Archive for the 'School' Category

The Rules of Independent Diva Handling

Published on Thursday, September 15, 2011 in Claire, Milestones and School. 1 Comment

How can she not be a Diva when dressed in Missoni, even if it is from Target?

Last week, at school drop off, Claire told me that she wanted to walk to her room herself.  She didn’t need me to hold her hand or help her do anything when she got down there, thankyouverymuch.  I knew this was coming, as she’d been walking way ahead of me pretty much since the third day of school.

“I need to meet another mom at 8:00!” I said, trying not to pout.

“Great!  You can wait for her in the lobby!” she said, using my own often-used trickery rationale against me.

So, I waited in the lobby and pretended to be okay with this turn of events.

When I picked her up that day, she pointed to the Drop Off Lane, marked with bright cones, and said, “You do know that there’s a whole LANE for moms who drop off their kids in the morning, right?  YOU could be in that lane, Mom.”

Well, alrighty then.

That night, Claire told Daddy her plan about how Momma was going to stay in the car and just use the Drop Off Lane. Daddy’s responses went from, “WHAT!?” to “Is that safe??” to “I’m old…” to “Hey, Claire! Let me show you how to tuck and roll from a moving vehicle!”

In a startling turn of events, Daddy seemed to be coping well with this change.

The next day, we did just that. I used the Drop Off Lane, and Claire was THRILLED. She hasn’t looked back since. Quite literally. I’m lucky if she blows me a kiss at all.

Today, I was scheduled for one of my volunteer shifts at the school library. “How is this going to work?” I said out loud in the kitchen before school. Claire had it all planned: “You drop me off in the Drop Off Lane and then just go around again and park! But, please stay in the car until the doors open…okay?”

I’d picked a volunteer time near the start of school to make my life easier. I hadn’t figured in all the Rules of Independent Diva Handling.

At least she hasn’t given me a checklist. Yet.

The First Day of Kindergarten

Published on Monday, August 22, 2011 in Claire, Milestones and School. 3 Comments

Here is Claire on her First Day of Kindergarten!  She and Baby Rose found a matching outfit to celebrate the big day.  This is a day that Claire has been begging to happen for YEARS now.  Her years in Preschool were awesome, but finally the “When can I go to Kindergarten!?” question has been answered!

Today!  Early today.  Our schedule will shift a bit as we get up and get out the door earlier than we ever have, but today went REALLY well.

The drive, parking, and drop-off were a breeze!  I didn’t linger in the classroom, as she is really pretty independent, and I was afraid if I made too much direct eye contact with the teacher, I’d make a spectacle of myself.  Baby Rose and I walked back to the car, and I didn’t get teary until I was a couple blocks from the school.  But, that’s because the sun was in my eyes.  (Yeah, that’s it.)

As I’m writing this, the house is quiet.  Too quiet.  Like the kind of quiet it gets when someone is plotting a dastardly plan.  It’s making me twitch.  I wonder how long this phase will last?

I’ll have 3.5 hours to myself every week day now.  I’ve been waiting for this.  Longing for this.  I plan to use as much of this time writing as I can.  Today, of course, is an exception (unless you count this post…).  Today’s time has been spent fielding texts and calls from my friends, just checking to see if I’m okay.  This is supposed to be Claire’s big day, but those in the know realize that it’s going to be more a transition for me than it is for Claire.

Am I ok?  I am.  I’m more than okay.  Today is a great day.

Claire’s First Graduation

Published on Tuesday, May 31, 2011 in Claire, Milestones and School. 0 Comments Tags: .

Will it be the first of many, or just the first of few? Either way, here’s to beginnings disguised as endings.


…to Kindergarten and beyond!

What day is it?

Published on Thursday, August 26, 2010 in School. 0 Comments Tags: .

I love that Claire is in school four days a week now! (Granted, they are half-days, but I’ll take what I can get!)

I must say, though, that I’m exhausted! Having to be up and out of the house by a certain hour, every day for four days straight, is a challenge…not to mention the shear energy levels it takes to remember what day it is.

Yes, I have a calendar with me wherever I go. Yes, I know the day of the week. I may have to cheat and look at the calendar when I get up, but I usually remember it. But every hour or so, my mind goes into a tailspin.

“WHAT DAY IS IT!?” my brain screeches, out of nowhere. My heart skips a beat in a momentary panic, that feeling you get when you think you’ve forgotten something.

All last year, school = Tuesday or Thursday. All through the summer, school (art class) = Tuesday or Thursday. Now, this is still true. She goes to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but she also goes on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Claire loves our new schedule, and she’s adjusted quite nicely. For the last two years, she’s begged to go to school every day, so getting to four days a week is a dream come true for her!

I knew there would be a transitional phase, but I didn’t expect it to be for me.

The Obligatory First Day of School Shots & My Not-So-Secret Plot to Take Over the World

Published on Tuesday, August 24, 2010 in Claire, Milestones, Random Thoughts and School. 6 Comments Tags: , .

Claire is in Pre-K!

We had a little photo shoot this morning.

I’m not sure if you can tell from these photos, but she was BURSTING with excitement.

I’m not sure if you can tell from these photos that I am too! Eight hours a week to myself? Alone with my thoughts? Being able to write without interruption? Being able to do anything without interruption?

Look out! I may just be able to take over the world.

…or at least be able to get dinner figured out ahead of time.

Even Highway Robbers have to eat

Published on Thursday, April 8, 2010 in Claire, Photos and School. 0 Comments Tags: .

Today is Picture Day at Claire’s School. Again? They do this twice a year?? Apparently, they do.

In the past, this particular school photo company would allow you to see the photos before making a purchase decision. Well, so many parents were keeping the photos and not paying that they’ve changed their policies for this school. Now, just like in the fall, we have to decide which package we want, pre-pay and then HOPE the photos turn out.

We were really lucky in the fall, and they turned out fabulously.

I have my fingers crossed today.
And, I’m trying not to twitch.

Still, I can’t get over how much they cost. All the little girls were showing each other their little photo slips and their pretty dresses today. I can’t leave her out of that experience. Yes, we take more photos of her than a typical Paparazzi on any given day in Beverly Hills, but “real” photos to share with friends and family is fun, too.

I used to take Claire to a local photo place that would offer entire packages of photos for under $10, if you could stick to one pose. That worked for us. Gone are those days…

At least this time, I’ll get a whole class photo out of the deal. What gets me about this is how much they charge JUST for that. Of course, you can get individual photos, TOO, for “just a little bit more.”

The thought of paying that much for one photo makes me sick to my stomach.  So, I try to find the most economical deal, and I pay. The thought of Claire being left out when everyone else participates in Picture Day makes me sick to my stomach. So, I pay.

They know this, and they gladly take my money.

I wonder if they hum a little tune as they skip to the bank?

Pure unadulterated joy

Published on Tuesday, January 5, 2010 in School. 1 Comment Tags: .

Last night at dinner, Daddy and Claire and I were chatting. All of a sudden, it hit me that I hadn’t really told her out loud that she was going back to school on Tuesday.

So, I told her.

A scream of pure joy escaped her lips. Her face lit up. She was genuinely excited. Her reaction made us all laugh out loud.

Today, as I dropped her off and signed the sign-in sheet, I felt that same joy.

She loves her class. She loves her teachers. She loves this time to be her own person…

…and so do I.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Published on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 in Milestones, Photos and School. 5 Comments Tags: , , , .

Today is Claire’s first day of “real” preschool. Last year, she went one day a week for an hour-and-a-half. It was a great experience for her, and turned out to be the transition that Momma needed. (Claire did fine…it was me who had to hold back the tears.) This year, she’ll go in the mornings on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I’m almost not sure what to do with two hours to myself…twice a week!  Technically it’s FIVE HOURS OF FREEDOM a week, but I’m counting it as four, due to drop off and pick up times, etc.  (Although, 2 + 2 can equal 5, for larger values of 2…)  ;)

You know that school supplies commercial where you hear “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” playing in the background, and the dad is dancing behind the cart?

Yeah, it’s kinda like that.

Only instead of plodding along behind me, Claire is just as excited to go!

Last night, we had the Open House to meet her new teachers and see her classroom, and as soon as we got there, Claire wanted me to sign her in and then leave. “Go home, Momma. Go do paperwork. Please leave me alone!”

Hmpf.

This wasn’t that kind of thing…we weren’t supposed to leave them there, much to her dismay.

So, today is an exciting day. This is the earliest we’ve had to be out of the house for something like this…and last night was our first real school night. We have to get up early! (Well, early for us…) I don’t remember the last time I had to get up early for school, but I think it was sometime in the late 1900s.

Despite the change in our schedule, today went smoothly, and I am happy to report that today’s drop off was a complete success! There were no tears! And, Claire did great too. ;)

A smashing success

Published on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 in Claire, Conversations, Fun, Language, Moms' Group, Music, NaBloPoMo 2008, Photos and School. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

The Moms’ Club we’re a part of has decided to create their own Music Class. I’d volunteered to host the first one.

The concept is simple. Everyone brings any instruments they have, and they all go in a clothes-basket. We take turns playing with different instruments, singing, and dancing with scarves to music.

Because Claire was so into all of the music stuff, we’d purchased a nice musical instrument set that included a triangle, tambourine, maracas, cymbals, hollow wooden scraper-thingy, and a longer-handled clacker-dealie. (I may have been the Music Class Leader this time, but that doesn’t mean I’m required to know all the technical names!!) :) She also has a nice xylophone to add to the mix. There would be plenty of instruments to choose from and share. It was going to be perfect!

Neither one of us could wait for Tuesday’s Music Class.

Monday morning, Claire had her Young Preschooler Class. Every Monday, as I’m signing her in, she picks her name-card off of the table (she finds it herself!) and takes it over to The Question of the Day poster on the wall. The teacher then helps her read the question, and Claire answers it. She then puts her name-card in the slot indicating her answer. The question is different every week and always simple. (i.e. “Are you wearing red?”) It’s something they do every time, and it helps with early reading skills, recognition, etc.

It’s fun, and she loves it.

But, what does this have to do with Music Class we were going to have on Tuesday?

Well, here’s the conversation we had on Monday night:

“Claire! We need to label your instruments for tomorrow’s Music Class! If you help me gather them all up, I’ll put your name on them.”

“Oh no! Momma, you can’t!”

“Why not? We don’t want them to get mixed up with anyone else’s instruments, so we need to put your name on them.”

“We can’t, because we left my name at school!”

She was quite relieved that we didn’t need her name-card from the school to label her musical instruments. I thought it was hysterical that she thought we’d left her actual name at the school, but I did a great job of not laughing out loud.

We got the instruments labeled, everyone showed up, and all the kids had a great time playing with the instruments, singing and dancing. All in all, the Music Class on Tuesday was a smashing success…

Quite literally, I’m afraid.

...quite literally, I’m afraid.

This was a “while being put away” casualty and not a “while being played” situation.  No musicians were harmed in this incident and thankfully, this isn’t a fatal injury. “Says you!” cries The Tambourine. ;) Forgive her. She’s just a little short-sighted right now. As soon as I get her fixed (I’ll probably just remove the ripped paper – I may or may not re-cover her), no one will be the wiser.

[Edited to add:  Check out the update!]

Today is Day 19 of 30 in the NaBloPoMo Challenge! Check it out and/or join in the fun! Instruments requiring repair? One. Days completed in the NaBloPoMo Challenge?  Nineteen!

More precious than jewels

Published on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 in Claire, Gift Ideas, Lovey Dovey, NaBloPoMo 2008, Parenting 101, Photos and School. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Yesterday, Claire had her Young Preschoolers Class, and just like all the other times, I barely got a “Bye, Momma!” out of her when I dropped her off and signed her in. I decided to take all of this as a good sign that she’s adjusting well to the independent life I want her to lead. This is, after all, the reason we put her in these classes.  The classes meet on Mondays for just an hour-and-a-half, but they are a great way to start nurturing her independent spirit.

Still, I won’t lie; it stung a little.

No kiss.
No hug.
Barely a wave.

I tried to not let it bother me, and I left quickly…partially for her benefit and partially for mine.

I went to an appointment and ran some errands before making it back to the parking lot a few minutes early.

When it was time to pick her up, she was thrilled to see me. My heart swelled with joy, and I realized that she still loves me. She still needs me.  Of course, I already knew this.  Duh.  Right?

Anyway…imagine my surprise when she showed me a gift she’d made for me in class. Something just for me!

Click photo to enlarge.

A new bracelet for Momma

A new bracelet for Momma

The teacher had the kids make bracelets with beads and pipe cleaners. What a great idea!  They could make one for whomever they chose: someone else or themselves.  She chose to make one for me!  And she put the beads on all by herself!  My new piece of jewelry is gorgeous, and I love it. (And, Claire took this picture of me and my new bracelet when we got home!   She did a great job!!)

She babbled all the way home about her adventures in the class and how she’d picked all of the colors “especially for YOU, Momma.” My heart melted and ran all over the front seat of my car when she said that. Why had I even let those other thoughts creep into my mind?

So, I may not get a kiss or a hug every time I leave her for the class, but I get the peace of mind knowing that she’s growing up into a well-rounded, socially-strong individual, who still loves her Momma.

And, sometimes, I get really cool jewelry out of the deal, too.

;)

Today is Day 4 of 30 in the NaBloPoMo Challenge! Check it out and/or join in the fun! And, with that…my outfit AND the post for Day 4 is complete!