Playtime!

Rai LOVES to run, climb, and get into all kinds of trouble. :-) In fact, we've noticed that he tends to nap better when he's completely worn out. Although he loves to play in the back yard, our tiny, sloped yard doesn't lend well to active play. Instead, Rai has learned from his Daddy that pulling weeds isn't so bad. But as much as I love how our yard now looks, pulling weeds doesn't wear him out. Soccer is still quite popular, both inside and outside, but it doesn't hold his attention very long. In the last few weeks, we've visited nearly every park and playground in the area, and with temperatures reaching 100 degrees by mid-morning, we've taken a liking to the mall playgrounds and rec. center classes.

Rec. Center 1's Play (12 months to 24 months)
At the recommendation of our social worker, I signed up for a 1-year-old class that meets up to three times each week at a local recreation center. The class has songs, musical instruments, and organized play as well as a before/after free-for-all with age-appropriate toys. It has been hilarious to watch Rai in this context. As soon as we enter the gym, he goes nuts and plays with nearly every toy (i.e. climbing mats, riding toys, and his favorite - playhouse). He doesn't sit too long in our circle time but will at least stand on my legs without much of a fuss. In the first week, he won the other moms over with his big nod response to the "Rai, Rai, Are you here?" (He was the only child to respond at all to the song. Yay!) During our parachute activity (where all the children go to the center and sit on the parachute), he watches the other children carefully and waves to me as I help the other moms turn the parachute in circles. Yesterday, he started running up to the other children and waving and scared off two little girls. Whether it's overstimulation of activity and colors or a new-found curiosity in others, he is certainly worn out by the 45 minute class!

Mall Playgrounds
We've visited nearly all the mall playgrounds in a 30-mile radius of our home, and Rai certainly has his favorites. The closest mall playground is in major need of repair (i.e. duct tape on worn-out toys) but it's convenient enough for short playtime in the mornings. The farthest mall we visited has a carousel (BIG plus for this little guy) and a nice playground that is padded from head to toe. On Monday, we visited the farthest playground and Rai impressed himself by learning to climb up a large slide, previously off limits since it doesn't have steps. He still makes the "oooooo-huh" sounds which immitate my strains when I pick him up, so the big climb on Monday was quite amusing. He's also started intensly studying how the carousel works. I assume he has big plans to make a carousel of his own, but that's just my thinking. :-) In any case, he looked up almost the entire ride on Monday that other children near him started looking up to see what all the fuss was about. It was a Kodak moment.

Today, Rai had a bit of a scare at the closest mall playground. Several children (about 5-7 years old) started playing tag while Rai was preoccupied with the various tunnels. (He likes to climb in, look for me, and give a big wave.) Unfortunately, one of the boys ran into the same tunnel as Rai, knocked him over, and blocked his view of me before I could do or say anything. At the same time, another boy did this on the other side, trapping poor Rai in the middle. I almost made it to the tunnel fast enough to pull him out before they both ran out. This all happened in a matter of seconds, but Rai wouldn't get down from my grasp for a good five minutes. No tears - just clung on to me for dear life. The boys started to settle down, so Rai went back to tunnel wandering. Only minutes later, the same thing happened and I had to rescue him from the middle. By then, he had had enough so we left.

It troubles me that some parents don't pay any attention to their children and disregard rules, such as height/age requirements for these play areas. I can't say that I'm surprised, just troubled. I vow never to be that parent who merely talks on a cell phone while my child plays in public. Rai has learned many lessons, such as sharing (when a child waits patiently, or sometimes not so patiently, when Rai is playing with a toy) and conflict management (when a child if Rai is too close to a toy he/she is playing with), to a certain extent because of these experiences.

Aside from Play: Big Helper
Rai now puts his cups and other non-breakable eating/drinking utensils in the sink all by himself and will even put his dirty clothes in the laundry basket in our room each morning. Aaron has also taught him to help with the cleaning (no chemicals of course). I laughed when I heard that Aaron handed Rai a shower scrubber, said "Rai go scrub the shower," and he DID! It's amazing how much he understands. Aaron, of course, helped him, but Rai was awfully proud of himself for helping with the cleaning. Rai was helping me fold the laundry, but Aaron commented that some of his clothes are a bit stretched. We might need to stick to towels. :-) Rai still likes to vacuum and will push the floor attachment back and forth across the entire living room, kitchen, and dining room. It's funny to think that just a few months ago I wondered when I would have time to get anything done. Now, our house looks great as each chore becomes a new game. It will only be a matter of time before we need to start rewarding him with an allowance.