old for the parent-child class at the Y, so we had no choice but to stick with a regular class. 

 

The class is indoor, of course, in a three-to-four-foot-deep pool.  She got into the water fine during the first session but refused to leave the side of the pool when the instructor took the other kids swimming off with marshmallow sticks (sticks with floats on both ends).  She's done this for five weeks now. 

 

There's a little boy in the class who lives on our street and will likely be in kindergarten with Sarah in the fall.  I enjoy talking with his mom and was hoping Sarah would make friends with him.  Hard to do when they're at opposite ends of the pool, however! 

 

It's hard to say how much of her behavior is fear and how much is stubbornness at this point.  If I know one thing about Sarah, it's that pushing her only leads to full-blown defiance, so I'm mustering as much patience as possible.   I figure as long as she gets in the water, perhaps she's learning something.  I make a point of paying attention to the kids who are participating and cast furtive glances her way to make sure she hasn't gone under.

 

We walk past a playground on the way to lessons each week, and she always asks if she can play after class.  It's been too cold, but now that the weather is warmer, I've decided to try using it as an incentive.  Last week, I told her if she participates in lessons, she can play on the playground.  Carrot, carrot, carrot.  If that doesn't work, maybe ice cream, ice cream, ice cream.  :)