Now that we are officially in the terrible two’s with our baby boy Sawyer, I have been trying to find ways to use his curious nature in a positive way.
I figured it would be better to find him somewhere to climb safely than to let him break his neck trying to climb on furniture and in window seals at home. So I started investigating what might be available near our house for a 2-year-old that would give him a chance to go wild without causing me to have numerous small heart attacks as he bounced off walls or dived headfirst into and off of everything.
I decided anything that gave him a constructive way to explore and learn about the world around him without driving him and me batty was worth a shot, especially after a couple of months on the planet “No No,” where the only word in my vocabulary has been no.
I decided trying one of the toddler playgroups in the area would be a great place to start, because it would give us both a chance to meet more of our neighbors and be a great way for Sawyer to continue his toddler antics.
I had a heard about one of the local play groups Funky Cats and what a great class it was for toddlers and parents alike. But of course, Sawyer was only 8-months-old when we arrived and far from walking much less doing baby gymnastics. So I hadn’t given it much thought, until now.
After speaking with a friend who already attended the class with her daughter, I decided Sawyer and I would tag along to see what it was all about.
Funky Cats — which is a toddler gym class that incorporates soft play, sensory play and an obstacle course — is a great chance for Sawyer to not only learn balance and movement skills, but also to learn his colors, how to follow directions and how to participate in group activities. The class also teaches other skills such as developing healthy eating habits and teaches them about animals and the weather.
Sawyer had so much fun in his first class. He loved the obstacle course, where he could climb on balance beams, crawl through tunnels and touch all sorts of surfaces with his bare feet. But I am convinced his favorite part was when he was handed a feather to tickle his toes and nose. I got to play too and doubled as a basketball hoop for one exercise and his personal tunnel for another.
It is great to do anything with Sawyer that allows him to play without hearing the dreaded word no every few seconds. I never had the opportunity to do similar classes with Avery because I was always working full time, so this will be something special for Sawyer and me to share. It will also solve my fear that Sawyer misses out on a lot of the things Avery will always remember about living in England, such as going to a British school or playing cricket. I guess I am hoping Funky Cats can be one of Sawyer’s special memories of the years we are going to be lucky enough to call England home.
Amanda Creel, who was a staff writer at the Robins Rev-Up newspaper on Robins Air Force Base, is married to Staff Sgt. Justin Creel, stationed at Royal Air Force Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Contact her at acreel@macon.com.
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