Anna the Sub-contractor - Day 628

This is one of Anna at the National Building Museum. They have a room called the building zone where they have all sorts of toys with a building theme. Here she is with her work goggles and hat. She also likes to wear her overalls and toolbelt (see picture below).

Anna started music class last Thursday and she really likes it; however, the class is a bit on the touchy-feely side. The idea is that we (the parents and nannies) sing and do everything, while the kids do whatever they want. The theory goes that the child will eventual be exposed to different songs, sounds and instruments and choose what s/he wants to do. Ok, this sounds fine and I am sure there is a sound logic to it, but while Anna is 'finding' herself, I am sitting in a circle with other caregivers pretending a handkerchief is a bird and waving it around. When I look over my shoulder, Anna is just spinning around in a circle in the corner trying to get dizzy. I sighed a big relief when the song ended, hoping the next song would let kids 'find' themselves with drums or something else, then the class leader said, "Let's sing that one again." Fortunately, Anna finally realized that while she was spinning around, another kid took her handkerchief and Anna started to cry. Seeing an opportunity, Daddy quickly relinquished his 'bird' so she would be happy...and of course, I was quickly provided another handkerchief to replace my loss -- back to the birds.

Anna is also a regular at a local coffee shop called Firehook. Every morning we go there and get a banana nut muffin. Anna, of course, knows this and starts calling for her muffin a few blocks before we get there. The staff and many regular customers also know her. One lady who works behind the counter always asks Anna if she wants a muffin and Anna usually yells out for the whole establishment to hear, "Muffin please. Muffin please." This will continue no less than thirty times. Anna calls the person who gives her the daily muffin, "Lady Muffin."

We have also started to teach Anna manners. A story in one of her books talks about some kids (Bop and Bonk) who have bad manners. Well, Anna understands when she has done something that is considered bad manners and will usually recount to Kerry later on the handful of instances where she has had bad manners during the day. Today, she threw a plate on the floor and looked at it on the floor, then looks at me and says, "that's bad manners."

But Anna is also in a catch-22 situation where she knows she shouldn't do some things, but she needs to perform them to learn what not to do. Misbehaving is bad manners, but learning is good. For instance, she likes to imitate previously undiscovered bad manners like rocking in her chair and says, "Bop and Bonk rock in chairs, that's bad manners." Yes, you are right, now stop rocking in the chair....

Ok, here is one more picture of Anna at the building zone in her work clothes.

Anna's swimming is also going very well. For a while, she didn't want to go anymore, but after a few 'forced' swimming lessons, she now loves it. It helped that the last instructor was really good and sang songs while swimming like Row Your Boat and The Wheels on the Bus. We also tell her she is a really good kicker, which she is, and she just starts kicking away whether she is in her stroller, bathtub, or at the swimming pool. All in all, she is having way too much fun as the weather has gotten nicer. Unfortunately, she presently has a cold (her second one since being born) and she doesn't realize that she needs to curtail her active days.