How's he liking school?

This is a question I find myself answering a lot lately.  With Eliot's first term of Kindy at an end, friends and relations are curious to know how he's settling in.

Eliot was eager to display the artwork that he brought home with at the end of the term.

It delighted him that he would be able to see his art while lying in bed.

Eliot never wants to go to school.  Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning we're sure to hear the words "I don't want to go to school today" though the force with which they're said can vary.  I've only ever had one occasion when I had to get him into the car and drive him because he refused to walk to school.  Recently when dropping him off, he hasn't wanted me to leave right away.  So Peter and I hang around for a few minutes until he settles into an activity.

I'm not worried.  When I pick him up from school he's smiling, though always happy to see us.  He's making little friends and he'll wave goodbye to them as we leave.  He seems to carry himself with more confidence after a day at school.  We recently had a little play date with one of his school friends and they had a great time, though I could see Peter falling into the role of Pesky Little Brother.

They have started their Jolly Phonics program and each week they focus on a new letter.  They get a little worksheet to practice at home which Eliot enjoys very much.

The other day it was no different than the rest.  He didn't want to go to school.  He didn't want it to be a whole day, he only wanted it to be a half day.  He walked to school without any problem.  He put his fruit in the big fruit bowl and wrote his name on the attendance sheet.  He noticed the letter they'd be working on that week and ran up to me, "We're learning the letter T this week!  T like in 'cat'!"  Then he noticed a couple of his little friends seated at one of the tables working on a letter T worksheet.  The teacher invited him to join them and he happily climbed into a chair.  I said a quick goodbye, wondering if he'd ask me to stay again but hoping I could slip out of the door.  He turned to me and said "Bye!  Love ya!"  I'm sure he still reserves the right to an off day here or there, but school is going really well.

He's very impressed with his growing independence.  This outfit was chosen and put on by himself.  Aside from a little help with the socks he did it all himself, including the zipper.

Peter is also taking advantage of his one-on-one time with me.  We read the books that he wants to read, he plays quietly with his cars without fear of interruption, and on Tuesday mornings I've started taking him swimming.  It's great for him to have a little time in the pool with all of the attention on him.  They're both progressing nicely.

Random stuff that has me chuckling lately

Sometimes you just have to laugh at the stuff that life dishes out.  Just now a random thought came to me and it made me laugh.  In one of my recent posts I mentioned the "northern shores of Antarctica."  What, like opposed to Antarctica's southern shores?  I'm still laughing.

Then there was Easter Sunday when Spencer walked into our bedroom and happened upon the following scene:  Eliot had tucked Yellow Bear into our bed and was kneeling beside him, glue stick in one hand, yellow Easter Basket straw in the other.  He was just getting ready to bestow a full head of hair on Yellow Bear when Spencer intervened.  I didn't see it myself, but the mental image still has me laughing.

And finally something from Peter.  Most of you know that Peter loves to play with our cordless phone.  I let him punch around on its buttons the other day while changing his diaper and somehow he managed to change our voice mail greeting.  Now those who miss us are met with a stretch of fuzzy silence and beeping, followed by Peter saying " 'Low! 'Low! 'Low!"  I don't think we could have come up with a better April Fool's gag if we'd sat down and thought it out.  The joke's on us, though, because with the display no longer functioning (also the work of Peter) we can't figure out how to change it back.  Nonetheless, it has me in stitches.