Tuesday, September 18, 2007

First day of school and other happenings



As the title suggests, today was Elias's first day of preschool, starting at Two Rivers Montessori in the Sunflower Cottage. His teachers/guides are Anna and Mary. Yesterday, we went to the classroom for a visit and Elias jumped right in. He took Anna around the classroom and showed her what interested him. When they took his first work to a little table, Anna brought a stool over to him to sit next to him. As they moved on to something else and another table, he proclaimed, "Wait, I have to bring you stool over!" How sweet is he, really, how darn sweet? This morning, we talked about the steps of our routine again as we drove to school(get out of the car, walk through the gate, walk down the stairs, up the path and stop at the mat in front of the cottage. I'll get down on my knees and give him a super big hug and kiss and wish him a good day at school and say I'll see him at 12PM). We were so early, I had to drive around the lock about six times. We walked into school and ran into Eddison and Mercedes along the way. Eddison was running up the path and Elias followed suit. Then, he stopped by the path in front of his cottage. He waited for me and then we walked up to the door. He said, "Mom, you acn go with me," and then I remembered that we weren't on the mat. We jumped over to the mat and hugged and kissed and Elias went up the stairs to school. I stood up and he turned around. I thought he might just run after me, but instead, he just said, "Bye!" and in he went. His teacher called this evening and said he had a wonderful day, that he was very interested in the materials at school and that he talked with other children and was in general in a very cheerful mood! I'm so glad for him. I knew he was going to love it.

Today, after taking Elias to school, I felt quite a void. I wondered all day where has the little whirlwind that seems to propel me here and there each day? Dahlia was the same way, asking where Elias had gone and picking up remnants of his toys around the house, holding them up to me simply saying, "Elias?" I counted down the time until we could pick him up, and was so touched, when we did arrive, to see him returning from the playground, walking through the gate standing in line with the other children, and then when it was time for me to pick him up from the classroom, seeing him sitting right in front of the teacher, gazing up at her as she read and held up a picture book.

I miss him, but I am so happy for him, too. He is much different than I thought he would be...I really expected him to be resistant to going, and I never pegged him as being so outgoing because he is often wanting to be very close to me and cuddly, hiding in our wings. This gentle nudge out of that nest seems to really afforded him an opportunity to soar as his own person.

In past news, Elias turned 3! We had a great party at the Children's Museum where friends make sock snakes and played pin the tongue on the snake well into the lunch hour. It was really good fun!


We also went on a great camping trip at the beach with all of our friends from playgroup! Elias caught his very first fish, which I hear was quite a delight! He also roasted marshmallows and have plenty of fun running after his friends and playing on the beach.