Rec Department Classes

This summer I managed to get Nathan signed up for two classes from the Bozeman Parks and Recreation Department.

The first was a cooking class. We were pleased to discover that Ashlinn, the little girl I used to babysit, was in the class too. They made some pretty yummy snacks and at the end of the class they got to take home a cookbook with all the recipes for the things they made. Nathan had a great time.

Nathan is a little shy and that manifests itself in an unwillingness to participate right away. He drags his feet and tells me that he hates it. Sometimes he ignores the teacher or lays down, but eventually he gets into it. Usually about five minutes before the end of the class and only after I’ve either told him he’ll be rewarded for being a good sport and participating. I’m hoping that if we do enough of these classes he’ll learn to find the reward in the class.

He’s currently taking a soccer class. I have to nudge him over to his group and employ my usual tactics to get him involved, but he’s learning things about soccer and by the time the class ends he’s fully participating. He told me dribbling is hard, but I think he’s actually enjoying it.

On Wednesday his class actually played a mini soccer game, at least as close to a game as can be expected from a group of three and four-year-olds. Nathan did a great job and even almost made a goal–but the goalie did a great job too!

I got a clue that he might be actually liking all of this when he woke up from his afternoon nap happily mumbling something about him “shooting and scoring.”