amazing

i had been dreading this past saturday for over a month.  it was the first saturday since the kids started back at the gym that jeremy had to work.  since Q's class is kids-only, his isn't a problem as pickle can chill in the lobby with me.  but caroline's class is still parent-participation, leaving no one to watch Q.  we haven't found (or really even looked for) a go-to baby-sitter (just not ready to trust people i don't already know with these little monsters.)  so i was sad for pickle because i thought she would have to miss her class and then be further tortured by having to watch Q at his a little while later.

 

the lobby at the gym is only separated from the actual gym part by a low counter and other parents leave their (much older than Q) other children in the lobby, amused with coloring books or video games.  i began to wonder if Q could entertain himself for a whole hour.  i figured it was worth a shot – worst case scenario he sucked at it and we would bail.  the other option was no class at all, so it seemed worth it.  on friday i started telling Q about a deal i would make with him… if he was a good boy in the lobby during caroline's class, i would get him a new bug at target (we hit up the bullseye every week between their classes since we have 1.5 hours to kill, it's right next door, and we can do grocery and other essentials shopping there.)  we kept talking about it all night and started right back with it when he got up. i prepped a bag of goodies to amuse him during her class.  he selected a few of his favorite monster trucks and a couple of other toys, and i added some snacks and a juice box.  i also gave him my phone since he is quite adept at turning it on, opening youtube, and locating monster truck videos.

 

i watched him like a hawk throughout the whole class to make sure he didn't bolt through the door.  at the beginning of class, i was sitting in the circle with pickle doing the warm-up "exercises" and i looked over and Q was doing them along with the class.  i probably spent more of the hour watching him than i did watching caroline.  he was quite content to line up his trucks along the counter and stage his imaginary monster jam races, just like he does on the couch at home.  he ate 3 packs of fruit snacks in the first 20 minutes.  but he was good.  so good.  like so good that 4 other mothers commented to me how good he was, one of them even saying her own 3-year old would never be capable of such good behavior.

 

bug well earned.