Thoughts on Preschool

Now that we´ve been doing the whole ¨school thing¨ for nearly two months, we´ve got some patterns established and observations that we´ve made.  

1)  Clara still enjoys school, playing with the kids, cutting and pasting, playing ¨chase¨ with anyone who will chase her, etc.  

 2)  We´ve gotten a lot of information about Diego, a boy in her class.  Apparently he had a rough transition to school, following instructions, etc.  Clara still gives us daily, unasked-for updates on Diego´s progress (or lack thereof, somedays).  For the first few weeks, Diego seemed to be her only interest in school. 

3)  Fortunately, her interests have expanded in the last month, and now we get updates on the other girls in her class.  Who played with her, who has a new backpack, who threw up in class.  You know, the things that make a four-year-old´s world turn. 

4)  I´ve been very impressed with the homework that Clara´s teacher assigns.  My only experiences with Mexican preschools have been in private schools, and the director that I had in Metepec insisted that I give the kids homework EVERY DAY.  I felt rebellious giving them homework only 4 days a week.  (Knowing in my head that it´s ridiculous to give a preschooler any homework at all.)  Clara´s teacher, being a good deal smarter than that director, only asks for homework once a week, or once every other week.  Usually it´s before a holiday, and we (the parents) are to explain said holiday to the child and they draw a picture, or cut out pictures from magazines about anything having to do with said holiday.  That´s the kind of homework I can get behind.   The piece of homework above was a reflection on the United Nations, as they celebrated the founding of the United Nations on October 24th. 

5)  The only complaint with school is that she seems to get pushed and hit a lot.  I´ve walked past the school at recess time and all the kids have recess at the same time and it´s just a giant free-for-all.  I´m guessing that most of the hitting and shoving happens simply because preschoolers don´t tend to pay attention to their surroundings, so having 100 preschoolers running amok in a fairly confined space makes for any number of accidents waiting to happen.  On a daily basis. 

However, Clara is also not quick to defend herself (to put it mildly).  So she may be a bit of a target.  Mario and I encourage her to hit back when someone hits her first.  From what she says, her teacher encourages her to retaliate, too.  (I love this woman.)  Growing up, I can´t say I ever heard in a school setting that it was OK to hit anyone, even if they hit you first.  It was always, ¨take it to the teacher, take it to the teacher, blah, blah, blah . . . ¨ (Keep in mind, I never went to preschool myself.)  So I´m really happy that this teacher wants to encourage her to stand up for herself and is actively teaching her to defend herself, instead of letting her slip into being the perpetual victim. 

A friend of mine also suggested that she learn how to pray for problem children.  So tonight when she was praying for her friends, I suggested that we pray for another little girl, who Clara said that nobody likes because she hits and pushes everybody.  After we did that, Clara mentioned that Pushy Girl is doing a lot better.  Here´s hoping that´s the case!   

6)  And finally, Clara has been recruited by the speech therapist.  She doesn´t have any noticable speech problems, but the therapist will just work with her to increase her Spanish vocabulary.  Apparently, for her assessment, they didn´t realize that she spoke English at home (strange, because her teacher sure knows), so I can just see Clara sitting before a stack of flashcards they wanted her to identify, over and over saying, ¨I don´t know, I don´t know, I don´t know.¨  Until it finally dawned on her to explain that she knew how to say all these words in English!  Poor kid.   

She is doing really well and her Spanish has improved tremendously in the last two months.  Today, I even caught her using indirect objects, direct objects and both forms of the past tense!  (Yes, Spanish has two forms--and my four-year-old is beginning to dominate that!)

Obviously school has much to do with this improvement, as does Tía Patty coming back to live with us (so Joey´s getting solid Spanish exposure, too!) or if it´s also thanks to our new-founded Dora the Explorer habit.  Even Joey yelled at the TV this evening for Mapa to come out of Dora´s backpack.  (Of course, he called it Papa.)

But in the end, we´re really happy with school and pleased in our choice of schools.   

And I still can´t get over how stinkin´ cute she is in her school uniform!

All About Joe

As I figured, I am really enjoying all my Joey-time, now that Clara is in school for three hours a day.  At just over two years old, he´s got a lot going on, and surprises me all the time with new things he can do and the ways he shows us he´s understanding the world. 

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  Entertaining himself on the walk back home from school.

  
  His speaking skills are FINALLY taking off!  It became clear sometime this summer (like August) that ¨mama¨ really meant Mama.  For the longest time, he only said Mama when he was mad, so I wasn´t sure if he was taking to me, or if it was just the sound he made when he was mad.  Once he got over that stumbling block, the words are starting to roll off his tongue, and this week it seems that he´s learning a new word every day.  His vocabulary so far: 
• Papa--he just mastered this this week, but hoo-boy, he´s got it down! 
• quack-quack--really, this was his second ¨word¨, as all summer he´d quack at the ducks, geese, pigeons, any bird at all merits a good ¨kak-kak¨
• hot--he says, ¨ha¨ but I know what he´s talking about, as he only spouts this when he´s in the bath or eating.  Then again, the other day he hurt himself, I gave him an ice pack, and he proclaimed the ice pack to be ¨ha¨. 
• The other day he really got going on saying ¨hi¨ to me and Clara.  But I haven´t heard much of it since. 
• He attempted to say ¨apple¨ this evening.  I´m curious if we´ll hear it again soon. 
• The other day he asked Mario for ¨agua¨ without prompting.  Knocked my socks off!
• When he really, really wants more of something, he will ask, ¨mo´¨  He first said ¨more¨quite clearly way back on Christmas Day, but we haven´t heard much of it since until these last two weeks or so. 
• When he was trying to figure out how to say ¨Papa¨, he´d get all excited and stand at the door when Mario came home, shouting, ¨Mama!  Mama!¨  At least he now has the Mama/Papa distinction down.  However, asking him about other people in his life goes something like this:
• Me:  Joey, how do you say, ¨Clara¨?
• Joey:  Mama
• Me:  How do you say, ¨Tía Paty¨?
• Joey:  Mama   [glad to know that I´m so interchangable]
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  One evening, he insisted on wearing Clara´s school apron and backpack, then happily waved goodbye to us and trotted off to ¨school¨. [This is also the first picture I´ve taken of him when he smiled when asked to smile!  Huge milesone for the child of a mamarazzi!]

  
  He went potty!  I wasn´t even planning to try potty training him yet, but one night when he was running around naked before his bath he plopped his naked self down on the potty chair and when he got up there was something in it!  I was almost wondering if Clara hadn´t left something in the potty earlier in the day, but then again tonight (a week or so after the first incident) he did it again!  I´ve heard that second children are much easier to potty train, and I´m getting some pretty strong signs that that´s a true story!  Keep your fingers crossed! 

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  Paints with four brushes at once--what an artist!

  He´s fighting me in the bath, because HE wants to put the soap on himself and scrub it around.  At that stage, I know I let Clara do her bath mostly by herself, and took pride in how independent she was.  But bathing Joey myself is just so easy that it hasn´t crossed my mind this time around to let him try his hand at it.  Now that he´s insisting, I guess there´s no way around it. 
• Still likes to paint, draw, dance, brush his teeth, play with his cars, push doll strollers, run around, throw balls, try to catch balls, put things in boxes, play with electrical outlets, read books (especially about airplanes), climb, and take bites out of apples.  
• He really, really likes his accessories.  When I put his hat and sunglasses on him, they do not come off until he´s good and ready--usually a good hour or two after we´ve been inside.  If I put a sweatshirt on him in the morning, it does not come off.  Period.  No matter if the noontime temperature gets close to 90, that boy loves his sweatshirts.  If he could figure out Clara´s headbands, he´d probably get equally attached to those, too.  

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A friend had given us a pack of stickers and I HAD to give him a lightning-bolt scar, just like his world-famous birthday buddy! 

The Big Day!

Our yearly visit to Indiana was so timed to end the weekend of Uncle Dan and (the newly minted) Aunt Tadj´s wedding!  We figured it was worth missing the first two weeks of school in order to attend.  And we were right!

The only picture I took of both Dan and Tadj . . . sorry
it wasn't more flattering!

Clara was the flower girl, and did a very thorough job, despite plenty of misgivings during the rehearsal. 

Joey was a dancing machine during the reception.  I can count the number of songs he did not dance on one hand.  

Mario was able to join us, for his first weekend off since the beginning of June--thanks for getting married, Dan and Tadj, for giving him a reason to have a weekend off!

But most importantly, we´re over the moon about the fact that Tadj is officially part of our family now.  She´s the best thing to happen to us since . . . cheesecake! 

That wasn´t the widest hint, I´ve ever written, was it?  ;)

The big, red barn at Salomon Farm where the reception was held.

Dan and the bridesmaids.

Mario and the dancing kids!

Joey making short work of the coloring books that Aunt Tadj made.

The flower girl and her chapstick-eating brother.
It was the only way to keep him quiet while they took pictures.

First Day of School

After a month away, we´re back home.  Stories and pictures from our month in Indiana will be coming. 

However, this week saw another milestone in our family as Clara went to her first day of school! (OK, first three days--we did send her back for Thrusday and Friday.)  When we picked her up, Clara greeted full of smiles.  And it´s been that way every other day, too.  

Yay for school!  

I´m getting used to setting an alarm for the first time in five years (man, it´s been a beautiful five years!), as I now have to wake up the children every morning.  In some ways, I think I´m going to enjoy the structure that the school schedule will bring to our lives.  It was that kind of structure I craved when Clara was a baby and I hadn´t lived an unscheduled life since I was about five years old.  Over the last five years, I´ve slowly adjusted myself to a life without any set schedule, and found that I really like it.  But it took some getting used to.  Now that the structured life has imposed itself upon us again, I am resenting it a little.  

But I am glad that Clara likes school as much as she does.  So far.  

And I am looking forward to the hope of increased productivity on my part.  I think. 

And I really do enjoy the walks back and forth to school every day.  On this, there is no hesitation.  So glad we chose a school within walking distance!  (And an easy walk, at that.)

And Clara really likes pushing Joey.  No complaints here!

Baking Buddies

We were making bread the other day, and I just couldn't help myself and busted out the camera. 

We've got our baking routine down now, to include Joey, who also always wants to help.  Clara measures and Joey mixes.  At least, until he starts to mix the flour right out of the bowl. 

While I was getting things ready, they were already itching to help.  So I set up Joey with the flour, bowl, and measuring cup, knowing that he'd transfer as much of the flour to the bowl in whatever time frame I gave him.                                    He did not disappoint!

I just love the way that Joey kneads with such gusto!  Clara usually is a bit more effective, but I think she was interested in making a good show for the camera.

Mid-July with the Kiddos

Summer rolls on . . . and is now starting to look like a typical, Mexican summer, thanks to the rain!  (Thank you, God!)  Oh, shoot--will this post jinx the rain away again?  That happened after the last time I wrote about rain. 

But really, it's time to stop believing that I can jinx things!

So, photo roll-call of the last week (or two): 

Size comparison--almost 4 1/2 and almost 2.

Our big excitement these last two weeks has been Vacation Bible School.  I wrote a post on the whole experience on the other blog.  In a nutshell--it's been great!

With Clara gone for two hours every day (thanks to VBS), Joey gets a break from being bossed around.  The train set has been a hit, and he loves putting the tracks together his own way.  (Clara ALWAYS wants it set up exactly like the picture on the cover of the box.)  While I'm excited for Clara to start school because I know she'll love it, I'm also really looking forward to more one-on-one time with Joey.

Also--hint for those who buy my kids birthday presents and Christmas presents--just like children's books, one can never have too many trains and train track!  ;)

We had a nice, steady rain ALL AFTERNOON yesterday.  Usually it just downpours for 10 minutes.  While I'm incredibly grateful for the rain (and if we got rain like that from now until Christmas it still wouldn't be too much) we were starting to get stir-crazy from spending ALL AFTERNOON inside.  What do you people who live in more temperate climates DO when it rains for days on end?  Or, how do you cope with--dare I mention it--a cold, snowy winter? 

Now that I think about it, if we lived somewhere where it rained frequently, our wardrobes might actually include something called "rain gear".  Ohhh . . . right. 

And standing in the doorway, watching the rain might not be such the photo-op. 

Lazy Days (Take II)

While tomorrow is officially the first day of summer, we've been sinking into our summer routine quite nicely for about a month now.  We're getting quite good at doing nothing, so I figured that I had nothing to blog about.   For real--we've walked to the Alameda ONCE in the last month.  That's it.  We've got the lazy days of summer down pat.  Before they even begin! 

Every now and then,  my camera batteries are charged, so I did find a few photos (and their stories) worth posting!

Joey drying off after an afternoon in the pool.

Before the pool was up, we graffiti-ed the patio wall a bit.  And , yes, it is popscicle season again!

On the Clara front, I had been dreading taking her in for her four-year-old shot.  On Monday we finally did it.  I still remember when I got my six-year-old shots--trauma doesn't even begin to describe it--they had to have 8 people hold me down!  (And if I think I was traumatized, I only wonder how my poor mother survived the day.)  I didn't know what Clara's reaction would be.  But being that she normally cries at the drop of a hat, I didn't have high hopes.  When I told her we were going to the clinic, she was OK, as if we were simply going to the grocery store.  And when they gave her the shot, she didn't even flinch!  Nothing!  No reaction!  I don't think I've ever been prouder of her.  (Because, let me tell you, I closed my eyes and did some nice, deep yoga breaths while they poked her!)  In this area, this kid is light years ahead of me. 

OK, I realize this story doesn't go with the picture, but the picture didn't need a caption and that's about the best picture I've got of Clara recently.  Nevermind that Joey features more prominently.  Isn't he cute, though?

The kiddos and their babysitter on the last day of Wednesday Bible Study.  It was the very last day for both Bronte and Clara, as both girls will be going to school in the fall.  (Bronte to college in the US--we'll miss her so much!)

I had a curiously quiet half-hour of washing dishes.  Should have known something mischievous was afoot!  That ice cream bucket was FULL of water by the time I found him, playing with everyone's toothbrushes.  And what do I do? 
Take a picture.  Of course. 

He can climb into his carseat all by himself!  From the ground!

Clara invented a new game, oh-so-creatively named "Pool Ball".  The point it to try to hit the ball with the golf club.  In the end, it looks rather similar to pool.  Maybe that's how pool was invented, eh?  ;)

Concentrating hard at poolball.  Joey sometimes joins her with a club.  That day, he was the ballboy and picked up the balls when they fell off the pool cover.