...along with a book about puppies and a book his teachers made for him about his time in their class. The birthday card was the biggest hit. David carried it all the way home, and, after we managed to get it out of the window well in the car where he had thoughtfully decided to put it for safekeeping, the birthday card ate lunch with him, watched a little T.V. with him, and then took a nap with him. David was careful to share his blanket with the birthday card. His teachers had the foresight to laminate it, so it's held up quite well, especially considering that Mary got her hands (and mouth) on it once.Today was David's last day of school. (Technically, it's a county-sponsored early intervention playgroup, but we've always referred to it as "school.") He has been going twice a week for two and a half hours since about the time Mary was born. Now that he is turning three, he no longer qualifies for services from Four Oaks. This makes me profoundly sad--because it has been such a wonderful experience for our whole family. But, as his teachers pointed out a couple of months ago, he is outgrowing their program and has been suffering from a bit of been-there-done-that-I'm-so-cool senioritis (not unlike his Uncle Daniel, FMHS Class of '08). So onward and upward we go! But first, a few pictures and some thoughts.
First, the pictures...
David washing his hands--the ritual of arrival. All the children must wash their hands when they first arrive to help prevent spreading germs. What a good idea! And now David is turning into quite a good hand washer. (By the way, you can see the flowers David brought for his teachers on the counter. He was very particular at Trader Joe's about which ones we should bring to them.)
David and his two fabulous teachers, Miss Fran and Miss Julie, or, as he refers to them, "Jooleefran," as one entity. (For example, "I see Jooleefran" or "I give Jooleefran flowers" or "I tell Jooleefran I ride train.")
The next two pictures are from the wonderful book David's teachers made. What a treasure! I love it! (I thought about scanning in the entire thing and posting it here, but I decided against it.) Once the novelty of the birthday card (see above) wears off, I know that David and I will have a great time looking through this book and remembering his experiences at Four Oaks.
David (on the far left) making snowmen with his friends. For a long time his class was all boys. I like this picture--all those cute little boys lined up with their big snowmen (of which David was very proud).
Never a dull moment! David is on the far right in this one. This was a St. Patrick's Day creation. Looks like fun!
Now for some thoughts...
Some things David learned at Four Oaks:
- How to take off his jacket
- How to hang his jacket on a hook
- How to cut with scissors
- How to pedal a tricycle
- That he is a boy (duh--it seriously never occurred to me that I should point this out to him)
- All about weather
- That you can finger paint with pudding
- That he likes chicken salad sandwiches
- The difference in technique between painting with a sponge and painting with a brush
- Colors
- The importance of the clock (because it tells us when it's time to leave for school in the morning--he can't wait!)
- To be more verbally expressive (Wow! What an improvement in this area--he's a nonstop chatterbox now!)
- His full name
- That Miss Julie and Miss Fran miss him when he's not there
- That school is a place he wants to be
Some things I learned from Four Oaks:
- That David is independent, likes school, and takes pleasure in saying "Bye, Mom!"
- That David can take off his jacket, hang his jacket on a hook, cut with scissors, report the weather, say his full name, correctly identify colors, pedal a tricycle, and eat chicken salad sandwiches.
- That you can finger paint with pudding.
- That I like homemade play-dough better than storebought.
- That David is the life of the party. (Really--they need him there whenever they're celebrating a birthday.)
- That David will definitely need to attend preschool in the fall--he needs the structure. (And I need the break.) Good thing he's already registered!
- Fun and purposeful ways of interacting with David.
- How to encourage his language development.
- That, when compared to other children his age, David gives really, really good hugs.
- That I am proud to be a taxpayer--government-sponsored programs really can change lives and benefit families.
- That there is something special about a teacher's love. Actually, I already I knew this, having been a teacher. A teacher's love doesn't rival that of a parent--but it is nonetheless real. It has been wonderful to be on the other side this time, to be the parent instead of the teacher. David's teachers have been able to see strengths in David that I might have missed, or at least not appreciated. My sister-in-law once said, speaking of sending her children to school, that it is a great feeling to know that there are other adults in the world who care about your children. Now I know exactly what she meant! It has been a great comfort to me to know that these two women have cared about David. I felt like we were on a team, working towards a common goal. Parenthood isn't easy. It's nice to have help.
