When we arrived at the school, I naively walked him into the Stepping Stones classroom where he's been since last Sept. About three steps into the room, his teacher, Mrs. Fedora, looked up at us with a very perplexed expression. She then proceeded to say "good morning" and point us right back out the door. To my utter disbelief, over the break, they decided that Jake WAS ready to move up to the primary classroom (where the kids are anywhere from 3 to 6 years old). I was shocked, but trying not to make a big deal of this whole surprise, lest I panic Jake.
Well, it turns out that he was MUCH more prepared than I was for this transition!!! He did a complete 180 degree turn, walked down the hallway to the entrance to the "big boy" classrooms and looked back at me like "are you coming, Mom, or what?" I was trying to give him my best "sure, heck, I'm coming" look...until I realized that my legs were not moving...LOL All I could think of was...hey, where was my little transition meeting? Sure, he went and visited the other classroom before the break, but what about easing mommy into this who new thing??
He must have sensed what was going through my mind...not to mention that I was standing there like a dope (LOL)...So, being the trooper that he is, he came back to get me, took my hand and said "we have to go this way, mommy". We approached the entrance to the hallway leading to the "big boy" classrooms, and it was there that I was stopped abruptly by the office lady, Mrs. McDaniels. I must have had quite a panicked look on my face, because she proceeded to tell me that normally, parents are NOT allowed to walk their children to their classrooms, but since it was his first day, she would let me accompany him there to make sure he was comfortable and ok. (I think we both knew that what she was really thinking was that this would hopefully alleviate any possibility that I would either pass out right there, create a big scene, and ultimately screw up drop off for all of the other kids and parents OR pick her up and throw her out of my way...LOL)
So, Jake and I took that long walk down the hallway, passing four (or so) other classrooms until we got to the last one, The Jacques Cousteau room (heck it couldn't be a name that I could easily spell?). I stood there frozen, holding his backpack and nap bag in my hands staring into this BIG, HUGE, classroom full of what seemed like thousands of cool, intellectually stimulating kid things and a LOT of other kids...most of whom looked WAY older than my baby boy (though not necessarily bigger). And for just one brief moment, I thought about scooping him up into my arms and taking him back to the little classroom with the rocking chair and all of his other little friends. Right at that tenuous moment, a cute little girl came running over and said "Jake, we've been waiting for you to come and join our classroom!!" She took his hand and with only a stolen kiss on the head (and no hug) off he went into the world of "big boys"...
His teacher noticed me standing there, again I can just imagine the expression on my face and how pale I must have looked (I forgot to put on blush before leaving the house, so holy cow, I had to be way scary), and she walked over, put her hand on my shoulder, told me she would take really, really wonderful care of my son, took the nap bag and his backpack from me and told me to have a nice day. HAVE A NICE DAY?!?!?! I felt like saying...Hey, I'm staying right here...you don't really expect me to leave him here, do you? Which, I'm sure is WHY they have the "parents can't walk their kids to the classroom policy" to begin with! And then, she shut the door and there I stood, all alone in the hallway...a world away from my little baby boy turned "big boy".
I tried my best to be brave and headed back to the car. Even got in and started it, well, momentarily any way. And spent the next few minutes convincing myself that the people I was supposed to meet with at 9:30 (at work) were basically idiots and that it was waayyyy more important to ensure he was ok on this very important day. Car off, door open, back into the school, past the office lady guarding the door (she knew better than to try to stop me) and back down the hall. Luckily, this school has one way glass outside each classroom, so I was able to watch him without him knowing I was there (and I say this not because I was worried that he would run to me, but more because I worried he would be embarrassed that his mommy was having separation issues...LOL).
Needless to say, he was doing GREAT!!! He had taken his own coat off, hung it on his hook, put his nap bag where it goes and his backpack and was now sitting in "circle" next to his friend Paulie (a child he got to know in afterschool care...ironically, the son of his former teacher). The teacher was reading a book to the class about animals and asking them to act things out with her and he was SUCH a part of the whole little group that you would have NEVER known that this was his first day (unlike his mom...who you could spot as a primary class parent newbie from a mile away). He was AMAZING!! So confident, answering questions, listening quietly, taking his turn...I could NOT have been prouder!!! After a few minutes (ok, more like 20), I made my way back to car and even managed to get myself to work.
Nanny picked him up at about noon (he has half days on Mon and Tues) and he proudly told her that he had even gone to the potty by himself. And hey, this is no small feat, either!! The pottys are not in any room off of his classroom (like the old room), he has to go back down that hall, out to the main hallway and across from the office to the boys room to go...BY HIMSELF!!! He said he did it twice, and when I heard this, all I could think was WOW!!!!!
I have a feeling we're all going to be given a run for our money now...the class will be learning the continents, states, the sign language alphabet and all kinds of other things I have NO idea about. And they still predict he'll be reading in just another few months...which, anyone who has ridden in a car with him lately can tell you, is getting easier to believe...he reads ALL of the road signs now...CAUTION, NO TURNS, No stopping or standing, Speed Limit signs, Do Not Enter, you name it! At 3!!! It scares me to even think what he'll be doing at 4?? Binomial equations?
Only one new picture to post tonight...one of the very best surprises for my birthday (which was the 5th) was a picture sent from our girl, Smidgie (aka Jo-Jo, Jordan, Smidge). How darn cute is she?? Especially love the bedhead!!! LOL
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Hope everyone has an amazing week...we're certainly off to a great start!
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