Tots N Toddlers

Several of you have asked about what my regular day to day life is like at home with Brooks. We have a fairly low-key week while Eric is working with few things on the calendar. I like it that way, actually, and am glad that we're not yet too "scheduled" as a family - I'm sure soccer games, homework, youth group and choir practice are coming soon enough. However, one thing that we do look forward each week is HTB's Tots N Toddlers. It's billed as "friendship and fun for you and your little one" and it has been a great way to meet other moms at church and give Brooks a chance to run around and play with other kiddos. Not at all like Park's Moms' Groups, it's less a small group bible study and more an exercise in mass controlled chaos - a large room full of toys, babies and kids, and of course moms - each wrangling their child, enjoying biscuits and tea or "proper coffee" while trying to engage in some real conversation at all the same time.

For several weeks this spring, Brooks seemed a bit overwhelmed by the chaos... There is always quite a lot of chaos. Fifty moms/nannies plus their children can make quite a noise and Brooks seemed to get flustered by the older kids zooming by him when he was still on his hands and knees. However the last two times, since he's been confidently walking, he's jumped right in and done great! Last time, I had such fun showing him what to do with playdough. Why did it take me so long to introduce him to this fun activity?! It won't kill him if he tries to lick it off his fingers (right?!) And this past week, he just ran around finding things that could be kitchen tools and brought them back to me to bang them about and play "cooking". It was so fun to watch him at the beginnings of imaginative play.

At the end of the session, one of the church workers leads a music time. She plays several songs over the stereo and we gather the kids to sing and dance along. This is where we learned the classic British children's rhyme, Jelly on a Plate. Too funny. Ask me and Brooks to give you a demonstration on that one sometime.

Generally we jump on the bus or tube and ride home after saying goodbye. Last week it was absolutely beautiful outside and I loved strolling through the park with my neighbor friend and her daughter. Brooks passed out on the way home, so when we got there, I just wheeled him into our bedroom and he slept for a couple of hours in the stroller. All that play time really tuckers a little guy out!

Here are a few photos that I snapped over the last two visits. All the balloons and stuff you see in the last photos were from last week - They hosted a tea-party in honor of the first week of spring term, so things was a bit more, um, ... festive (read: insane!) Brooks took a balloon home and practically loved it to death!

Learning about puzzles...


Lots of nannies come with their charges, but lots of moms too. It's harder to get to know the nannies, as they usually bring a nanny friend with them.


Gathering for music time


So serious, trying to figure out if we know this song or not...


Oh, we do!! Let's get up front and dance!!


The tea party was a huge success, so many new people!


These photos show only part of the room. Well more than 70 people were there last week!


Anke, I love you. Will you marry me and always sing these great songs to me!?


This balloon is so fun! If only I could get it in my mouth!!!