E started preschool last month - the first two weeks he didn't cry at all, due in part to the ample opportunities the school provided our whole family to spend time on the campus and with other kids in his class before the actual session. By week 3 E caught on to the fact that neither of his parents was staying - and he began to cry at dropoffs.
This past year one of the coping skills I've tried to teach E when he feels tense is yoga. It has been amazing to watch him catch on. He's started doing it again at home spontaneously, and then when I notice he'll say "I do yoga at school - but I don't talk about it. I just do it. I go in a corner and just do it." I think this is hilarious but am also very proud of him.
The tension is also eased by the fact that I feel totally comfortable with his school environment. His two teachers are veteran mothers themselves, and are so patient, kind and loving with the children. I want to hug one of them every time I see them! And the families and the children at the school are all such nice people. Every time I am there I feel "in balance."
We're still muddling through, but E is always happy by the time I pick him up - and now that the first month is through I'm getting little peeks into what he's doing at school (the other kids seemed to share with their parents without reservation; E is a little more timid and wouldn't tell me a darn thing the first month).
If it loads, below should be a link to the first "song" and "grace" he's shared thus far. Of course, when I first caught him singing he was in front of our mirrored closet doors, doing all the hand motions and watching himself. I ran to get the camera; realized I forgot an image card; grabbed one and started to record, only to be informed by said camera that the card was full; I tried to delete all photos but it still wouldn't record; so I ran back and grabbed another memory card - by this time E had made it onto our bed and the hand motions were gone. And then when I walked in he struck a pose - a yoga pose, that is. It's a bit hard to understand him, but here is what he is saying:
"Here stands a great tree with leaves so green (jump both feet out and stick arms out);
Here are the apples that hang in between (make fists in front of chest);
When the wind blows (wave arms like a crazy person)
The apples will fall (bend over and touch the ground)
And here is a basket to gather them all (roll forearms and then pretend to pick)
LA LA LA LA LA, LA LA LA LA LA (I am not sure if this is part of the song or if it is just E's embellishment)"
And here is the grace they say before snack or lunch:
"Dear Earth, who gives to us this food;
Sun who makes it ripe and good
Dear Earth, Dear Sun, by you we live;
Our love is thanks to you we give;
Blessings on our family, our friends and our meal
Amen (of course he thinks it is EA-MONN)"
I think this is all so SWEET! I just love that it's his first introduction to school.
Thus far he's come home with "dragon bread" he made (it was a spiky dragon with slivered almonds down the spine, but he was sweet inside with honey and raisins) in honor of the Michaelmas festival; a "wishing stick" which was a piece of cinnamon bark that he had lucked into that day in his slice of bread during snack time; lots of new friends; wet clothes from splashing in mud puddles and playing in the rain; and a definite improvement in his social skills. Hallelujah!
Summer 2010
I think all San Diegans will agree with me that this did NOT feel like a summer. The temperature didn't break 80 until September! And low 70's is not beach weather out here. Nonetheless, we made it to the beach as a family over Labor Day weekend. The preceding weeks were filled with trips to the zoo, Sea World, Children's Museum, Wild Animal Park, and the Natural History museum in Balboa Park (which E just discovered). He is now interested in dinosaurs, and I cannot WAIT to take him to the Science Museum in London later this fall when we visit his newest cousin Charlie, Charlie's parents, and our old nanny Martha.
In regards to developmental changes - sometimes it feels as though we're in the hard times. We both continue to try to do the best we can, but it ain't easy. I take some consolation in the fact that E grew a whole TWO INCHES in the past 12 weeks. From June 13 to September 23 he grew to reach a solid 41 inches. He is well out of the "toddler" sizes and into a full boy's size 4 (or 5 depending on the brand). I cannot BELIEVE it. He isn't even 3 and a half (admittedly, that anniversary isn't far off but I am hanging onto the notion he is "just 3" for as long as I can people).
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