Rhythm

We only have three classes left in our Music Together session, and I'm considering signing up for one more session after this. I doubt we'll keep it up once Isaac starts school two days a week in the fall, however. (Yes, we took the plunge and enrolled him in the preschool!)

I think he enjoys the music class, although he alternates between smiling widely and burying his face in his hands. When he gets really overwhelmed he even hides in my lap! Only certain activities seem to trigger the hiding response -- not plain old singing, but nursery rhymes and chants, especially those with exaggerated facial expressions and gestures. He loves to watch the teacher recite these, but as soon as she looks his way, he needs to hide.

But playing rhythm instruments is by far his favorite part of class. He gets very excited! When the teacher got out the box containing the sticks that you see in this photo, Isaac leaped to his feet and was at her side before she even set the box down in the middle of the room. He was the first one to grab up a pair of sticks, and then he was the only one to stand up while playing them.

He always stands up and sways back and forth while he plays, whether he shakes a tambourine, rattles jingle bells, or hits a resonator bar with a little mallet. He seems to have rhythm -- but only while he's playing an instrument. When it's time to dance around with a scarf, for example, his enthusiasm wanes. In fact, instead of waving around his tie-dyed scarf during the dancing part of class, he usually uses it to pretend to clean the mosaic windows you see in the background of this photo.