Auletta hits the toddler social scene

So today we are staying home from storytime because it's 16 degrees outside and, while we both have our snow clothes, I am just sick of the cold. But we usually keep busy these days. We've been going to stay 'n' play at the library since June (since Auletta became mobile it's involved less staying and more playing), which occupies our Tuesday and Thursday mornings--used to be Wednesdays, too, but, you know, budget cuts. Then we started a music class at the Neighborhood Music School on Mondays, a Schwab Christmas git to me and Auletta. Then yesterday we went for the first time to Toddler Tunes, a by-donation program at a church up on Whitney. I sort of vaguely knew about it for a while but didn't really look into it until I thought, wait, Auletta loves music, so why aren't we going to this? It also happens Sunday afternoons. We've also been to a playgroup hosted by another mom from storytime. There is a lot of overlap as far as who does what activities: two of her classmates at the music school are kids we've met at the library, and a lot of kids who go to stay 'n' play also go to Toddler Tunes. So after three days of this, I'm exhausted anyway.

Auletta's development has really taken off in the last month or so. She still doesn't say a lot of words, but I know she understands a lot--she'll go get particular toys if I tell her, she knows some of her body parts, etc. She likes to put on shoes--mine and sometimes her own--and shuffle around the house in them, and after months of refusing to wear a hat, she will now consent to wear our hats, or even try to put them on herself, which is fine because her head is so big that they almost fit. We also played "ring around the rosy" last night, although she is still learning when she's supposed to fall down (i.e. on "we all fall down," not before, not after, and certainly not before the song starts--but that's getting better). And, as I said, she loves music. She is still somewhat reserved at all these new musical activities, but she does her junior-high style dance wherein she stands in place, bends her knees, and moves in rhythm to the music. The only difference is whether we're among other toddlers, in which case she dances to "The Wheels on the Bus," or at home, when itjavascript:void(0)'s Talking Heads. Or, um, Sir Mix-a-lot.