Sebastian is settling into his usual rhythm with school and friends - the soccer game at lunch recess is the highlight of his day, and everything else is just meh. He has a lot of friends in his class this year and that's great. But some days his stomach hurts and he is unenthusiastic about going at all; some days he goes to the school nurse's office for an extended break. (This is a compromise - he used to just ask to come home whenever he felt anxious or had an unhappy feeling in his belly. Now he sits there for 15 minutes and then goes back to his class. I think he just gets overwhelmed by the noise and clatter sometimes and needs a break.) He plays on the school field every day after school with whoever is there to play with - a rotating cast of characters and friends. He plays soccer, football, basketball, baseball, four-square, dodgeball... he makes forts in the forest and collects lost lacrosse balls. We are so fortunate to live in such a safe community, across from the school, so that he can freely roam for hours each afternoon. I love his independence and confidence. (I am not feeling particularly excited by his teacher this year, or by the prospect of 3rd-grade standardized exams, or by the fact that he has apparently done half the curriculum already. He was in a 2/3 blended class last year and they covered a lot of 3rd grade work - I don't understand the school's plan for his education this year.)
I am once again remembering how to get ourselves ready and out the door each morning: make breakfasts, pack lunches for kids and myself, get everyone dressed, brush teeth, pack backpacks, find library books... am I ready for work? Ack! Two-minute shower, chug coffee, run out the door! I've been remembering how much I dislike the whole lunch and snack-packing ritual. Every morning is more of a sprint than it should be and adding Liesl to the mix just ramps up my sense of frazzlement. (Is that a word?) She can be really slow and she gets distracted easily by conversation, books, her toys, choosing clothes, etc. She comes by it naturally, I know - a Ford family characteristic shining through! - and she tries really hard to be good. But Sebastian can't bear to wait for her - he leaves at 7:43, the earliest he can, and after much reminding and nagging she heads out at 7:53, two minutes before the first bell rings.
Liesl is doing really well so far in kindergarten. The first week or so was hard - she was anxious and exhausted and extremely emotional at home. And she was lonely and unsure of herself, despite knowing quite a few children in kindergarten at FPE - all of her particular friends are in different classes. She also seems to have a particular conception of friendship, where it's just her and another little girl playing together - she doesn't want it to be a group, or even three children. She's looking for a best friend, someone to call her own. At recess, for example, if a friend she knows is playing with another friend, she refuses to go over and join the play. So there were a couple of unhappy days where she said she stood around and played with nobody, and my heart hurt for her.
But then! Last Thursday she came home and reported that she had made a friend named Nora. Upon questioning, it turned out that Nora loved the monkey bars (check!), playing family (aka house... check!), and pretending to be an animal (check!). A triple score! As it turns out, Nora is also a little shy and slow to warm up to large groups, and doesn't yet have many little friends. Liesl and Nora have played together every day since then and I'm delighted. There was a school picnic last Friday night and we made a point of meeting Nora and her parents there. They seem like lovely people and so I promptly invited Nora to come over for a playdate. It's tomorrow. Liesl is super excited.
Unlike her brother, Liesl loves to come home and tell me all about the day - the in-school field trips to read signs and look for text; searching for Pete the Cat and his school shoes all over the school; drawing pictures; the songs they sing in music; the lesson they learned in technology; the lunches (and treats!) that other children eat; the petty misbehavior of other children; various things that Mrs. LaTocha has said that are now gospel. It's sweet. I took some pictures of Liesl's projects and drawings from the first two weeks.
No comments:
Post a Comment