It's almost Thanksgiving, and I am thankful everyday, for the wonderful you.
You started kindergarten this year. Your teacher is Mrs. Tamura, and she is very calming. At home, you repeat some of the things she says, and spread the calm. You rub our backs, and soothingly say "calm down, calm down." You taught me the rainbow breath, and hot coco breath, all intended to create internal tranquility :-).
Here is you and me, in the courtyard, the first day of school.
And here you are, in your classroom - room 116, sitting across from Jahan.
Our neighborhood school, Daniel Bagley is having renovations, so this year the school is at an interim location. You were familiar with Daniel Bagley, from your visits to Zoe. The new school is so big, even I get lost in it. On the bright side, you get to take the school bus every morning. I think walking to school with mama is the best, but for one year, you get to experience riding the yellow school bus. Next year, when you are in first grade, you me and Zoe will walk to school together again. Zoe and I used to love our morning times together. We used to take different routes, and check out the books in the "Little Library" boxes at the corners of some of the streets on our way to school. Next year you'll join us too.
For now, once in a while when I work from home, I visit you during lunch. I come unannounced, because I usually don't know if I can make it or not. When you see me, you turn to your friends with your beaming smile, body jittery with excitement, words spill out of your mouth "my mommy is here! my mommy is here!" In my first visit, I bought lunch for me at the cafeteria (you bring lunch from home) It included chocolate milk, which I gave to you. From then on, we made it a pattern that every visit, I buy cafeteria lunch and give you the chocolate milk. You eat very slowly, so we always move to the "extra time" table," missing some recess time. Then we go outside and play in the yard until bell time. Sometimes your friends join us. I line up with you, and walk with you and your friends to your classroom. It's hard to part. We eventually do, blowing kisses, making heart shapes, until we meet again at the end of the day.
You have a knack for numbers we think. You count for the fun of it, and when I review your school work, it's always right. But you have a mind of your own, and it's hard to get you to study things you don't enjoy. You get upset when we practice reading, probably because you don't know how to read yet and it makes you feel bad. So I'm learning to be patient and playful. Everybody eventually learns how to read, and so will you.
I love you!
Mommy.
