(This picture has nothing to do with the post, it just cracks me up.)
November has come and we are officially entered into our second year of winter quarantine. This year is not as strict as last year. Our main goals this year are to avoid crowds, which means Scarlette and I do our shopping as soon as the stores open in the middle of the week. Scarlette stills sits in an infant seat cover to keep her from touching the cart (I ditched our old one in favor of this one from my sister because it covers all of the cart that she can reach, it’s comfy AND it’s easy to get on with one hand while wrangling a toddler with the other.)
The most important thing this year is to stay clear of anyone who is/has recently been sick and keeping up the constant handwashing. In fact, when we are at the store the doctor told me to carry wet-wipes and wash my hands in between touching whatever I take off the shelves and touching Scarlette. You can imagine that this makes people think that I am completely neurotic.
But! Not as much as how last week we went to our final playgroup of the year and one of the little girls wiped her runny nose on her hands and then proceeded to grab a ball, which she sweetly tried to give to Scarlette. Except that I intercepted it and wiped it down with an anti-bacterial wipe.
Which is probably why I haven’t made many friends at playgroup.
In my defense, I did the same thing when Scarlette sneezed all over a basketball so hopefully they think I’m just a huge germophobe and not a total jerk.
Also at playgroup (where I went with no makeup and a ponytail) a little girl handed me a hula hoop and then turned to her mother, pointed at me and said “MOMMY! I just shared with that little girl!”
To which her mother kindly replied “Honey, that’s a lady.”
We did get permission to start tumbling class, since we have our own mat and there is a “you can’t come if you’re sick” policy. I’m very much looking forward to this since Scarlette wants to tumble on everything in sight.
But mostly this winter looks like a lot of staying indoors and hot apple cider.
I’ve just started doing “school” with Scarlette. This is another thing that makes people think that I am crazy. I am not assuming this. I know this because when I mention it, they say things like “That is crazy.” Then I’m like “Scarlette, tell this nice lady at playgroup all of your ABC’s.”
Just kidding I don’t do that. I’m too busy wiping down all of the rubber balls.
But Scarlette is a little girl who plays wonderfully independently (praise the Lord and pass the ammunition) but loves/craves structured interactive time. If she were allowed to be in pre-school a few days a week she’d be getting some of that during circle and center time, even in a 2 year old class. (Or at least, we did it that way back when I taught pre-school)
Right now we do morning circle time, where we try to learn our name (Scarlette sometimes calls herself “Mama” instead of “Gar-Yick.” I think this is because I so often refer to her as “Mama’s Baby.”) and we read a bible story and sing a bible song. This involves Scarlette spitting a lot during “This Little Light Of Mine.” In the afternoon we do story time, music time and a craft. It’s not much but it is structured for her to learn her colors and numbers and important things like manners. Manners are important y’all.
I got some great curriculum suggestions on facebook and I’m kind of just picking/choosing activities based on her skill level and what I want her to be learning (this month we’re learning about THANK YOU) but I’d really love any suggestions, recommendations for activities or just a general “I totally do/did this with my kid and you’re not crazy at all” comment 🙂
