It's Fun to Stay at the YMCA

Awhile back I wrote about this great idea I had to bring the kids to the daycare at the YMCA and slowly but surely get them used to it, so that one day I can be one of those awesome and lucky moms who can just abandon their children to the daycare and go have a nice, sweaty workout session.  Last week I started the acclimation process.  Here's how it went.


DAY 1
Had to wait to get into the childcare area while no less than 7 moms were in line picking up their kids. I had no idea I was showing up at rush hour.  We stood in a corner while I wrestled with Zack and Aliza kept AJ from tearing in there on his own.

Got in, explained about the boys and our purpose here, and went to the play/climb/shoot baskets/tumble/slide room (also known as the kid gym).  We were alone for quite a few minutes then a TON of kids came in.  AJ loved it.  Little boys chased each other and fell hard on the tumbling mats; AJ followed them running, and then fell hard on the mats right beside them.  He was all sweaty and red faced and laughing, and it was adorable.

Zack's anxiety was at defcon 5, however.  It was like he was trapped in a house on fire.  I held him as well as anyone could hold a sweaty, writhing, wailing octopus.  I was going to take him out to the hallway just to calm down and leave AJ and Aliza in there, but AJ saw us leaving and he followed.  So we left.

That was Day 1.  Not good, but not exactly unexpected.

DAY 2
So much better!  There were a bunch of littler kids in the kid gym when we got there, and AJ ran around with them pretty well.  Zack bounced back and forth, wringing his hands, in a corner for the first few minutes but then he got comfortable and started climbing and sliding and generally running around.  He really only pinched one kid, who held his arm closely and looked wide-eyed at Zack.  I went over and asked him if he was okay, and he said "yeah, I just have a mosquito bite right here."  Very sweet little boy.

But the best part was that I talked to one of the staff there who said they have several kids with autism who come in, and a couple of them, they have a specific staff person to watch that kid and follow him around and make sure he does okay.  I'm going to have to call and find out how I can get in on that deal.  One or two more times with someone helping us, and I could be one of those moms who gets to drop kids off at the childcare and go upstairs and work out!

It's so humid that my camera lens fogged up.  And yes, Zack is wearing one blue Croc and one black one.

The boys have been working in therapy on playing together in the sandbox - and this weekend they did it all by themselves!