Jackson's first week of preschool

Anyone who knows Jackson knows that Jackson does what Jackson wants, when Jackson wants, how Jackson wants---everything on Jackson's terms. Well, his little world was turned upside-down this week when he started preschool. He is going to the same preschool Anna Catherine attended. His schedule is Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 8:00-11:45 am. He was so excited about going. He has been asking to go all summer but I kept telling him he had to wait until August. Finally, his first day of school arrived.

Tuesday morning he jumped out of the van and went directly inside. When we went into his classroom you could see a look of confusion on his face. I explained that I would pick him up after lunch and gave him a kiss, a hug, and an I love you. He hugged me and said he loved me too and gave me a kiss. This happened several times as he was hesitant to leave me. The other children were eating breakfast so the substitute (his teacher was on vacation this week) sat Jackson at the table and gave him a cup of milk and a bowl of oatmeal. He just stared at the oatmeal and then at the other children eating. I know in his mind he was thinking, "You expect me to eat this!" I left the room and peaked in the window in the hallway. He had a look of sheer panic on his face. His bottom lip was sticking out two inches from his face as he looked around the table at all the strange faces of these people he had been left with. He wasn't crying but was obviously upset. He felt abandoned and it broke my heart! When I picked him up he was crying. The sub didn't realize he was a half-day student and made him lay down for nap time. He said he thought I wasn't coming to get him. Poor fella! As we were walking back to the car he said, "I had a good time today." That made me feel a little better. He hadn't been sad all day.

Wednesday morning he was once again excited about going to school. We arrived, he went into his classroom, and started playing with toys. I told him that I would pick him up after lunch, gave him a kiss, hug, and I love you, and walked out the door. He had no problems with me leaving--YES!! I thought we were having a great second day until I picked him up. I arrived a few minutes early so I was chatting with the director. I heard him crying down the hall, his classroom door opened, and his teacher stepped outside. I motioned for her to send him to me. He was so relieved to see me. He had been crying for an hour and fifteen minutes. Once again, he thought he had been abandoned. He said, "Mommy, you not coming back." Nice guilt trip for Mommy, Jackson! When we got in the van Jackson said that he had gotten in trouble on the playground for hitting a girl. We had a long talk about it and hopefully he will not have anymore social problems on the playground. Jackson is not an aggressive boy or a bully; he is just used to getting his way 97% of the time. It is an issue that he will have to work on. Other than the playground episode and feeling abandoned, he said he had a good day.

Thursday morning he was adamant that he was not going to school. We talked about it but he was still determined to stay with Chloe and me. He got out of the van, walked into the building, and down the hall with no problem. He stopped in front of his door and said he wasn't going in. I went in with him and told the sub that he was sad. I sat in a chair and sat him in my lap to once again explain that I would pick him up after lunch. I told him that he would never have to take a nap at school and that I would always pick him up. I gave him a hug, a kiss, and an I love you Jack. He reciprocated the affection and then went over to the animals and began playing without hesitation so I left. At 11:45 I stuck my head in the door and Jackson was standing to the side. When he saw me he said, "See, I tell you my Mommy come back" and down the hall we went. He said he had a good day.

Hopefully, next week will be better. Ms. Jessica will be back from vacation so he will be able to settle into a regular, structured environment. This is one of the reasons we opted to enroll him in preschool. Jackson needs structure, rules, and social interaction. He has rarely been away from me. He attended daycare for two months just after he was born so I could teach the remainder of the school year. Then he was home for the summer, we moved to Pontotoc, and he's been with me ever since, with the exception of staying in the gym nursery and the church nursery. Those are places he has been going since an infant so those are routine. It will take time but I think within the next few weeks Jackson will be comfortable at school.

Anna Catherine's First Day of Kindergarten

August 14, 2008---We moved to Pontotoc exactly three years ago this month, and immediately Anna Catherine longed for the day she would turn five, start "big school", and be a Cougar (school mascot for SP)! All of her school-age cousins went to South Pontotoc and were Cougars so she wanted to do the same thing. We were always going to the school for various assemblies, pep rallies, football games, pageants, etc. that family members participated in. Several times a month for the past three years, just out of the blue, she would say, "When I'm five I get to go to big school!" She didn't care to be three years old, or even four. She liked the parties and gifts but turning five was going to be a big deal. Well, on her fifth birthday she thought she was going to wake up and immediately begin kindergarten that day. I explained that she would have to get a check-up and shots and the doctor's office before she could start. Two months later when that happened, she thought she could enroll the next day. I was finally able to explain that she would have to wait until August. She wasn't happy about it but she agreed.

Today most of her wish came true. It's her first day as a kindergarten student but rather than being a Cougar, she is now a Viking (when we moved in December we changed school districts). We are no longer allowed to call it "big school"---she's in kindergarten. She woke up without a fight and ate breakfast. She dressed herself and fixed her own hair. She chose a hot pink shirt with sparkles, a vintage denim skirt with hot pink, orange, and yellow embellishments, and multicolored flip flops. She had her Hannah Montana messenger bag, Hannah Montana lunch box (filled with more food than she could possibly eat in a day), High School Musical water bottle (for lunch), and a second water bottle (to refill the HSM bottle for snack time). We dropped the babies off at the grandparents' house and were on our way.

North Pontotoc has a staggered kindergarten start day. School actually began on August 6th, but each kindergarten class has had only a few students per day since then. It allows the children to become acclimated to the rules, routines, procedures, etc. and each child is given an assessment test. Today's class roll included Anna Catherine, Candy, Mandy, Karly, and Haley. There will actually be 26 in her class when all students begin regularly on Monday. Her teacher, Mrs. Cindy, was my second grade teacher 27 years ago. Her assistant teacher, Mrs. Donna, has been a family friend for a long time and her parents were my neighbors while growing up. Another interesting coincidence (or at least I think it is) is that there is a boy in her room whose dad and I have been friends since we were four or five years old. We went to the same preschool, were in the same room in school from first grade through sixth and had one or more classes together from seventh grade until I graduated (a year early from the class I started with). Yes, North Pontotoc is a small school but there were four teachers per grade in elementary school and several options for classes in junior high and high school. I'm sure it's only a neat fact to me but I thought I'd throw it in anyway.

Anna Catherine was very excited. She was extremely quiet (which she only does when she is enjoying herself) and didn't speak on the ride to school She never spoke once we entered the room. We put her water in the refrigerator and her bags in her cubby. She sat down with the other girls, listened to the teachers instructions, and immediately began working. Mrs. Cindy asked her if it was okay for me to leave and she nodded her head, never looking. I bent down, gave her a kiss goodbye, and told her I would pick her up this afternoon. I looked back and she was opening her box of crayons, still never looking up. Surprisingly, I didn't tear up and neither did she. We'll get her verdict on the day's activities when we pick her up in a few hours.

Conversations with Chloe and Jackson

Chloe loves Dora. While watching Dora Fairytale Adventure today she was talking to Dora:

Dora: Can you say, "Once upon a time?"
Chloe:"No."

A little while later...

Dora: "Do you see the sleeping dragon?"
Chloe: "There it is!"

When did she get big enough to carry on conversations with cartoon characters?

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Chloe has been showing signs of beginner potty training so I dug the potty chair out of storage. Jackson saw the potty seat, picked it up, and started walking away with it.

Me: "Jackson, put that down. What are you doing with it?"
Jackson: "Taking it to my room."
Me: "Why are you taking the potty seat to your room?"
Jackson: "So I won't have to go to the bathroom while I'm watching The Muppets. I can use the little potty."

Poor thing! He's already thinking like a guy. Can't risk missing a minute of your television show in order to take care of your toilet needs. I guess that's why Rick installed surround sound speakers in our bathroom at the house in Southaven. Even if you had to visually miss a play of the game, you could still hear the announcers while taking care of business! Like father, like son. (Honestly, I can't complain. I'll be very lucky if Jackson turns out like Rick. And I really enjoyed having surround sound in the bathroom!)