The boys are in different classes, Theo with Miss Donna and Miss G, and Beckett with Ms Johnetta and Miss Melody. I fought for them to be in two different classes because their teacher last year, Miss Mo, had suggested it might be good for them. A few times before they started school and a few times since, the boys have half-heartedly mentioned that they wish they were in the same class, but mostly it's been a non-issue. On the second day of school, Theo's teacher Miss Donna reported that when they went out on the playground in the morning, Theo looked sad and she asked him why he was sad. He told her that he missed his brother. Bless her heart, she knew Beckett and said "Look Theo! Beckett is right there!" because the pre-k classes go out to the playground at the same time. Apparently Theo lit up and ran right over. It's cute to see them say goodbye to each other in the morning at drop-off and hello to each other in the afternoon at pick-up. They usually give each other hugs, and me a hug. It's been just that easy, at least so far. While other kids are sobbing and being held by the teacher as their parents scoot out, Theo and Beckett just give hugs, say goodbye, and never look back. This morning I apparently waited too long after saying goodbye, because Theo looked at me and asked me why I wasn't leaving. There's a lot going on in the classrooms when they get there, so they each hang back a moment to see what's going on, where everybody is, and decide what they want to do. In Beckett's classroom they're usually eating breakfast first thing, so he often goes right to the table to ask Miss Melody for food. In Theo's classroom, their ritual is to come in and wash hands, and then go draw or write with crayons at a table or read books.
The food thing is a highlight of school so far, not so much for the kids but definitely for Mama. Last year the boys had to bring a snack each morning and either bring lunch or buy lunch there, where there were choices. Having to negotiate all those options every morning was a pain and a stress, and if they brought (which they usually did), it added to our grocery list and to-do list in the morning. At their new public school, all breakfasts and lunches are free for everyone (a perk of having so many poor kids in the schools), and it appears that few or no children bring food into their classrooms. There are no apparent allergies or sensitivities (one kid can't have bananas, but isn't affected if others in the class do), so they all eat both meals family style. Now Theo and Beckett eat (bowls and bowls of ) cereal in the morning at home when they get up, but so far that has not stopped them from chowing down on whatever is being served at 9 or 9:30 in their classrooms. I haven't seen them eat lunch but they report that they eat at least some of it. I look at the menus so I can at least ask what they're eating (and sometimes put labels to foods they've never had before). I suspect that there is a lot of waste but I think it hasn't occurred to them that they could bring food, and they're eating enough during the course of the day that they aren't starving when they get home. I think they even get a snack before they come home most days, which so far has been either a piece of fruit or some crackers. I'm thrilled not to have to buy snack or lunch food, not to have to pack lunches and snacks, and basically not to have to worry about what they're eating during the day. The menus look pretty healthy overall, except that they're not offered water at any of the meals but instead drink some kind of veggie/fruit juice or milk at every meal. But overall, I've been pretty impressed so far. I dread the day when it occurs to them that they could bring food and I have to pack lunches. I'm hoping it never happens.
The routine we've settled into is relaxed mornings, since their classroom doors don't open til 9am and their school is a 3 minute walk from our house. They have lots of time to play and then eat breakfast and then play some more before getting dressed and playing some more before last-minute trips to the bathroom and getting shoes on. Because they're not bringing food to school, and they've already brought their extra clothes and rest time towels to the classroom and keep them in their cubbies, I haven't seen the point of bringing backpacks at all. So we just put shoes on and trot on over across our neighbors' yard to the main road, where we walk a block down the street, cross with the crossing guard, and walk into school.
While the boys are at school, Reed and I have been mostly hanging out at home. We've been getting up at 6 or 6:30 to go for walks while the boys are still sleeping, and I have plenty of time before getting the boys to school to shower and get dressed for the day, so we've been running errands or napping or playing or cleaning/picking up. It's been so lovely to have so much time with just him, and to look forward to lots more time with just him even when I start working again, since I'll still have two days a week at home with him. He spends lots of time on his back rolling around (not a full roll yet) and playing with toys and with his feet and sucking on his hands. It looks to me like he has a tooth just starting to come in, but we could be months away from it breaking through. He usually takes a nap around lunchtime so I can watch a show or read while I'm eating. Sometimes we nap together after lunch. Then I pack him up in a carrier to walk over to pick the boys up at 2:45.
It's getting better, but the first few days of school the boys were totally amped up and exhausted by the time they got home. It's all I can do to keep them occupied until dinner time (while making dinner) and then it's a whirlwind to bath and stories and bed. My goal is 7:30 but we haven't been very successful most days in getting them down by then. They only just stopped napping 1-2 hours every afternoon, and though they get a rest period at school I don't think either of them sleep, or if they do it's not for more than 15-20 minutes. So they need to make up the sleep time somewhere, and I'm trying to make it be in the evening. It also means that Jeff and I have some time to spend together, or we have time veg out ourselves, or do housework, or BLOG time!
I will say I'm watching cautiously to see if the boys create meaningful relationships with their teachers this year. Each of them is in a class of 18 kids with one teacher and one aide. It appears that the classes are about half white and half black, from the kids I have seen so far. Each child I have seen or interacted with has been lovely--sweet and engaged and kind. The boys report that there are some mean boys who have punched or hit them, but it's hard to tell what kind of exaggeration might be at play in the reports. I will say I am concerned that with so many kids, the attention my pretty well-behaved kids will get might be limited. Theo's aide, Miss G, told me last week that Theo was very sweet and that she loves listening to him talk, that he has a lot to say. Today Theo's teacher had a substitute in her place, and at the end of the day, the sub told me that Theo is VERY smart and did I know that? She said that he has an incredible vocabulary and that it was because of me, so good work Mom! I am just happy that this early in the school year, the boys are showing who they are to their teachers and that the teachers care enough to notice and comment. I haven't gotten the same impression from Beckett yet and I'm looking for that. Last year he was the more outgoing and engaged student and so I'm interested in the fact that I haven't heard much from his teachers yet. It may be because they are new to the school and this classroom (though not to teaching) and may still be overwhelmed with logistics. I have offered to both the classrooms that I will be happy to volunteer in any capacity (so long as Reed can come too), and they have both said they will take me up on it once they have schedules in place. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the classrooms function and how the boys are while they're there.
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