Self-Imposed Homework

It's the first day of Spring Break and my daughter decided to use it to "teach" her brother "preschool". That's not exactly my idea of vacation, but hey, they both had fun.

Kaput

"Kindergarten is just great Mom!"

Wednesday evening - 6:13 pm

And completely exhausting, it would seem.

Hard To Let Go

My heart is spilling over with emotion right now. Feelings of joy, pride, sadness and disbelief are overwhelming me - I just picked my daughter up from her first day of Kindergarten.

I sort of thought it wouldn't be such a big deal, that I probably wouldn't cry. I was wrong. As a family we walked her to her classroom and the tears began to well up in my eyes as we made our way down a staircase to meet her teachers. It just hit me that this little baby girl:


Is now a school girl:


When did that happen? Anyway, it was a total delight to hear about her day, the friends that she made and that she got chocolate milk at lunch (of course she would choose that kind!) She got a sticker for raising her hand before asking a question, and for obeying the rules.

Such a big day as this really IS harder on the parents. When we first got her to her classroom, she said "Bye Mom and Dad!" and immediately got settled right in. It is REALLY hard to let go sometimes.

Today especially.

Just Another Manic Morning

Having a child in preschool has really changed my life. I have to be more organized about getting everyone out the door in the morning; I start to get very excited over the thought of watching my baby in the upcoming Christmas program; and I volunteer to help out in the classroom from time to time. But nothing quite prepared me for the chaos that takes place when I take my daughter to school!

The preschool is run at a local church in my community and is located in a residential street. It is a very nice facility with good sized classrooms and a fun playground. But the parking lot is like Hades on a busy day. The parking spaces are very narrow, which wouldn't be a problem except everyone in this town drives an SUV, truck, or a behemoth-mobile of some sort (myself included, I drive a Honda Pilot). NOBODY knows how to park in these spaces! Most people just straddle the line, making it impossible for anyone else to park. And while this is a "Christian" preschool, some of the bumper stickers that grace these vehicles are not very "clean" in their message.

Then there are the cell phones. I never thought of my town as being tech-savvy, but everyone has a cell phone. And fellow parents like to use them ... a lot. I am amazed at while shuttling their children off to class, people can carry on complete conversations about "that guy Mindy is seeing on Friday night" or about "preparing for hernia surgery next week". Unfortunately this constant use of cell phones does not help in the challenges of trying to navigate through that parking lot, especially one-handed.

I am used to a slower pace and a more relaxed approach to things. And though I am still adapting, I have survived the last few months of getting my daughter to school. On a slightly different subject, I feel that I am raising a diva. Occasionally on the way home from school I will drive up to the Human Bean for a coffee, and when we pull up my girl will say "I would like a 'Not-So-Hot Hot Chocolate' with whipped cream and a bean"! Now that's a girl who knows what she wants!

Student of the Month

Okay, this one is for the grandparents ...

Yesterday when the mail arrived I noticed a letter from my daughter's preschool. I knew it wasn't a bill because it was on formal stationery. It turns out that my little girl was selected by her teachers as "Student of the Month"! I am so proud! What this means is that she will receive a special certificate that will be awarded to her on November 2nd. Apparently she is a very good student, is sweet-hearted, and does what her teachers ask (of course I already knew this).

On a slightly different subject, today was the last day for school pictures. There weren't many people to photograph, and because my daughter wasn't feeling too well she got to hang out with me today. She helped to gather kids to get their portraits taken, she passed out stickers, and was a big help in getting kids to smile as she laughed at the photographers silly antics. Much to my delight I think she liked hanging out with Mom today.

If we still live in this town when my son starts preschool I will definitely take him to the same school. They have an excellent staff and genuinely caring teachers. I can't wait to see what he will be like at four years old. What great kids I have!

The First Day

In previous posts I have mentioned that my daughter started preschool this week. Naturally, yesterday we had to take pictures. It was fun having her wear her backpack (although she got tired of it quickly) and she got to show off the outfit she chose to wear on her first day.

First day of school. September 3, 2008.

Just for fun I am posting this photo of my husband on his first day of preschool. Can you see the resemblance?

Her first day went very well. So well in fact that when I went to pick her up she said that preschool made her sad. I asked her why and she said because she wanted to stay at school and didn't want to go home. I guess that means she likes it! She was playing with other kids and informed me that she made some friends - of course she doesn't know their names yet.

I just like this photo. It's crazy and fun!

Blog Fodder

Not Exactly Motown

This Labor Day weekend we went to Detroit ... Lake that is! Detroit Lake, Oregon is where we go camping every year with my husband's extended family. I always look forward to this annual event because I love these people, they are all so full of character and have made me feel a part of their clan. I also have never had much of a relationship with my own aunt, uncle and cousin, so I can't help but enjoy being part of a big family.

Usually Detroit is a party lake and tends to get pretty loud between the biker conventions and large motor boats; this year it was unusually quiet. I couldn't quite figure out why until the weather changed and it was windy, cold, and yes ... rainy! It seems everyone else knew that the weather was going to be a bit crummy and went elsewhere. I am glad we have a tent trailer to escape to when it is wet, although the mattress wreaked havoc on my back muscles.

I enjoyed the trip but I am glad to be home. I am still trying to get the smell of campfire out of everything.

Here is my son (left) and his cousin wearing matching hats. It was in the 50s and 60s on this particular camping trip. Brrrrr!

Time Flies

My baby is starting preschool tomorrow - sniff, sniff. She is four and I knew this time was coming, but I can't help but feel emotional about the whole thing. I am amazed at how quickly time flew by and before I knew it she became this intelligent and beautiful young lady. Suddenly I feel old.


Sibling Mischief

My son is quite mischievious sometimes, but in a good natured way. He often will eat his dinner earlier than the rest of us so he is free to roam around while we sit at the table and eat. He loves to slither up underneath his sister's chair and tickle her feet. Then he tries to hide from her as he is giggling. I admit that I love to see my kids acting like typical siblings - he annoys her and she bosses him around. All is right with the world.


The Facebook Mentality

I have been on Facebook now for about a month. I have connnected with so many people and I love to see the photos that they post of their families and read up on what they are up to. I have realized, however, that many seem to want add you as a friend just to rack up the number of friends they have on their profile. They seem to like to nose around on your profile, but don't necessarily want to talk to you. I have mixed feelings about this mentality.

The Smell of Scotch Tape

Ah, autumn is in the air. Can you feel it? As the nights have been getting cooler and darker at an earlier hour I have been craving my favorite season. I love pulling out my wool sweaters, lighting my spice scented candles and making soup. I realize that officially it is still summer, but since my daughter will be starting preschool in a couple of weeks, I am getting excited.

The other day we went to an open house at the school my daughter will be attending. We met her teacher, discussed the curriculum and got the school supply list. Mmmm, I love buying school supplies! There is nothing like a new box of crayons, newly sharpened colored pencils, or the smell of Scotch tape. My daughter is most excited about getting a backpack. It will probably be pink and have flowers or princesses on it.

If I were shopping for myself, I would head over to Prize, a charming little shop in Ashland, Oregon. They have everything from fine glassware and home furnishings to vintage items like antique Little Golden Books for children and interesting travel books for adults. In fact, I found a little "prize" there myself once - a vintage "Learn to Speak French" book from 1932. I think I could live there, except I doubt the owners would appreciate that. I would eat their bon-bons and sleep on their beautifully upholstered couch and write from this desk:

But enough about me. I am really looking forward to taking my daughter out and helping her pick out her supplies. It almost makes me wish I was in school again ... almost.