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| Goofball! |
On Tuesday, September 3rd, Alex started at the YMCA. He is enrolled in their preschool program and is a Fabulous Fish! His teachers are Mandee and Lori. They have a Safety Swim Class every week on Tuesday and Show-N-Tell every week on Friday. This is a vastly different environment that what he has known from 6 weeks old in an in-home daycare environment. One thing we noticed right away was that he missed his sister during the day.
Alex loves other kids. The idea of there being so many kids around for him to play with made the transition easier in my mind. The reality is that just because there are more kids, doesn’t mean that they will make room for him in play. I have noticed that Alex is starting to say his new best friend is Marty, a taller boy in his class. On the first day Alex arrived, I overheard Marty’s mom say “It’s his first day of school here. You should play with him! Do you remember how scared you were on your first day?” Apparently Marty took his mom’s advice and they became quick friends. Then yesterday, Alex told his dad on the way home that Marty wasn’t his best friend anymore because he didn’t want to play with him. He said his real best friend is his cousin Jack. Then he asked if he could go over to Jack’s house to play with him.
(Sigh)
Alex is so sweet. Some of that is changing within him because of his environment. He has lost some of the protection a small setting affords. More kids equal exposure to more adversity. Conversely, he will be much more prepared for kindergarten next fall.
He is already talking about the days of the week, singing more, and is in I-need-more-information mode. Everything ends in “Why Mommy?” He is learning more at school now and it is seeping into his little mind. I just love it.
The thing I didn’t expect is how much I worry now about Alex fitting in. How he is dressed, his back-pack that I bought for 25 cents then sewed back together… perhaps he shouldn’t bring that one! J If he needs to be enrolled in speech therapy for the trouble that he has with pronouncing ‘R’ and ‘L.’ If the other kids are being mean like kids often can.
I want more for him than I had. Some of this anxiety is a direct reflection on my childhood insecurities and I get that. I went to speech therapy for 5 years, starting at his age, and grew up with little money. We also moved a lot so it was just difficult to be accepted. I want so much more for him. I don’t want him to feel anything like I did at his age.
But looking at his shining smile when I get home for work, I know that is not Alex’s reality. The reality is that he is adjusting to his new situation. He is excited to go to his new school every morning, slightly overwhelmed when we arrive initially, and then worn out from playing when he gets home. This is a new stage in his young life. And he’s doing so well. My Alex is growing up.
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| Alex playing at a park |
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| At Wings and Wheels enjoying the air show |
