Tumble Tot!

Since the beginning of September and the start of the school year for older kids, Callie and I have been busy, busy, busy with lots of new activities and friends. Honestly, Callie has a more active social life than I think I've ever had and she's just turned 16 months! We are increasingly finding there just aren't enough days in the week and we are having to be selective. We are still enjoying our swimming lessons with Tara and can now climb up the ladder to the slide and come splashing down into the water with great enthusiasm at the end of each lesson! (I do catch her at the bottom!) In fact all things involving climbing, sliding, swinging and jumping are a huge hit at the moment, therefore, it's no surprise that Callie has taken to gymnastics like a duck to water! Above is her in action on the rings and bars but she also does beam, floor and trampoline for good measure! Now we've been attending the class for a few weeks and she knows what to expect, she watches the demos and then is off to be first in the line! She just points at the apparatus and takes off.... a bit of work to do on taking turns then!

We are currently waiting with anticipation for Callie's music class to start which has been postponed since the beginning of September due to the threat of swine flu! Yes, you heard right! All schools and nurseries in Bahrain have had an extended summer break this year with the youngest pupils only starting school again this week due to a government dictat. Fortunately (yet strangely) this ban did not extend to baby groups so most have continued to operate but not so the music (as her own kids are not in school!) Anyway, I am really looking forward to starting this as we haven't really done anything that is 100% music based before and this is the area I struggle with the most, not having the most melodious of voices! We did try out Kindermusik which Callie really enjoyed, but it was so expensive I just couldn't justify the cost for a one year old when I am paying less for her to attend gymnastics and swimming combined! Bahrain is just so pricey... we were so spoilt in Houston with such high standards of living for very little cost, sigh!

Anyway, at least we have playdates (and lots of them!) over the course of the week which cost nothing most of the time and have allowed Callie to gain a wide circle of friends at a very tender age. Most of her friends are a bit older, some as much as six months, which has its good and bad points. It's great that she can learn some valuable new skills from them such as how to play with play dough without putting it in her mouth, but not so good that she has just started copying some of the nearly two's contrary behaviour! Surely that should be another few months away yet!?! I thought it was the 'Terrible Twos' not the 'Terrible Not Quite One and a Halfs'!