a date with play — hello sunshine

so something i haven't shared on the blog much are the classes we take with the kids on the weekends. we've done music, kid gym and swim lessons. and during that time, it just doesn't feel right to be snapping away, totally absorbed in 'getting the shot' and 'the story.' 'cuz that's not really cool.

despite my love for this blog and sharing our lives here, this is when all of that takes a backseat. what's more important is to be in the present. put the phone away i say! i also believe that in a class setting your kid may need to know you are right there, ready to help or sing along. so, like i said, you won't see much of this on le blog.

but this particular day, at one of our favorite places for kids, was the exception. the kids were especially independent (they usually want our 100% attention) and jumped right into the days' assignment. we were able to sit back, watch, and get super mushy about how proud we were of them. the class was an art class at our neighborhood kid studio, aptly named play. play is a community space located mid-wilshire that offers music and art classes from birth to age 5. we have participated in their music and drop-in art classes. the art is especially appealing since you're creating art in a real studio as opposed to your living room. thus, avoiding potentially ruining your rug with paint and marker.

thanks for letting us trash your studio, play!

a few photos...

(Ed. note: neither of our boys painted this. Nor is it the view from Play. It's just a big, cool, photo in the studio.) — (*Ed. note: neither of our boys painted this. Nor is it the view from Play. It's just a big, cool, photo in the studio.)*

(Ed. note: those are the coolest stackable crayons!) — (*Ed. note: those are the coolest stackable crayons!)*

despite being right next to max, i still felt like a fly on the wall. i never see him look this concentrated unless he is working on his "project." he's usually a total goofball so it's always a bit weird to see him like this. i love my goofball. but i can get down with serious max, too!

knox takes direction in the form of suggestion. as in, when you help him start to color on paper, he nods and smiles. but within minutes he is drawing all over himself. and the walls. and you. because knox. during class he won't stay put for long, either. he likes to switch chairs every minute and proceed to put his own influence on other kids' collages. that knockie! you gotta love that spirit. he really just does what he wants. i admire that about him. he doesn't really care about what people think of him. he does everything the knox way.

max is more self-conscious (but extremely focused! he totally gets that from his daddy). it can take him a while to become comfortable in a class or social setting. sometimes that takes up 30 minutes of a 45-minute class. so as we're packing it up he's just getting warmed up!

so it goes.