Swimming Upstream

Every morning Kate hopefully inquires if it is Friday. A week ago she started a gymnastics class, which she lives for now. Half of the excitement is for the gymnastics and half of the excitement is for the blue shiny leotard that makes her eyes sparkle. She has done some pretty amazing things already like a backward roll, back hip circle on a bar, walking backward on a balance beam, and a front roll on a balance beam. She loves to stand on one foot like a flamingo and jump and twirl on the trampoline. My favorite part is to see her smiling out in the gym and occasionally she’ll look over to the observation room to make sure I’m still watching and give me a big wave.

Much to the amazement of everyone on the East Coast I have not signed Kate up for a preschool. When I tell people that they look at me as if I am throwing away all chances my daughter has at a happy, productive life. I hope not. I am going to work with Kate at home this year and continue to take her out on adventures in and around the city. I do want to introduce her to some situations where she is learning from someone other than me. I figure she gets that in primary. Now she has gymnastics and a monthly program at Bartrum’s Garden called Little Explores that starts next week; they will be learning how to make apple cider.

We have kept ourselves very busy this week rediscovering some of our favorite Philadelphia haunts and connecting with friends. It is very apparent that my girls are a year older now. The double stroller is still in the dungeon. I push the single stroller around the city while Kate rides her bike next to me. She learned what crosswalks are and waits for the blue man to come and tell her it’s okay to cross. She rode over 6 miles this week going to and from playgroups and outings.

We also ventured out in the suburbs this week to play with another Wharton family, the Mortensons, who have two girls ages 4 and 2. Kate and Lucy were instant best friends and disappeared upstairs to play. Jane took a few minutes to warm up but then she and Sarah were deep in pretend play. We went to get the little ones for lunch, but the princesses having a tea party were too busy to attend. It was so cute to see them playing together we didn’t have the heart to break it up for a PB&J.

Jane is becoming very independent. She wants to do everything “by myself!” I have had to add a few minutes to my get-out-of-the-house routine to accommodate this current phase. As long as her blood sugar is up and she’s not trying to do something on her own she is so cute and sweet. She will come up to you and give you a hug and say, “I love you!” without even being prompted, and she remembers to thank Heavenly Father for everything and everyone she can think of in her prayers.

Recruiting is in full swing at Wharton.... AND WE DON’T HAVE TO PARTICIPATE!!! Josh is able to focus on his classes and has even made it home for dinner or at least the girls’ bedtime a few times this week. A lot of the second years must be rather burned out from last year or so worried about recruiting that they are trying to ease up on their class schedules this year. Josh, typical Josh, is taking a whole load of hard classes. I’m glad. We are paying for the EDUCATION after all!

I had an experience that got me thinking this week. While I was sitting in the observation room at gymnastics with the other parents, one lady was talking to her friend about the cost of daycare. (You can’t help but eavesdrop on the conversations of others since you are all in a 10 square foot space). She was recounting a conversation she had had with her husband about how they needed to decrease the amount of money they were paying for daycare. At some point in the conversation her husband suggested she quit her job. Then with a tone of ridicule and distain she said, “Yeah, right. Then I would be stuck running a daycare!”

Wouldn’t that be horrible to actually be a mother! So, what happened in our society to make having a baby cool, but nurturing your child a lowly task? Why is pushing papers at an office so much more valuable and fulfilling than running a household? Is it the business suit and heels rather than the scroungy t-shirt and flip flops? Kate and Jane fixed my hair the other day. I looked pretty schnazy I tell you, but I would hope that there are things we value in life more than perfect hair. I watched a documentary about WWII which said that daycares started up during the war when women had to go to work while their husbands were away fighting. I understand the importance of having arrangements for child care outside the home when needed. But, was building airplanes in a factory really so much more fulfilling that when the war was over the women didn’t want to go back? The daycares certainly didn’t go away and now taking care of children and sewing and cooking and cleaning are spoken of with distain. I wonder if as a society we will ever value homemaking again? If we go to all the trouble to have babies (and even look cute pregnant!) it seems like teaching them and loving them and establishing a happy home in which they can grow up might be an important enough task on which to focus your life, or at least respect. But who am I, a housewife, to understand such things.