Pre-School

Petra started pre-school today! For the last month or two, we had started thinking she may be ready for something more than the (spectacularly wonderful) home daycare that she's been in for the last two years (!?! Has it been that long?). She's been wanting "arts and crafts" and music and "experiments," and it just seemed that it was a little beyond the play and Backyardigans she was getting every day. Then out of the blue we were called by the fantastic preschool that we've been on the waiting list for since before she was born, and they had a spot. We were given the weekend to think it over, and it wasn't an easy decision. The preschool, setting, curriculum, meals (!) are all fantastic, but it meant leaving Karan (our wonderful daycare provider), and Alison & Petra would have to start commuting by car. No more staggered drop off/pick up by different parents. No more hour of Mommy time/Daddy time before and after "school." And we won't even talk about the $$$!

I took today off to accompany Petra to school. The "transition plan" involves the parents being available all week (though this is only a 3 day week for the school), so the child can go home at any time if they have had enough. Petra and I arrived at 8, and immediately bumped into Nathan's parents (Nathan and Makayla were Petra's friends at her daycare when she first started, but they moved away about a year ago). Nathan's at the school too, but a different class. Petra can see him during the playtimes (though we didn't see him today).

Kids trickle in over the course of a couple of hours in the morning. The classroom had several activities set up (play sand, watercolors, an "ocean" water table etc.), and Petra dove right in, though she essentially ignored the other kids. When she sat down at the breakfast table, she was told she needed to wash her hands, so she came right over to the kid size sink and scrubbed away (obviously, handwashing at home is hindered only by the height of the sink). She dished her own bowl of cereal, and ate it with MILK (highly unusual!). She told the teacher it was "tasty!", and told me she ate her cereal with milk on it. The teachers came around to chat with her on and off throughout the morning, but she mainly played on her own.

Circle time was the first evidence that there would actually be some transition stresses. She did NOT want to go sit in the circle with all the other kids, even when they all said "Hello Petra!" in unison to welcome her (she was playing in the water table with her back to them at the time). I sat in the circle, and eventually she came and sat on my lap for a moment, but then wandered off again. I could tell she was getting a little stressed because she pulled her Nuk out of her pocket and began fondling it, and eventually popping it into her mouth.

After circle time was potty break, and she dove right into that as well (well, sat on it at least, maybe dove is the wrong word). The teachers do quite a good job handling 20 kids going to the bathroom at the same time!

Then it was outdoor playtime (Petra had already been rattling the handles a few times wanting to go out). She immediately found a trike and began riding around. It was time for me to try leaving for awhile, so I told her I had to go run an errand, and would be back soon. She said "bye" over her shoulder as she headed to the sandbox.

I spent an hour or so reading and starving in a conference room. I peaked out and saw her finger painting once, but eventually the teacher came to say Petra was ready to go home. I went out and found her near tears, and she grabbed me and said 'Daddy I missed you!" poor dear. I'd never seen her so emotionally vulnerable. As we were walking away holding hands she was sobbing, and saying "Don't leave me Daddy!" It made me sad. We gathered her things and went and met Mama for lunch in the park. She was much happier by then, and partly attributed her desire to leave to some boy hitting her in the head. I personally think that it was also that it was past her normal snack time (11:30), and she was hungry! We're going to try to send along a snack for tomorrow.

We had a good nap together after getting home, and had a relaxing afternoon reading books and playing. She's been in good spirits ever since. I only hope that by tomorrow, she remembers the fun she had rather than sad parts. I had been thinking that the transition is probably harder on the parents than the kids, but I may have been wrong. She's a brave and strong little girl, but she isn't invincible! We'll help her along, and I'm sure she'll be fine within a couple of days. Keep your fingers crossed!

The little things

It's often the little things that make time with Petra so special.

Sitting on my lap on the merry-go-round, I kiss the top of her head. She turns her head to the side and gives me a kiss on the arm.

Playing with the curtain chains at Maison du Pain, counting "Uno, Gos, Tres, Ocho."

Instantly making new friends at the park, and then crying when having to leave them.

Knowing Mama & Dada's first and last names.

Dribbling water on her shirt, and crying "It's stained! I ruined my shirt! Take it off!"

Being a different character every 15 minutes (Ho ho the monkey, Uniqua the Sheriff, Pablo the bandit, Mr. Spiffy, Plex the robot, Super Red etc. etc.).

Drawing "stories" about the beautiful princess and the mysterious mermaid.

Giggling like a maniac everytime you get to "Goose" in duck, duck, goose.

Precocious

While we were all out playing on the sidewalk the other day, a woman comes walking along and nearly bumps into Petra. "Hi!" Petra says. "Is she always this friendly?" the woman asks. "This is my family," Petra continues, "and this is my bicycle, it has streamers on the handlebars." "Wow!" the woman says, "Is this your house?" "Yes," Petra answers, "It has a blue door, and you can go in and out of it!" "She is the most precocious, verbal baby I've ever seen!" says the woman, and walks off.

That pretty much sums up Petra, and at least 3 different strangers this week have said so. Here we thought that Petra was normal, and other kids her age were just a little slow, but no, it's our baby that's the freak. This is why we are going to put her into the UCLA early education program (pre-school) at the end of the month (after 2 years on the waiting list). She just wants to do so much more than just play at daycare. She loves doing arts and crafts (including face-painting, as you can see), she loves to dance (the peanut butter stomp is a current favorite), sing, and "do experiments." She's also pretty good on the mechanical bull.