Kindermusik

A lady at the park last week invited us to a free class at her Kindermusik studio.  She seemed a little odd, but only in a Mr. Rogers kind of way.  And weirdness is an asset when your work involves entertaining children, right?  When I read up on-line about it, the program promised we would experience the "essence of quality time":  gazing into baby's eyes, dancing together, snuggling during story time, and twirling under a sea of scarves.  So we decided to take her up on her offer today.

We were greeted by our sweet, perky, hippie teacher (hereafter known as SPHT), and she gathered us in a circle and launched into Welcome Starshine, which has lyrics that allow each child to be greeted while doing a motion of his or her own choice.  Fletcher was first, and he and his mom chose to clap.

Welcome today, friends of mine

Welcome today, little starshine

Clap, clap for Fletcher

Clap, clap for Fletcher

Reagan chose to sway.  Campbell choo-chooed, and Ava did something darling like blow kisses. Just as SPHT began to literally sing the question, "What would little Owen like to do?", Owen darted from my lap and headed for the door.  His apparent answer:  leave.

Wave bye to Owen

Wave bye to Owen

And we never really recovered.  Owen was the anti-participant of the class.  When SPHT brought out the giant drum, the other babies positioned themselves around it like adorable convicts putting their hands on the hood of a car.  Owen squeezed between two of them and climbed onto the drum.  Three times.  That "essence of quality time" we were supposed to experience while snuggling with a book and twirling under a sea of scarves was spent fishing Owen out of the other babies' car seats and mothers' purses.  

Owen's one redeeming moment came during This Little Light of Mine when he pointed his finger.  SPHT was beside herself and heaped praise on him.  She thought it was a breakthrough moment.  I didn't have the heart to tell her that Owen spends 82% of his waking hours pointing at things these days.  The gesture was merely a statistically probable coincidence. 

As we were leaving, SPHT reminded everyone that a new Kindermusik semester begins in three weeks.  But I think I'll hold out for a program that better suits Owen's energy level and personality type.  

Like rock climbing for infants or baby paintball.

Shots courtesy of an August photo session we had with Greer.