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When Atti was a  baby, I had a friend who used to babysit him on Thursday mornings, so I could make it to my Civ Pro class. She would collect him in the mornings, with her two kids, and I would head over there and have lunch with them then, when he woke up from his second nap, I would head out for the afternoon. It was kind of awesome.

It was also cool because I had really wanted to join my local council's adopt-an-ederly-lonely-person program (which was I think actually called something like inter-generational visiting). They were really keen for people with small kids to do it. I simply could never lock down a specific time I honestly thought I could keep up. But this friend, who had loathed mother's group and other group activities she had tried, had instead found this altzheimers home who had a playgroup. As in people come and bring their kids, and they run a morning tea for people with altzheimers and for the parents and kids. I was rapt in it all. 

Anyway, another I mentioned it to my mother's group, and one of the new mums was interested. Her hubby is a researcher in Altz and she is a really good woman, that one. She has been going ever since. Oh and the friend that took Atti both stopped having him when he was about 7 months old and stopped going to the group. Not really sure what either of those things was about.

Anyway, I went to the home today for the playgroup. That mum from the mother's group and I have become friends, Atti loves her and her kid and her hubby and was asking if we would see them today. I didn't have plans, the weather was rubbish, I had some errands to run and I figured I could do that and then pop in at the home's playgroup.

I'm really glad I did. It was a nice morning. There were only the two of our kids, and my friend's son, J, was absolutely delighted to see us there. There are two young guys there that work or volunteer there, and they were both absolutely delightful with Atti. Atti found their piano, and was in 7th Heaven playing it. One of the guys took to dancing as Atti played and he was just thrilled about that. Most people thought his 'playing' was wonderful, but I did notice there was one elderly woman who was grimacing pretty much every time he struck a note. Oh well. And it honestly wasn't that bad - he was only keying one key at a time, so you know, it isn't that rough. Besides, they were playing Andre Rieu there, so it isn't like they have any musical taste….;p

I am definitely going to go again. I can only stay 45 mins to an hour as the time they run the group is not particularly well combined with his nap, but I can push it a little now and again. And he had a delightful time. And I like the idea that there is some community service to it - I don't feel like I do enough of that.