First Day of School!

You know your child is becoming too attached to you when....

1. She doesn't want to take a bottle from anyone else
2. She doesn't want to be put to bed by anyone else
3. She doesn't want to be fed in the high chair by anyone else

For these reasons and many more, we knew it was time for Caroline to start socializing with other adults and children. Before she was born I had checked out a few schools for potential daycare programs, but I didn't want to enroll her fulltime. I just wanted a few hours here and there for her to start practicing her independence from me, have fun playing with other children, and maybe learn a thing or two. St. Andrew's was the perfect solution. I knew about the school from one of the teachers, Ms. Sharon, who has been a very active participant in my group the Houston Children and Nature Coalition. Ms. Sharon has done wonderful things with the outdoor play area at St. Andrew's, and I figured any school that demonstrates a committment to providing a quality outdoor learning environment is ok by me! I toured the school in January before she was born and was totally sold....loooved it! So when Caroline started demonstrating some attachment issues, we decided St. Andrew's mother's day out program was just what the doctor ordered. I signed her up for Tues/Thurs from 9-2. Just long enough for her to have some fun, and for me to get some work done!

Last Friday was 'meet the teacher' day, where the children get to spend a bit of time being introduced to their classrooms and teachers. Caroline was of course as charming as always, smiling at everyone and happy to meet new people. I was quite confident that she would love going to 'school.' The only question in my mind was how well she would adapt to their eating and naptime schedule. When she's home with me every single day is different...one day it's a 30 minute morning nap at 10, the next day it's an hour and a half nap at 11. Sometimes she eats 3 ounces and is hungry again in an hour; sometimes she eats 6 ounces and won't eat again for 4 hours. So I was a little nervous about how she would do on someone else's predetermined schedule.

All smiles before school!

Yesterday was the big day...first day of school! Getting us both showered, dressed, fed, and out the door by 8:30 was a feat worthy of a nobel prize. We arrived and the school was abuzz with first day excitement...and quite a few tears from moms and kids alike. But not the Rentons! We were both excited and happy. She said good morning to Ms. Sharon, who was delighted to have Caroline at St. Andrew's. I can't wait till she's a bit older and will be Ms. Sharon's student in the outdoor classroom!

We love Ms. Sharon!

I dropped off her bag of supplies, which required painstaking labels on every.single.item in the bag. (And yet, somehow, not all the items were returned at the end of the day...) She happily went to Ms. Melissa and they got busy playing on the floor.

My child loves anyone with glasses.

Checking out the new kid in class. Caroline is the
only girl! 

Before long other onlookers decided to jump in on the fun. I think Caroline was a bit puzzled by this little Chinese boy. I'm sure it's the first time she's ever seen an Asian person. 

Making new friends! Or new germ-conspirators. I try
not to think about all the illnesses that are headed our way...

When I left they were all happily playing on the floor and I knew she would have a blast. I had no reservations or feelings of sadness about her first day of school, just excitement.
(Although I did have an odd dream about stranger anxiety the previous night...something about her having a different biological father, a deadbeat dad who was suddenly demanding visitation rights and I was preparing to hand her over for a month. I was dreading it, saying 'you don't know anything about this baby!!' And started feeling sad thinking of her crying for her mommy....subconscious thoughts, perhaps??)

2:00 rolled around and I bounded up to her classroom, eager to see how she'd done. And I was greeted with 'she missed her mommy today' and a crying Caroline. At first I felt so guilty, but then I realized she's been somewhat cranky with me too and I know she's having teething pain from the second tooth coming in. So I'm not ready to write it off as a fail just yet. We'll see if she does any better tomorrow. But I am definitely convinced that having her in this program will put her on the fast track for learning and development! Look what she learned to do! I had not seen her get up on all four limbs and start rocking around before school! All those boys in her class are already teaching her new tricks!

And last but not least, today is Nana's birthday! Happy birthday Nana! Poor Nana has the world's unluckiest birthday...August 29, 2005 was when Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans and the gulf coast. Now August 29, 2012 will also be remembered for Hurricane Isaac's trip through New Orleans and the gulf coast. (Not to be outdone, my brother Grant's birthday on September 1 is the anniversary of Hurricane Gustav. And my sister Emily's birthday on September 15 is only 2 days after the anniversary of Hurricane Ike. What can I say, my family is a bit of a disaster magnet...) 

While Nana was in town last weekend we visited
the River Oaks plant nursery with giant topiaries. Of course
Nana wanted to take home the rabbit.

If Nana wasn't being called 'nana' I'm quite
sure her name would be 'bunny'....

PUG topiary??? I NEED IT!!