Wednesday, September 8, 2010

first day of preschool

Yesterday (Tues) was your very first day of preschool. It was a surreal day for me, one that lived in the farthest corner of my mind, I knew the day would come.. but really, I never truly believed it would. I thought you'd stay some form of baby for all time, and leaving you with strangers and other kids who might bite or steal your toys would never be a worry! HA!
Your preschool happens to be the church we go to weekly (most of the time), so you were 100% used to the classroom and all the things in it. You had a meet-the-teacher last week, and you seemed to really dig your teachers, one in particular, who was the younger of the two ladies. This might be your first crush.
So, yesterday morning, we go about our morning as usual, and I don't say too much about it being your first day of preschool - because if I have learned one thing about you (and toddlers all round the world), it's that they are UNPREDICTABLE. As sure as you are wanting to endlessly discuss the joys of preschool one minute, you will show fiery hatred towards the thought of it the next. So I didn't even chance it! At one point you said 'mmmm... don't wanna go to preschool, wanna stay home instead'... and I actively ignored that statement altogether!
I took some pics of you about 30 minutes before we left, as I didn't want to wait til right before we left - lest I piss you off with endless picture taking. It was pouring rain outside, so we couldn't do any cute outdoor pictures. The damp garage had to do. Your backpack and lunchbag just happened to beautifully coordinate with your first-day outfit. I didn't even plan that! And yes yes, your hair is sticking straight up. But this is it's WAY. And fighting it is futile. We're in an in-between stage of growing out the top so it will lay more flat, so in the meantime, I take passive-aggressive comments from other mothers about the importance of haircuts and just smile.
We left and got there early (surprise surprise) and you lounged in the church couches and chairs for a while. One of our friends came, and I chatted with them, then it was time to sign in..  so we went over, and you were SO impatient to go in. It wasn't quite time yet, but you kept asking me 'wanna go in the room!'...  Eventually it was time, and I dropped your lunchbag/nap mat/backpack off in your own little laundry baskets and you went in. I had to say 'hey, where's my hug and kiss??!' and you came back like a sweet little boy and indulged me with a kiss. :)  Then you went off to your favorite area, the puzzle corner. I saw one of the teacher's 11 year old daughter come over to play with you - then I left. Ok, not really..  I hovered at the door, careful for you to not spot me, but yes, I hovered. Then I realized that you probably had no clue that this was not ACTUALLY church, and were quite content with playing like you always do, til I come back in an hour to get you!

I then had a wonderfully full day (5 hours) to myself. I grocery shopped - I practically skipped through the aisles - and when the register broke when I went to check out, I was all cool as a cucumber, because child, who I love and adore and cherish, you were not there to let it be known what an inconvenience to you this was! I made oatmeal raisin cookies, so you could have a special snack when I picked you up. I had to go back to the store because I forgot something on the list (not a tragedy at ALL when you are unencumbered!). I bought Gizmo's special food at Petsmart - which is probably the only time this year I've gone to Petmsart without you. It was weird. I did laundry. I washed dishes. I washed and dried my hair - which was seriously pleasant, as I was not forced to sing songs while you sat on the toilet, belting out song requests. I read in my book and some trashy gossip magazine. I watched a few minutes of The View. It was quite blissful!
At 1:50 I went to pick you up and got the surprise of my life when I saw you conked out in your nap mat, by the door. There were kids awake and talking, and things going on, but you were still out like a light! I think my jaw hit the floor because I literally did NOT expect you to nap. You had been having various sleep problems lately, add to the fact that you have never slept around other kids before - much less 11 of them - and I was flabbergasted. She said you slept the entire naptime.
So I kneel by you, and you sleepily open your eyes and see me, and you say 'mommy gonna come pick you up...' I can imagine this was your mantra that day. :)
The teacher said you did so fantastic - she said she would have bet that this was not your first year of preschool. She seemed quite impressed with how well you did! I never had a doubt.
We left and you wolfed down your cookie in the car and told me how you popped bubbles and that Mrs Larkin is preeetty!
I am so very grateful your first day wasn't a traumatic one. I won't get cocky and expect every preschool day to be seamless. I know the novelty might wear off and you might cry and go through phases of this and that. In fact, just today I asked you if you were excited about preschool again tomorrow, and you said 'no, it makes me angry!!' - what the heck??! Each day is a crapshoot. But for now, I will be very grateful that your very first day was a huge success. :)

Thursday, September 2, 2010

29.5 months

A few notables for the moment.......

* Sometimes, I will be here on the computer for a minute or two (very true, no more than this or you go NUTS wanting to get on with me) and sometimes during those times, you will build large and small lego towers and bring them to me and ask me to kiss them. You'll ask for LOTS of BIG kisses for the big towers, and leeeeetle kisses for the little towers. One time, I gave the tower a few kisses and then you went to go, but turned and stopped and said 'now how bout some for Andrew?' O, you know I gave you BIG kisses!

* On our way to Grandpa's house one day, your father was trying to remember a funny story from earlier that day - he was saying "so, I asked him if his favorite animal was an elephant, and he said no.. it was a...  and I totally forget what he said, but it was so funny!!!" and you piped in loudly with "Daddy, I said lobster!!!" And we all got a good laugh.

* One day, when we returned home from errands, I had a few bags to bring in so I told you to go on in and wait for me inside. You stood there in the open garage door, VERY impatient-like, and yelled at me 'come on Mommy! You're letting all the flies in!'  I wonder where you heard that??! Surely not ME, every day, at least 12 times a day..........

* You are quite conscientious of clean versus dirty underwear. Sometimes when you'll use the potty, and then go to put your undies back on, you'll see the faintest of skid marks (yes, it all started when you were two!) and you'll hold them out and say 'oh no!!! there's poop in em!!!' And you'll scamper off for fresh clean ones. One day, hopefully more than 2 decades from now, you likely won't even care about the slightest of skid marks...

* Every night we play Rock Band (well, you and your father do, mostly, while I relax for two songs) and you LOVE the Beatles ones. You recognize Beatles songs on the radio now...  the other day Hello Goodbye was on, and you perked up and went 'heeeey, I like this song!'. Your all-time faves are Yellow Submarine, Paperback Writer, and Can't Buy Me Love. However, you call it 'Buy Me Some Love'. So cute.

* We went and rode the mini-train. You looooved riding the train/seeing the train/hearing the train/talking about the train. Though, when we do ride it, cute photo opps are at a premium because you go into a very zen-like trance. Every time we would go over a bridge, or see one, you'd gasp so loud and say 'we're gonna go over a bridge!!!!' It takes so little. And you also looked around and asked 'maybe we will see aunt Kelly...!!!' because last time you rode it, you sat with her. :( That was the highlight of your year!

* We talk about how Jesus is always with you - and things like that. Well, one day, close to naptime (and you had been having some naptime anxiety lately), you randomly said, 'Jesus is always with you...' and I said you are RIGHT! You know why? And you said 'because Jesus lives in your heart!'....  talk about a sweet smart boy!

* You now ride a trike with wild abandon. With a helmet, because you took a spill - so we now enforce it 100% of the time. You love to go fast, and you always announce before you take a turn on a sidewalk that 'there's a biiig turn coming up!' And, you always throw your legs out to stop yourself before you go flying into thr street at the end of a sidewalk. Which is a good thing because sometimes we aren't as fast as you!