Home of the Four Trans

Much has been going on in our household, and I guess I was holding out for some good pictures before reporting, but then that may be never. So, here goes. We start with Nathan’s school adventures.

Nathan started Preschool. The first week was a disaster with him screaming every morning at drop off. He refused to join the other students in the morning circle time where they sang songs, and learned each other’s names. He had to be removed from the classroom because his screaming and crying was so disruptive. However, we had no choice but to leave him like that, because…he has to learn to join the real world, eventually/some time?…

I did not cry for my first born’s tears. But, I second guessed myself, and my decision to put him in school. Now that he’s there, there really isn’t any turning back. I mean, what would we be teaching him if we pulled him out…that screaming and crying will get his way? Argh. So, we stuck it out, crying and beatings in the morning (by him on us, not the other way around) and all.

The second day, he was really pissed. During lunch, he refused to eat, and made his point by throwing his plate across the room. His response to every request made by the teacher was “NO!” I was told by the school administrator that he’ll get the hang of it, we just need to teach him the little things like, “grace and manners.” Uh, was that an insult, because it sure felt like one.

We started feeling alone in the whole process. All the other kids knew how to wave good-bye, get in line, and join circle time…without screaming and yelling. What is wrong with our kid? Us?

Well, nothing…I think.

Turns out, most of the kids in Nathan’s class are older than he is by one year, and started a year earlier, so had had their time to express (cry, yell, scream) their anxieties.

One mom told me that her daughter took a good week and half to adjust. Now, a year later, she still gets teary-eyed when dropped off, but does not scream and wail like Nathan does.

Just a moment earlier, she had seen Nathan being carried from his classroom down the hallway by the assistant teacher. He was screaming “Mama! Mama! Mama!,” reaching out for me over the assistant teacher’s shoulder. All I could do was say, “I’ll pick you up after lunch, Nathan,” before he disappeared around the corner.

I went home, feeling completely guilty, and seriously considered home schooling my kids. In fact, I had spent the entire night before researching on line. Home schooling is A LOT of work on the parent’s part, but is awesome for the kids, I think. They’re allowed to work at their own pace on the subjects that they like, with no set curriculum for any given day…they just have to complete their work for the year. But, I digress…

With the beginning of the new week was a new beginning for Nathan. Although he still cried at drop off during the second week, he stopped after we left, and was willing to observe the other students “working” on their “work”. He’s at a Montessori program…everything looks like play, but they’re really learning (typical child’s life, right?). Now, on his 3rd week, the teacher says he is actually doing some of the work himself.

This week, when I picked him up from school and asked him if he had a good day, he responded with “Yes,” but wouldn’t elaborate. He’s made some friends, and his favorite time is play time in the school playground. Today, he rode in the helicopter. Yesterday, he was on the space ship. His “best friend” Zack tried to run him over with a tricycle.

Nathan, my first born, 3 years old, is definitely growing into his own. I don’t know if “cute” describes him anymore. He’s like a little teenager….

With the chaos that surrounded that first day of school, we failed to take a picture. The two shots we did get were from Loi’s I-phone, through a gridded glass from the hallway, looking into the classroom. He was wearing his best clothes: a Red CARS shirt, jeans, and red Crocs with six CARS ornaments on them. He had just finished his screaming, and was seated next to his teacher, with a little burrowed brow.

Here is a picture of the shirt he wore on his first day of school. I wanted him to wear something familiar to him and to his peers. A conversation starter, maybe? He wore this shirt on the previous Monday, before school started (the good, ol’, calmer days). We had gone to a Build-a-Bear Workshop.

These animals are his creations. The left purple bear was for Grandma, and the right purple bear was for his Great Auntie. Both love purple. The stud in the middle is his. He’s a Laker Lover like his Papa. Before choosing the animal, he knew he wanted to name it PeeWee, after Justin.

All the drama aside, I am having fun with Nathan at this age. Really. I mean, most days are overwhelming with him claiming every toy as “mine,” and dictating to Justin what he can or cannot play with, leaving Justin with eventually nothing to play with…Let’s not forget the tantrums with endless screaming. The kind that leaves Justin bug-eyed, like, what is going on? Then, there are days when I feel like I’ve lost so much control because I never have enough time to give to them, and the guilty conscious beats on my head…

He’s growing, and has an opinion about everything, and a solution for everything (never mind if it’s right). His facial expressions and the tones he uses when he talks are pretty priceless too. I love that he has suggestions about things, now. Like, the other day, he told me he wanted to sit in a real fire truck (his new obsession). So, I set up a meeting at our local fire station. We’re planning to go tomorrow after school. We’ll see how everything goes…

Tune in for more drama!

 

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 17th, 2008 at 2:14 am and is filed under Nathan, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.