You started school! You're enrolled in a Montessori pre-school, in Children's House 3. You go five mornings a week from 8:30 - 11:30am. On your first Monday, the day after we got back from Indy, I took the day off from work. Grandma and Grandpa Lam and I all came to drop you off. You were scheduled for an hour that morning. You cried for few minutes when we dropped you off, but pretty soon you were involved in an activity. We spent the time that you were in class making sure that Grandma and Grandpa knew where everything was, and who everyone was. The hour went fine, and we all went home. You spent the rest of the day with Grandma and Grandpa as normal, and I spent it running errands.
On Tuesday, you did two hours of class. You cried a little bit again when they dropped you off, but the rest of the time went well. By Wednesday, you were up to the whole three hours of class. You didn't cry that morning or Thursday morning, either. On Thursday afternoon, Dad and I stopped by their open house for current and prospective parents. Rachel and Krista (your teacher and assistant teacher) told us that you like to use the blocks, and play the bells, and use the scale. In fact, they put the scale in the room just for you, because you saw it somewhere else in the school and got all fascinated by it. They were both very positive about how you were doing, so we felt good about that. And on Friday, Grandma cracked us up when she told us that you didn't even say good-bye to her that morning. She walked you down to your classroom, and you ran inside without looking back. So, I guess we didn't really need to worry about how you would adjust to school.
You've said some really amusing things over the past weeks, and I'm going to try and remember them:
1. One of my errands on that Monday was getting an oil change for the van, during which they discovered that the power steering rack needed to be replaced. Luckily, it was under warranty, so they sent me off in a free rental. Grandma told you sometime that afternoon that we had to get the van fixed, and that night you asked me, "What did you do to the poor car?"
2. While we were in Madison for Christmas, we were reading a book about being a big brother. You asked me, "Where is Baby Sister?" which you had never asked me before. I said, "She's in Mama's belly." I put your hand on my stomach, but there wasn't any movement to feel just then, so it didn't capture your attention. But then you poked me and said, "I will make a hole and she will come out right here!"
3. When we were home between Christmas and Indy, I mentioned something about Baby Sister while we were sitting in your rocking chair at bedtime. You said, "Where is Baby Sister?" and I said, "She's in Mama's belly." Then you said, "She's hiding in the closet! She's hiding under the crib! She's hiding under the bed! She's peeking at me from behind that pillow!" I tried to deny each of these in turn, but I was laughing pretty hard, which did not discourage you.
4. You've picked up a funny verbal tic from me and Grandma: we've answered you so many times by saying, "Of course you can [whatever]," that you've started using "of course" instead of "yes." "Do you want more oatmeal?" "Of course I want more oatmeal!"
5. You've made me sing Twinkle Twinkle about each of the planets, and let me tell you, it is not easy to rhyme anything with Jupiter, much less Uranus.
You've started including scientists in your study of everything volcano. We watched a National Geographic program about volcanoes which was actually quite morbid. They spent a lot of time talking about volcanologists who had been injured or killed. You didn't seem to pick up on that part, but you definitely noticed that there were people studying the volcanoes. The last couple of times you've wanted to draw volcanoes, you've made me draw scientists, too. It makes me happy in a nerdy way, although I do hope you don't grow up to get killed by a volcano.
We spent yesterday celebrating Chinese New Year by making dim sum brunch with Grandma and Grandpa Lam, and our friends Kay and Sara. We went to one of the Asian grocery stores in town to pick up buns and dumplings and Chinese sausage. Dad cooked two rice dishes--one a sticky rice and one a baked dessert with coconut milk and brown sugar. We had some initial problems getting the steamer situated, having never used the bamboo stack-able kind before. But everything turned out well enough that I'm hoping we can do it again fairly soon. At least the buns and dumplings. The sticky rice might have to stay a special occasion dish. You seemed to like the pot stickers and cha siu bao, although you might have just been having fun using your chopsticks.
In a month, you will be three years old. Along with all of the other cliches about how much you've changed our lives, and how we didn't know what we were missing, and how being parents has made us better people, comes the one that says: I still can't believe we're parents in the first place. Yesterday, we were snuggled up on the couch together watching some Thomas, and that's what ran through my mind. Here you are with us, your own amazing little self, and we get to watch you grow up and discover the world. And it's pretty great.
Love,
Mom
First day of school!
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