Rose started kindergarten last week and she is having a great time. I'm very relieved that she has taken to it so well. I think I stressed out about new things like this as a kid. I still remember panicking about stuff as an elementary school-er. Like participating in "blue and gold day" (a school-wide field day) or interacting with my computer teacher, who was missing a couple of fingers and was therefore scary to me. Rose, however, is generally ready to jump into things and make new friends. Good thing she has Sevak's genes. :)
I didn't make a beautiful sign saying "First Day of Kindergarten" for Rose to hold, à la every other mom on Facebook or Pinterest, so here she is holding a banana (her snack) in front of her bag hook outside the classroom.
For some reason I didn't realize/remember that parents were supposed to stick around for the first half of the day. Fail again! Jasmine was pant-less and I was looking super frumpy, but oh well. Jasmine also pooped and I had not brought a diaper, so I wiped her with wet paper towels near the isolated playground and she went commando for a bit. The room was jam-packed, and I was surprised to see so many dads! What do these guys do for a living that allows them to spend a leisurely morning in a kindergarten class? Or maybe they just have wives who remember to tell them that parents stay for the first day, so they take a little time off? Can you tell that I'm feeling a little self-conscious about my back-to-school prep? :)
In the classroom the kids went on a scavenger hunt to locate things around the room. Here is Rose signing her name in the "girl" section of the poster.
Simon was a little nervous about things. I think he felt out of place.
Simon with his teacher. She is so great.
Speaking of my nervous little boy, his first day of KinderPrep was yesterday! Now, Simon is quite a different individual than Rose. He is more cautious, more hesitant, and more sensitive. These can all be great things...he has such a sweet, tender heart. But he didn't jump into his first day as eagerly as Rose. I am very grateful that he was already familiar with the school because I know that made things so much easier. Also, a mom whose son is brand new this year invited us over for a play date a couple of days before school, hoping to make it easier for her son to transition. In actuality, I think Simon benefited the most because yesterday he wouldn't let me leave the school until "that guy" (his words) came.
I adore this picture. When we found "that guy," Simon shyly walked outside with him and they just stood there looking over the expanse of the playground, waiting for someone to make the first move.
I'm trying to get this new schedule under control...Rose goes to kindergarten in the a.m. and Simon's at preschool in the p.m. I have felt aimless these past couple of days, trying to pay attention to the kids AND get things done AND look at the clock for when I need to fulfill my next chauffeur duty. I'm sure we'll get into the routine and start to thrive, but for these past couple of weeks I think it has been a little exhausting for all of us! I've been called a "poopy mommy" way more times than I deserve. But the kids are always excited to tell me about their days at pick-up so I'm happy they're learning and growing. :)
4 comments:
OMG. I just realized this was another new post I didn't see before.
I'm kinda feeling misty reading this and seeing the kids go to school, especially with the Simon part. Chrissie, I think we had the same anxieties growing up and that is why we're so close. I have vivid memories of major internal anxiety before school. I would always wonder how I would do or handle certain things, "what would happen", and other ambiguous uncontrollable topics. I don't even know how to articulate this because it's all intangible fear stuff. I was definitely not like other kids who just leaped in and played - it was like I had some adult brain for worrying since I was a child. I even remember - and this is hilarious - that for some reason I thought I would drop dead before middle school. I have no idea where this came from, but I remember being relieved that I wasn't dead when I got to middle school.
Does this make any sense to anybody!?
Anyway, please don't feel self conscious about your "lack of preparedness" on the first day of school. First of all, I think it's awesome and hilarious that Jasmine pooped and went commando. AHAHA. Furthermore, yes..I am also wondering, wth do these dads do for a living that they can just hang out at school. Can I say something off the cuff and politically incorrect here - get a life people! Why are these people coddling their children so much. They can't be left alone at preschool? For Pete's sake! You'd think it was a high school graduation or something.
I think we're headed in the wrong direction with some of this social sensitivity mindset stuff. You gotta be tough on kids so they appreciate what you do and become self starters and go getters. Not so gentle so they all become helpless sheep. This is SO annoying.
Anyway, sometimes I feel bad saying this as a non parent, but I'm saying this as a human being and member of society who's worked with schoolchildren. This qualifies me to at least some very small degree I think.
What else...I really liked the Simon story and your awareness of the nuances of his different personality. It's very cute that he wanted to wait for his friend, and that they found comfort in each other. That is so beautiful and innocent, and one of the most endearing aspects of childhood friendships. * tear in eye *
HAHAHAHA! Swati, keep these politically incorrect assertions coming! I can't get enough! I do think a big key to a child's success is having a supportive family, but sometimes all the parent involvement is overwhelming. They're always asking for volunteers and donations and yadda yadda yadda and I just can't keep up!
Also, I can completely relate to your childhood worrying. I remember going through a period where I thought something was wrong with my heart, and every night I would pray so hard that my heart would be okay. Thank heavens we both made it past middle school! :)
I SO enjoyed your post, Chrissie, and I LOVED your comments, Swati! (I too hadn't seen this post from Chrissie....it was kind of hidden from me when I read what I thought was the latest one yesterday.)
AMEN, Swati, on your comments of the coddling of kids these days!!! You are always so well spoken and totally made me laugh tellin' it like it is, sister! (And, believe me, you are MORE than qualified to opine as you did!!) As a teacher of high school kids I can see many, many backfires of coddling that I'm sure had their roots in Kindergarten and 1st grade. It's not a pretty picture. (And, I have to admit that working in a so-called "comfortable" area of the SFValley, the coddling seems much more prevalent than what I saw when working in more humble areas. It seems to be in direct proportion to people's incomes, sorry to say.....although I can think of a few students right now to whom that generalization doesn't apply! (Too many parents lie for their kids these days...it's disgusting!)
When I was in Kindergarten a million years ago, I remember distinctly the tears I had the first day when "Mommy" said bye to me at the Kindergarten yard....but heckfire...I got over it by the second or third day! Sheesh! :)
Unfortunately, Chrissie, the worry-wart gene got passed down to you through the O'Rullian line. I think I was still having a major stomachache the first day of school right up through my Sophomore year of college...and worrying beyond reason about all the "what ifs" that could happen at school! One of my biggest fears was who I would eat lunch with! (not in college, though!) ;) (I still have a children's book in me that I want to write some day before I leave this earthly life entitled, "But who will I eat lunch with?" ;) So fun to remember your fear of Blue and Gold Day and also Mrs. Fite! haha You also had fears in Preschool if you'll recall that kept you from going a couple of sessions til Mrs. D and I figured out what was up!
Well, I've rambled way too long on this but it definitely gave me a lot of food for thought. And, I must say, I completely LOVED the photo of Simon and "that guy" contemplating recess. Childhood at its very finest! I almost feel like framing it.
<3
This was a great post hun! Thanks for being such a super-mom!
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