First Day of Preschool: 3's Class

Last Thursday was Open House for Jack's preschool. Jackson ran up to his teacher from last year and would not let go. 

We reiterated that she was going to teach a new class of 2's and now that Jackson is a big boy he would be in the 3's class. There are two different classes for 3 year olds and Jackson was overwhelmed with the crowds. He barely acknowledged his new teacher, and she barely acknowledged us. It was awkward how distant she was.

I tried my best to keep Jackson in good spirits and remain enthusiastic about school. We found all but one item from the ridiculously long school supply list. I was going to let Jack pick out a new lunchbox, but Walmart did not have a single one. Jackson proudly picked out this Michelangelo sandwich container.

Maddie has therapy immediately after preschool drop-off on Tuesdays. I couldn't decide if I should let the trio sleep so they would be in better moods, or if I should wake them early so they could eat before we left. I chose to let them sleep, and ended up underestimating the amount of time required to change, dress, and load everyone in the car. I very quickly snapped two pictures of Jackson in front of our door.

Jackson was getting anxious trying to navigate the crowded hallway. It didn't take him long to get comfortable once he was inside his classroom. As soon as he noticed me leaving, he broke out into hysterics and held on to my leg. His teacher, Mrs. Tara, picked him up and comforted him. I was relieved she wasn't the ice princess I had originally thought her to be.

When I picked Jackson up from school, he was in a great mood. Here's a recap of our conversation:

Me: What did you do at school today?

Jack: I painted a tree. It has to dry at school.

Me. A tree? I'm glad you got to paint. That sounds like fun.

Jack: It was big and had clouds.

Me: Did you read any stories today?

Jack: We all sat on the rug. Ms. Kerry's not my teacher. What is my teacher's name?

Me: Ms. Tara

Jack: Ms. Tara read us a story. And we got to play outside.

Me (noticing he didn't eat his sandwich): Why did you not eat your lunch? Are you hungry now?

Jack: I did eat my strawberries. I'm not hungry.

Me: Did you have a snack today?

Jack: Yes! Guess what we ate. We had... We had...

Me: Orangutan?

Jack. No! We had graham crackers!

And on and on and on. The boy takes a bit of prompting, but he shares every detail. 

Since he was in such a good mood, I tried to conduct a quick photo shoot since I only took two pictures and thought I could get a better picture. His Batman shirt had jelly on it so he changed shirts.

I totally pushed my luck. I decided to end our photo session after the first few pictures.

Jackson is every bit the three year old! 

I have some details to tweak with our morning routine tomorrow. Hopefully I can leave Jack's classroom without any tears and he is just as happy when I pick him up.

First Day of School

As a stay-at-home mom, the first day of school simply means we can enjoy our favorite kid-friendly spots without the crowds. I didn't have any emotional breakdowns or jealousy about not being in the classroom. We stayed busy with Maddie's PT this morning and a playdate at the park. I recently blogged about how challenging this park is with the babies. I am so happy to share that the wagon tackles the gravels trails far better than any stroller. We had a much more positive experience.

The weather couldn't have been more pleasant, with temperatures in the 70's and relaxing breezes. I still got a workout in by pulling over 50 pounds of children up and down hills, but I wasn't drenched in sweat from heat.

We met at a smaller park that I didn't know about. It was between the lake and a parking lot. There were covered picnic benches away from the aggressive geese, which meant the kids could actually sit down and eat their snacks. 

Most of the kids are preschoolers like Jackson, but there is another sweet girl close to the trio's age.

My mom friends and I chatted while the kids played on the playground. After a while we walked around the lake, skipping rocks and looking for turtles and tadpoles underwater. Jack and his friends played on the rocks. We took bets on who would have a meltdown before we left based on how hard they were running and climbing.

We utilized our bread stash we keep in the van. (You never know when you might come across some hungry ducks and geese.) Jackson and I passed out slices to his friends so they could all feed the geese.

By this point we had been at the park for two hours. Poor Maddie is always exhausted after PT anyway. She could not keep her eyes open.

I walked back to the van, pulling all four children. Jack and I had a low key afternoon playing in his room while the trio napped.

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Jesse's First Day (dictated by Jesse)

Each class has 30-34 students

My first day was alright. It was a lot different from high school, much more different than I thought it would be. The kids are given a lot less responsibility, but they probably can't handle it yet. I don't think I've ever eaten in the cafeteria before. I've certainly never been on the bus lot before. I've never had to deal with lockers. It's unfortunate that I have to do that.

I liked meeting the kids. They're talkative. I really like my colleagues. My team has been very supportive and helpful. As far as materials, there's nothing I could want that I don't have. It should be a good year once I get used to things.