First school experience

Thomas is at his school every morning this week for camp. His two best buddies are there so he is happy as can be. He runs into his class every morning and never even takes a moment to tell me goodbye. On Monday it was so sweet to see how the other boys were so excited to see him. I remember when Thomas was in his 2s class and some of the other children had obviously bonded, but I didn't feel like Thomas had made any strong friendships. No big deal, he was only two! But last year in his 3s class, he became best, best buddies with two other boys. They were the three musketeers of their class. Everytime they had a class project that asked a question about friends/classmates, each boy ALWAYS answered with the names of the other two. One of his buddies is not actually in his class this week, but they still get enough playtime on the playground and group activities, so they are just thrilled to see each other again.

But that's not the "first" experience I mentioned in the title. Parker will start in his 2s class next month and will go two mornings a week (Thomas will be going four mornings a week...and one of his two buddies will be in his class). To get him ready, I signed him up for a couple "camp" weeks this summer at his school. This week I signed him up for two mornings and this morning was the first. I didn't know what to expect. He always says he wants to go to school and he frequently wanted to stay in Thomas' class last year. BUT, I don't think he wants to do any of this without me or his brother. We can't even get him to stay in the church nursery anymore (unless Thomas stays with him). He just screams bloody murder until the nursery workers relent and send us a page to come get him.

I talked it up to him for a few days and told him how much fun he was going to have. Then this morning after we took Thomas to his class, I told Parker it was time to go to his. He quickly realized I was going to leave and he was not interested. I tried to reassure him, but he just latched on as tightly as he could manage. He wrapped his arms around my neck and his legs around my middle. He was like a little monkey. Then I peeled him off me and handed him to his teacher. He looked at me with a face that nearly brought me to tears and screamed like his world was ending. I didn't get a picture of it, but he looked a bit like this child (only older and not being held by a former president!)















I rushed out the room and listened to him wailing as I walked down the hall. I decided to sit and wait and it was not fun for me or anyone else walking down the hall.

He quieted for a moment and then started up again. The director came out of the office because she had been watching me (and listening). She thought he had stopped, but quickly realized he had not. She told me she'd go check and see if it was possible he wasn't going to be able to stay. I must have waited 10 minutes, but finally she came out and gave me the good news that he had calmed down. Whew. And then I had two hours to myself! :) No, :-D.

When I came to his class for pick-up, he was playing quietly with some other children at a table. As soon as he saw me, his face lit up with a big smile and he rushed over to me. I asked him if he had fun and he said, "Mommy, I want to go home now." We'll see how Thursday goes!

When I picked up Thomas he told me something about how he and his class walked by Parker's room and his teachers told him to tiptoe and be quiet so Parker wouldn't see him. I guess the word was on the streets of his school that Parker was on the edge. Ha ha.

At least we picked a week with ice cream as a theme. Yesterday Thomas and his class made ice cream from scratch. And today the boys enjoyed a visit from the ice cream truck. Parker said he got a red popscicle and Thomas inexplicably got an ice cream sandwich (he hates chocolate, so he said he didn't eat it), even though he told me he had many other interesting choices. I bet that's what his buddies got so he wanted to do the same!

Oh, speaking of firsts, today I signed Thomas up to play soccer in the fall. I can't wait and he really cannot wait. I had to ask him about it to make sure he was interested, and now he asks me about 22 times a day if he gets to play tomorrow. And when I tell him "no," that it's weeks away, he gets very upset. Oh boy. I hope it's all he expects it will be!