It was the girls' first week of school, starting Tuesday -- exciting and sad for all of us.
Maven has been super-fired up about starting school. I actually wasn't worried about her; she did fabulously in our trial visits when I left her alone in an active classroom. So it was heartbreaking when she cried when I was dropping her off the first morning. It's totally normal for kids to cry at first -- especially given Maven is young for this at 2 1/2 years old -- but it's not fun.
Sedona and I dropped her off in the same classroom Sedona was in last year (lead teacher Miss Valerie, new aide Miss Liz). When Maven started to get upset, Sedona was such a great big sister, encouraging Maven by saying, "Maven, it's going to be OK. I'll come down and check on you." Sedona kept her promise: They saw each other on the playground. Maven ran to Sedona (and did the same again the next day), yet unfortunately cried again when Sedona had to say good-bye then.
Sedona and I dropped her off in the same classroom Sedona was in last year (lead teacher Miss Valerie, new aide Miss Liz). When Maven started to get upset, Sedona was such a great big sister, encouraging Maven by saying, "Maven, it's going to be OK. I'll come down and check on you." Sedona kept her promise: They saw each other on the playground. Maven ran to Sedona (and did the same again the next day), yet unfortunately cried again when Sedona had to say good-bye then.
On Wednesday, Maven cried again at drop-off with Kevin and Sedona. But after school, Maven said she had a good time and wanted to go back. Then on Thursday morning before we even left for school, Maven said she didn't want to go so she could stay home with me. It was super-sweet but also hurt my heart; I would love to be with her all the time too, but it's not reality. She predictably cried with me at drop-off, but I did promise her that I would spend one-on-one with her after school.
I did, and Maven and I had a fun dinner date while Kevin and Sedona stayed with Kevin's parents (and Sedona enjoyed the alone time, dazzling A-Ma and A-Gong Ding with her verbal skills). We said before our kids were born that we would do "dates" to give one-on-one parent-child time, and we need to keep to that. Maven and I hit Susie's Cakes first for a pink cupcake. Maven insisted we go there to pick it out before dinner. She picked cupcakes over Yogurtland.
We brought the cupcake to Joey's BBQ for dinner -- because she liked the piggy logo that led Joey's to win out over La Salsa. We had a great time eating and talking. She ate tons of pulled pork and sweet potato fries, then we sat outside and gobbled the cupcake. At first Maven said we would each take two bites and then bring the rest home for Sedona ... but when it came down to saving it, well, it all went in Maven's tummy. She was even licking the wrapper.
That led up to today, the fourth and final day of the first school week. Kevin had been hopeful that some "pretend" play-acting he'd done with the girls Wednesday evening would help ease Maven's anxiety about school; they took turns being different people and simulated drop-off at school, with Kevin playing off one of the girls' favorite songs: Ren and Stimpy's "Happy Happy Joy Joy" off Kevin's 1995 alternative-music cartoon soundtrack. He switched the words (the girls love when he switches words around creatively or weirdly) to be "Happy Happy School School." They really got into it, and the plan was for Sedona to sing the chorus with the words "Happy Happy School School" to Maven when they hugged good-bye.
Anyway, they sang it in the car on the way to school -- tweaking it again as "Happy Happy Juice Box" to celebrate it being a "Juice Box Day." (The girls get juice boxes only Mondays and Fridays.) And when it came down to it at drop-off, Kevin did a three-way hug with the girls and sang it and nuzzled into Maven, getting her to giggle happily despite it being the usual traumatic time. Sedona hugged Maven, and it was all good! Without a hitch! No crying all day, it turned out. Maven was so proud of herself -- and I am happy!
Sedona being an old pro at this school thing, she has done really well even though she had more trouble originally than Maven has had. She is great at drop-off and pick-ups and likes her new classroom upstairs with Miss Valerie (same name, different woman), Miss Traci and Miss Marisa. Sedona has some kids from her old classroom and then many new classmates. Even though her best friend from last school year, Salem, isn't in her class, Sedona is pretty chill about it and says she gets to play with Salem on the playground sometimes; sometimes not.
It is interesting, because in the past week or so, Kevin and I have noticed a huge shift of greater maturity from Sedona. I think part of it is she turned 4. In her own mind, given how often we have to say that she might get to do things when she's bigger or older, it seems to have emboldened her. Many times she does things now and says, "I can do that because I'm 4." It is almost as if her new age has given her a license to do things she thought she couldn't do. She is increasingly vocal and expressive with us; it's a continuation yet more mature. She talked to Kevin on Thursday night about her first time now remembering her dreams.
At school, somewhat strangely, she has been sitting with the boys for lunch, which is pretty cute. She tends to be an observer and not so vocal with others, which might make you worry about her at school -- and she has been a little reluctant to approach her new teachers so far, even though Miss Valerie has raved about what a model student she is. But socially she seems to be doing great. There are always kids running up to her at school, saying, "Sedona! Sedona!"
She reminds me of Kevin -- observant, reserved, confident and though he's not extremely social, people seem really to enjoy being around him. I'm really proud of the person Sedona has become and is becoming.
Miss Valerie also specifically told me Sedona is really smart, and I said, "Well, we think so, too, but she's our kid!" And then she said, "No, you're right: She's really smart." Kevin was doing some flashcards for ages 4-5 with her at home before she turned 4, and she was able to do them easily. He tells her regularly that she's "a smarty," and she smiles really big and agrees. He has been starting to tell Maven that also when she figures stuff out for herself. I have some stories to tell about Maven on that front that I'll hold until another post.
I did, and Maven and I had a fun dinner date while Kevin and Sedona stayed with Kevin's parents (and Sedona enjoyed the alone time, dazzling A-Ma and A-Gong Ding with her verbal skills). We said before our kids were born that we would do "dates" to give one-on-one parent-child time, and we need to keep to that. Maven and I hit Susie's Cakes first for a pink cupcake. Maven insisted we go there to pick it out before dinner. She picked cupcakes over Yogurtland.
We brought the cupcake to Joey's BBQ for dinner -- because she liked the piggy logo that led Joey's to win out over La Salsa. We had a great time eating and talking. She ate tons of pulled pork and sweet potato fries, then we sat outside and gobbled the cupcake. At first Maven said we would each take two bites and then bring the rest home for Sedona ... but when it came down to saving it, well, it all went in Maven's tummy. She was even licking the wrapper.
That led up to today, the fourth and final day of the first school week. Kevin had been hopeful that some "pretend" play-acting he'd done with the girls Wednesday evening would help ease Maven's anxiety about school; they took turns being different people and simulated drop-off at school, with Kevin playing off one of the girls' favorite songs: Ren and Stimpy's "Happy Happy Joy Joy" off Kevin's 1995 alternative-music cartoon soundtrack. He switched the words (the girls love when he switches words around creatively or weirdly) to be "Happy Happy School School." They really got into it, and the plan was for Sedona to sing the chorus with the words "Happy Happy School School" to Maven when they hugged good-bye.
Anyway, they sang it in the car on the way to school -- tweaking it again as "Happy Happy Juice Box" to celebrate it being a "Juice Box Day." (The girls get juice boxes only Mondays and Fridays.) And when it came down to it at drop-off, Kevin did a three-way hug with the girls and sang it and nuzzled into Maven, getting her to giggle happily despite it being the usual traumatic time. Sedona hugged Maven, and it was all good! Without a hitch! No crying all day, it turned out. Maven was so proud of herself -- and I am happy!
Sedona being an old pro at this school thing, she has done really well even though she had more trouble originally than Maven has had. She is great at drop-off and pick-ups and likes her new classroom upstairs with Miss Valerie (same name, different woman), Miss Traci and Miss Marisa. Sedona has some kids from her old classroom and then many new classmates. Even though her best friend from last school year, Salem, isn't in her class, Sedona is pretty chill about it and says she gets to play with Salem on the playground sometimes; sometimes not.
It is interesting, because in the past week or so, Kevin and I have noticed a huge shift of greater maturity from Sedona. I think part of it is she turned 4. In her own mind, given how often we have to say that she might get to do things when she's bigger or older, it seems to have emboldened her. Many times she does things now and says, "I can do that because I'm 4." It is almost as if her new age has given her a license to do things she thought she couldn't do. She is increasingly vocal and expressive with us; it's a continuation yet more mature. She talked to Kevin on Thursday night about her first time now remembering her dreams.
At school, somewhat strangely, she has been sitting with the boys for lunch, which is pretty cute. She tends to be an observer and not so vocal with others, which might make you worry about her at school -- and she has been a little reluctant to approach her new teachers so far, even though Miss Valerie has raved about what a model student she is. But socially she seems to be doing great. There are always kids running up to her at school, saying, "Sedona! Sedona!"
She reminds me of Kevin -- observant, reserved, confident and though he's not extremely social, people seem really to enjoy being around him. I'm really proud of the person Sedona has become and is becoming.
Miss Valerie also specifically told me Sedona is really smart, and I said, "Well, we think so, too, but she's our kid!" And then she said, "No, you're right: She's really smart." Kevin was doing some flashcards for ages 4-5 with her at home before she turned 4, and she was able to do them easily. He tells her regularly that she's "a smarty," and she smiles really big and agrees. He has been starting to tell Maven that also when she figures stuff out for herself. I have some stories to tell about Maven on that front that I'll hold until another post.
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