Hey, did I tell you we were starting a new dance class (well, it was tumbling, but Ally liked to call it dance)? Oh. Did I tell you we quit the last one? oh. Well, consider yourself told. Remember a long time ago, that very first dance class we signed up for and how the class dwindled away and we were left all by our lonesone? Yeah, that kinda happened to the second place we went also. During summer it was great. Then the teacher left and a new one came. Then we got another new one. She couldn't have been more than 16 years old and had no idea how to control the kids. Then, people started dropping out. Hannah (Ally's day care friend) showed up occasionally, but not regularly, because of some problems at home (I think her parents are getting divorced. I feel so sad for Hannah). Then it happened. Allly was the only one there one night. So I left and said I'd find another one. Ally wasn't real thrilled, but she never knows what day it is and forgot to ask about it anymore.
I talked to another mom from day care a long time ago and found out that Maggie was in a dance class. And actual dance class with tap shoes and leotards and everything. So I went to that one one night and checked it out. Ally hated it. She wanted to go back to her old dance class with Hannah. Maggie wasn't there that night. It was mostly older girls, and Ally wouldn't leave my side. I thought it looked like it might be too old for her, and just decided to put it on hold for a while and think about it after the holidays. Then, Sandy - Maggie's mom - called me and said she heard we went and that they would be going back in January. Hooray. I liked the idea of this place because it's like 4 minutes from the house. We have enough time to go home and eat before, so we don't always have to be going to McDonalds on dance night. Plus, she told me that another little girl from daycare was in the class too.
So last night we went. We got there early to get the shoes and leotarda nd all. her friends weren't there yet, and Ally still wasn't too happy. But then maggie got there. Ally didn't do much to start and didn't want to let go of me. But they got out maracas, and Ally loves them. She shook them for a while and forgot she wasn't supposed to be having fun. None of the other parents stay in the room for this class, so as soon as she started to forget me, I sneaked out. I sat in the adjoining room with 6 other moms and had adult conversation for a while. yes, it was mostly centered around the kids, but it was whining free! There is a camera in the dance rooms and i could watch to see if Ally was adjusting. Mostly she was, but I did see the teachers have to reign her in a couple times. Which just made me even more thankful that I didn't have to be in direct supervision. I hope this class works out.
As an added bonus, I traded phone numbers with the parents of Ally's friends and we're going to meet at the McDonalds playland on Sunday morning. Cool.
However, when we got home Anya was screaming. Rob said she noticed I was gone about 20 minutes in and crawled to the gate and cried. He took her on a tour of the house (He had to do this with Ally all the time. If I left, she didn't believe that I wasn't just hiding downstairs. He'd pick her up and carry her through the house showing her I wasn't in any of the rooms or closets. Then, she'd be satisfied and go on playing) but it didn't work. When he'd proven I wasn't there, it Pissed. Her. Off.She screamed and screamed. He couldn't calm her down. I'm not sure how hard he tried. He doesn't really know how to distract babies very well. He loses patience pretty easily. Anyway, she calmed down when I picked her up and nursed for a little while to settle down. Then she smiled and giggled and played the rest of the evening. She had the nerve to crawl off my lap across the couch to Rob and laugh at him, mere moments after stopping with the screaming.
She's going to have to learn, because there's not any place for her to play at the dance place. She can't go with us.