However, it's nice to have a normal life back, with just 3 kids and a steady routine. Thank you, school! I go to school 1 evening and 2 mornings a week, and afternoons are to myself because this little guy goes to Kindergarten:
We had a wide range of expectations. We had the Worst Case in our minds, where he cries all day and we receive calls mid-day asking us what is wrong with our child. Then the Best Case, where he gets on the bus like a champ and comes home glowing. And then multiple in-between possibilities, like he's fine at school but doesn't like riding the bus by himself.
Happily, he's been amazingly brave (for Tank), and it's been Best Case. In fact, in the above picture, he'd just finish saying, "I love school!" He likes being where his siblings are, he likes his teacher, and he likes learning stuff.
No, I didn't cry when he got on the bus. That's not really my thing. I forget that this surprises people. I'm not a robot, I just don't think it's sad when my kids go to school. They'll come back.
Some good First Week of Kindergarten stories (sorry, but it's my blog. You can, however, choose not to read on through the sappiness):
Peng the Penguin
Tank's clinginess has been less as of late, which makes everyone happy, especially Tank. He makes friends and plays well and doesn't need my legs to hide behind. But on the day that class lists were posted, he was uber-clingy and fussy. I was thinking, "This is the old Tank, what's up?" And it slowly dawned on me that he was probably anxious about school. Of course!
That same day we went to buy school supplies (don't do it with all 4 kids - trust me), and the kids wanted these cute little mini-Webkinz to put on their bookbags. I said fine, whatever, they were $5, and Tank was happy to have one until he saw that there were mini-pillow pets as well. He picked one out but then saw that they didn't change from a pillow into a pet. What's the fun in that? He went for the big bin of full-size pillow pets and would no longer be happy with the mini options.
I tried to convince him that if he did well in school, we could come back and buy one. At $20, I didn't want to just get him one. He was unhappy with that. He threw a fit, I refused to budge, and we all left the store unhappy. At store number 2, though, I decided that this was an opportunity. I changed my tactic and tried again. "Okay, Tank. You can have a pillow pet, BUT if you're not good at school, or if you aren't brave riding the bus, I get to take him away. Alright?" He agreed and we brought home Peng the Penguin, Tank's new best friend.
It has worked wonderfully, which kinda surprises me. Since when do pre-bribes actually pan out? But Tank has been great, he's done everything bravely, and he gets to snuggle with Peng every night.
(And as a note: I thought pillow pets were ridiculous until I hugged one. Quite possibly the best hugging stuffed animal in existence. Just so you know.)
The Kissing Hand
Do you guys know this book? Our Kindergarten teachers use it as a way to help the kids transition to going to school away from their mommies. It's about a raccoon who doesn't want to go to school, and his mom gives him a Kissing Hand. She kisses the palm of his hand, and he closes his fist and the kiss stays with him and doesn't wash off. Then, whenever he's missing his mom, he can put that hand up to his cheek, and the hand will tell him, "Mommy loves you. Mommy loves you," and he'll be filled with warm, happy thoughts.
A few years back, when my mom was asking what books to get the kids, I asked for that one, thinking that it might help the boys transition to school even better if we owned the same book they were reading in class. And it's been great. Tank came home, told us he'd read the book, and we read it 3 more times together at home. I gave him a Kissing Hand on each palm, and then he asked for a Kissing Hand from Miciah and Elijah. Super cute. (He put his palm on his cheek and I said, "Is it working?" He nodded and replied, "It's saying Mommy loves me. Mommy loves me. I have warm, happy thoughts.")
The second day he reported that he was so good at school, and he liked it so much, that he didn't even have to use the Kissing Hand!
On day three I put him in my arms and said, "I miss you while you're gone, Tank. What should I do about that?" He grabbed my hand and spread my fingers into a fan (just like in the book), and kissed my hand. "Now, put it on your cheek," he said. I did. He continued, "Is it saying Teancom loves you?" I smiled really big and said that it was indeed.
Excessive Cuddling
On day two, I took a nap in the afternoon, cause it's the perfect napping weather. I was still in bed, but waking up when the kids arrived home. Tank asked if he could lay down with me, which was fine. I assumed he just wanted to suck on his fingers, and there are only 2 places where he can suck his fingers now: his bedroom and Mommy's bed. (And he hasn't broken that rule once. What an obedient kid!) A minute or two later, he was in my arms cuddling. Elijah asked me to come see something and I went to get up and Tank yelled, "NO!" and clung to me like a monkey. I giggled. "Do you need some cuddle time, buddy?" We cuddled for 10 minutes before he was satisfied.
He hasn't done that since.
First Day Off - Fail
I was excited that Tank would go to Kindergarten and I would have the afternoon to myself. I had tried to decide what to do with my first day to myself and decided it should probably be a lot of nothing. Sit on the couch. Read a book. Whatever.
And then Miciah got sick. She came home on Thursday with a fever, and the school has a 24-hour fever-free policy. So Miciah was home with me on Friday, even though she wasn't sick at all any more. This was fine until Tank left around 12:45, and then suddenly it was like, "Why are you here? You're not supposed to be here!" I made her go to her room, which surprised her, I think. But this was MY FIRST DAY OFF.
Here's the other Tank's First Day picture:
...
In other One Week Down news, I started school this week, too. I want to smack some of the kids in class with me, but I try to be patient and remember that they're only 19 years old. I also have to remember that it's a community college, and so I shouldn't expect it to be as demanding as BYU was. But honestly. My final project in one of my classes is a glorified book report. Which is fine. But I get 10 points JUST FOR TURNING IT IN ON TIME. Which kinda blows my mind. You don't bribe college kids to turn stuff in on time. You EXPECT them to do it and punish them if they don't. (Another 5 points for typing it. TYPING IT!)
Oh well. I've got 3 kids and a life to take care of, so I don't mind the easy points. Plus, I like ASL, no matter what.
Alright. Hope you're all having a good September!
3 comments:
An extra 5 points for typing it??? What is this, 1998?
Thanks for understanding, Molly. It half makes me want to stand up in class and yell at them, "Seriously, are you guys rejects? TYPE your paper. TURN IT IN ON TIME. Sheesh!"
I can go back to 1988 and remember that "typing" was NOT an option. Wow!
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