It's the second week of school and we're settling into our new routines. Paul has now realized that kindergarten won't be all fun and games and he'll actually have to do some level of work. He's disappointed in this and yesterday started sniffling as we approached the school. He told me he didn't want to go to school because he didn't feel like working that day. He would rather go home and play all day. I assured him I would also be working and to let me know if his teacher bit him. "You tell me if Mrs. Alvarez bites you and I'll come up and take care of it." That made him giggle and away he went.
Claire's enjoying second grade. She has a good teacher as well and is having fun. Her biggest disappointment so far is that she had to write so much she got writer's cramp.
Each day the kids come home with competing voices, trying to tell me details of the day. Claire's daily report involves EVERY detail of her classroom life from the fullness of the soap dispenser in the bathroom to the reason so and so got into trouble. Paul's reports cover his perceived injustices (he still didn't get a particular sticker he hoped for) and quotes from his teachers.
When Claire entered Kindergarten, I started the practice of sitting down with her daily to talk about all the events in her day. I wrote up her answers in a blog. Not only is it funny and honest, but it helped develop our relationship and teach her to communicate better. She started out the same as Paul, not sure which details should be conveyed and spewing out a jumble of randomness. Now she can have a more coherent conversation and with open communication lines, I am able to hear about everything that goes on in the classroom, good and bad. This is reassuring to me because the complaints I'm hearing are minor. Without being in her classroom I know her teacher is competent and that she has creative a positive learning environment.
Paul is still working on learning to tell me about his day. I am writing down all he says as well but it's often one or two word answers. He has the same kindergarten teacher as Claire did and our family loves her so much we consider her family. Last year she asked us for a tree stump and so Adam got her one, putting the giant 100+ lb trunk on a two wheeler and rolling it a mile to our house. We love Mrs. Alvarez. Her mixture of left and right-brained activities help make her learning environment productive for all children.
Adam is glad for us to be back in school because it helps him get up earlier and get off to work easier. All four of us walk to school together each morning. Then he leaves for work and I have a miniature break where I can take a breath before I head into the office or school.
Typical of me, I set my self-expectations too high. For my new year resolution, I planned to write on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and workout on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. I still think it's a good plan, but I also am so thankful that I can give myself some grace when I don't live up to my own expectations.
Last week I had Friday off and was getting bogged down with all the chores I had assigned myself. Instead, I threw caution to the wind, had coffee with a friend, went to lunch with Adam, and spent some quiet time by myself. I bought groceries later and cleaned house the next day. This was much more fulfilling than checking off my to-do list.
So we're all learning. We've all got our new year's resolutions and we've all got hope that we can carry them through to June. In any case, we all have a sense of humor.
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