Dancing Queen

This is from this week...and I know if I wait until I'm current to write about it I'll forget.

Olivia and I go to the gym 3-4 times a week. That may seem like a bit much, but it truly is the best for both of us. She gets to play in a room with new toys and kids that sometimes play with her, other times tolerate her playing with them :). I get to workout (albeit at my slower and wider pace these days) in peace, and get my 45 minutes to myself each morning.

She has started really looking forward to our morning ritual, even crying yesterday when we drove past the gym to go to the grocery store on what normally would be a gym morning, this being said, the gym is the source of many learning experiences for both of us. I love that O gets experience with other kids that aren't always as willing to play with her as she'd like. She has been pushed, ignored, and has improved a lot in her skills playing with other kids. I have learned that if she is going to have a blow out diaper it will inevitably be on the day that I leave the diaper bag at home, and that she loves the gym teacher more than me on most mornings :).

This was a super long set up for this funny story, but on Tuesday we were at the gym, and we have to walk past the stretching area and all the weight machines to get to the kids room, so we were doing our standard hop from tile to tile, me calling out each color, and O refusing to move from the square until I have done so at an appropriate volume. I have been giving her more independence, and have stopped holding her hand while walking indoors, as long as she stays close. Imagine my surprise and delight when she suddenly bolted over to the stretching area, stood next to a 'grandma' who was diong hip extensions, and started dancing right next to her. The woman didn't seem to mind in the least, and even took O's hand when she offered it and they danced together for a minute while I nearly died laughing. What a sweet lady, and I'm constantly impressed by the things Olivia knows and picks up on.