Preschool Report--Day 2

Well, the day started off rough. I mean pretty rough. We didn't take a bath last night, so we had to get a bath or shower this morning. I got him up at 7:30am. That was rough patch #1. He is not a morning person (haven't I mentioned a million times he IS his mother!). He took a bath, brushed his teeth, and then watched some Handy Manny while I got dressed. **graphic** Then, he said he had to go poop. Okay, fine. He does that every morning, really. But this time, he sat in there for about 20 minutes. I told him "You need to hurry up. I still have to get your dressed and we have to get to the grocery store and get some fruit for your lunch today!" "I'm not going to school today." Oh great....

We finally got dressed and out the door around 8:15am. I had to make a trip to Kroger to get some pudding and some fruit--two things that he said he wanted in his lunch, that of course, I didn't have in the house. Why? I haven't gone grocery shopping in about 2 weeks. I just don't want to. I'm being lazy. It's easier for Adam to pick up Subway. There, I said it. I'm pregnant and tired and lazy, and why the hell should I have to make dinner when I feel like crap?! Okay, I'm done now...back to the story!

We picked up blueberry muffins and fruit and Strawberry Milk...along with the pudding and fruit for his lunch. I had a free Starbucks coffee credit, so we ate breakfast at the bistro tables at Starbucks in Kroger--it was very nice to just relax and sip my coffee, I must say! In the meantime, I look over and there were these little pots with roses in them on sale. I said "Jackson, we need to get Miss Nancy something nice for being so nice to you on Tuesday. Do you think she would like a flower pot? You could help her water it every day!" He liked that idea, so we grabbed one for him to take to school...

We headed to the car, and that's when it started. "I don't want to go." "I just don't want to." "Let's go to Memaw's instead." "I have to go poop again." "I don't want to go to my school today."


I pulled into the parking lot and parked, and that's when the red rimmed eyes started. "Momma, let's go home." "I just don't want to." The lip was out, but no tears flowed over, just the teary glazed stare. I kept saying "You'll be fine! You know where I'm gonna be. You get to ride the bikes today! And you get to go to music today! What do you think your art project will be today? Painting? Markers? Crayons? I think it's gonna be alot of fun! All your friends go to school!" None of it worked. "I just don't want to go." Finally, I had to give the tough love. "Jackson, you have to go, end of story. You'll be fine."

We stopped by the potty on the way in....and that was his way of stalling. He sat on that potty telling me he had to poop for about 20 minutes...I wasn't buying it. Finally, I told him, "Enough, you're a big boy. Let's go give your flower pot to Miss Nancy."

We got about half way down the hall, and he did cry a little and stopped following me. I was worried about a full on tantrum (which he's never done!) but I managed to get him to the school office. We walked in and I told them "Jackson wanted to say Hi and hopefully he won't be coming down to see you today! He's going to be a BIG BOY and NOT CRY today!" Miss Diana, the director, was FABULOUS! She came over and sat on the floor at his level, and calmed him with chat about the playground and the sandbox and how if we needed to call Mommy, he could, but he was going to be a big boy and have fun....she was great!

We got to his classroom and his friends were all there waiting too. Miss Nancy opened the door, he handed her the flower pot, and he said "okay, let's go home." Not that easy, kid. We put up his back pack and his lunchbox and he found a seat to sit and color at I told Miss Nancy that we were having a rough morning and didn't want to be here, and she said "I'll stay by his side all day, don't worry. We'll get through it." I knelt down to tell him I'd see him later and give him a kiss, and he grabbed my arm and didn't want me to leave. Finally, I was able to get away. Another Mom walked out with me and she looked back and said "He's fine. He's not crying!" I made a b-line for the door and came home!

Adam came home for lunch and asked "Did you call?" "No, why would I call? If he's upset, they'll call me." "They said you could call anytime, just check on him." So...I called. The director answered and said "Want me to go look in on his class and see how he is?" "That would be great!" She kept talking as she walked down the hall and said "Yup, he's at the head of the table, opening his lunchbox, and smiling at the girl next to him. He's in a turquoise shirt, right?" I was so happy to hear that!

Mom and Aunt Tacey went with me to pick him up. When we got to the parking lot, we could see him on the playground, legs going ninety-miles and hour on a bike around the track! He was obviously having fun! I made sure I was the last in line to pick him up so that I could talk to the teacher and see how the day went. He came out like a different kid! He was smiling and happy and starting talking and chatting and telling me all about it!! Big eyes and everything! Miss Nancy said he only had a couple of meltdowns, asking for Momma, but they re-directed him, and she said he's like a switch...something will set him off and he's upset, and then all of a sudden, he's fine again. And again, no tears, just fussing.

We took Memaw and Aunt Tacey in to see his classroom. He showed them all around! Apparently, they painted their hands today to make handprints and Miss Roni made sure to get the orange paint out for Jackson, but he CHOSE blue! WOW! He was also the clipboard holder today, so he got to take the sign in sheet from room to room. He liked that job, apparently! He also showed us his art work for the day--it was really pretty good! I asked him what it was that he drew, and he said "Well, nothing really, but it looks kinda like a dinosaur!" And then he laughed hysterically!

No kids pulled his shoes off today. No "children ahind him" bothered him. He ate most of his lunch. He told us "I had a very good day! But I cried a little. But, I wasn't too sad, because I knew my Mommy was gonna pick me up!" We took him to Target to get a Hot Wheels (hey, I'm not above bribery these days!) and then to Wendy's to get a Frosty.

I'm sure I'll have more quotes from him tonight about how his day went, and sometime I'll get a picture with him and Miss Nancy, but for now, I have homework to do over the weekend! Can you believe it! Homework in preschool! Nothing big, just another show and tell project about what we did over the summer...hmmmm, wonder what he'll want to talk about?! Tennessee maybe?!

I'll FINALLY post the pictures from our TN trip--I can't believe I just remembered that! YIKES!!