When the Kids Set the Table

And sometimes Benjamin breaks out the candles for an added touch of class.

End of Summer Sunset

A few hours Saturday evening at Silver Strand beach in Coronado brought forth so much joy. We went to celebrate my cousin's daughter's eighth birthday, but arrived after the festivities due to the necessity of afternoon naps. No matter...the ocean itself and the wet sand proved more magnetic than birthday cake.

Throwing globs of sand into the waves is exhilarating.

As is dancing on the water.

This boy's smile still melts my heart.

And this girl...this is what she looked like the whole time. Constantly in motion.

Ever full of glee. Running out to the water and scampering to shore.

And marching about like she owned the place. Because if ever there were a girl who could own the shore, it would be her.

And then the boy found a bird to chase.

And Mama practiced taking shots directly into the sun.

Kindergarten, whaaaa?!

First day of kindergarten

I'm guessing I'm not alone when, as a parent of a toddler, I dreamed of the relative ease I believed mamas of school-aged children experienced in parenting. I admit to occasionally (or more than that, truth be told) wanting to hurry up the needy baby years for the joy of the increasingly independent years. I'm sure you more experienced mamas are laughing at me right now - for here is the reality of the first child going off to kindergarten.

1. He's still needy. Why should I be surprised by this? I'M still needy.

2. Neediness is not actually the issue anymore: my baby is going to school for six hours a day! The initial giddiness at having that much time to myself (sort of, I do have Sadie Lou, Warrior Princess In Training, around) has given way to teary-eyed wonder. Wondering where the time went. Wondering if his little self is ready for the challenge. Wondering if I should homeschool. Wondering if I would still like spending time with him if we attempted homeschooling. But most of all, looking with wonder at what a boy of character he has become. He is brave and adventurous, with caution, of course - that is his nature. He likes school - really likes it. And he is thriving in the structure of the classroom.

3. His biggest fear of the first week was that no one would like him (poor baby!). But he made a friend right off the bat - Gabe. He and Gabe played together every day until Friday. On Friday, he met the girl with the "three Velcro-strap shoes" that were "sparkly and colorful." According to Benjamin, she looked like she would make a good friend. I'm not sure if he was more enamored with her or her shoes. He couldn't remember her name for several days, but I have since learned that she is KK, short for Kayla.

4. His biggest problem with the first week was repeatedly getting time outs. He soon discovered that rough housing on the playground was not allowed. He was red carded for karate chopping a pal in the neck so hard that it left a red spot. (One breathless teacher told me that he had "choked" another kid. That sounded like a Nancy Grace version of the events, so I went digging for the truth. Out-of-control karate chops sounds a lot more like my kid.)

5. Now his biggest concern is that Gabe is calling him "the enemy" and rounding up other boys to join in the persecution. The reason, according to Benjamin, is that he now has girl friends - KK and Elliot (yep, she's a girl). He seems not too concerned because he has met another Ben and they play together with the girls. All is well for now, though we might need to invite Gabe over for a playdate some day to break down his apparent feelings of rejection.

6. Most kindergarten programs around here are half day, so I struggle a little with his schedule of 8:00 to 2:30 and his homework that we must then complete. I'm all for rigor, but this little guy is still a little guy. It makes fitting in unstructured play time, household chores, and matters of hygiene a bit challenging. This school makes no apologies for their academic expectations. I am not as personally committed, but it seems to be our best choice for the time, and the clincher is...

7. Benjamin comes home regularly announcing things like: "I want to be a teacher one day!" (He used to want to be a police person and a circus performer - like in Cirque du Soliel. Sounds like he has a steady option to fall back on if being an acrobat doesn't work out for him.) And I told him in the beginning that we were seeing if this school would be a good fit for him. That if it was not a good place for him to learn, we would find the right place. He's an anxious kid, and I wanted to take the pressure off in case he had a hard time adjusting. I had nothing to worry about, because this is what he has to say: "I LOVE this school, Mama!  I don't ever want to leave it!  It is the BEST school!" So that settles the matter.

I will be going in one morning a week to assist in the classroom. I get to teach a reading group or something. I'm really looking forward to watching his wonderful teacher in action and seeing him learning so enthusiastically. We're off to a good start this year.