Exciting Opportunities
The Reston Community Center catalog came in the mail a couple days ago. It’s always exciting when it arrives because–especially now that Yessa is 3–there are so many great opportunities for young and old. (How funny that I, who balk at any sort of direction or intervention by outsiders, allow my children’s schedules to be at least partially dictated by the person who sets the time for classes at the Reston Community Center?! Hmmm, best not to think about that too hard.)
I sit down and read through the catalog, ear-marking the classes I think the children would enjoy, and that fit into our schedule. Then, I present the options to the offspring, and they choose what interests them. It’s a lotto system for the most popular classes, so we never know what we’ll get to take until the magic email shows up, telling us what we’ve “won.”
The Buster and Yessa were simple. Both were adamant about taking swimming lessons. Luckily, their ages line up so nicely for classes right after the other, on the same days of the week. They also both were semi-interested in a tumbling class. Yessa not so interested because of having to leave me, until she learned the Buster would be in the class, too. That made her smile and agree.
Monkey was tougher. The only swimming classes for her age were on Saturday mornings or at 5:30 on weeknights. I try to hold weekends sacred for Buddie time, and I don’t like to be out in traffic at 5:30 p.m. during the winter, so I told her that swimming lessons weren’t really an option this session. She’s also been interested in Tae Kwon Do–also only on Saturdays–and there was an art class I thought she’d enjoy.
The art class was easy for both of us to pick. Right at the Community Center we can walk to, during the week.
The swimming and tae kwon do I had to process through. I am laying stock of camping supplies so that come Spring we can get right back out there. (Thank you freecycle for the fantastic cooler yesterday!) But these classes only run till March, and once we return from Costa Rica, there are no weekend plans for awhile. Plus, with the UUCF Auction barreling toward me, there are plenty of weekends when I’m at church for several hours on Sunday morning, so obviously I haven’t held the weekends completely sacred.
So, we compromised. She picked one of the Saturday commitments–TKD won out, and we’ll give it a shot. It’s a really inexpensive way to see if she actually enjoys it. If she does, we can switch to a class at a studio during the week.
For now I’m enjoying the anticipation of learning what classes they get to take. Once we are settled into the new schedule, I’m sure I’ll start grousing about how, “We’re too busy.”
The excitement is fun for now.
