news reports

i don't know if i'm ever going to get used to the fact that i now won't know everything that's going on with liam every minute of the day. with preschool, a) he was still with me for the majority of his waking hours and b) i walked him into class every morning and spoke to his teachers every afternoon at pick-up. so i was always aware of what he was doing, what songs he was learning, who brought what to show-and-tell, and who he was playing with on the playground.

but kindergarten, i'm learning, is vastly different. this isn't a gradual distancing; this is all-of-a-sudden, full-fledged, BAM! HE'S NOT A BABY ANYMORE. i get quick reports from his teacher in a folder in his backpack, but for the most part, i have to rely on what he chooses to tell me and what he remembers.

here are some of the highlights of his first three days:

"i learned this cool thing called Rock, Paper, Scissors on the bus. some kids also do lava and avalanches." (i'm not quite sure what trumps an avalanche.)

"i had a great day, but we didn't do ANY math.  but we did play this really fun game where we stood in a circle and counted off and you had to say 'BUZZ' every time you got to a number with a 3 or a 5 in it."  (methinks the boy's been reading my pre-algebra teacher's edition a bit too much.  i better redefine what the term "math" means in kindergarten.)

"at rest time today, one of the kids fell asleep.  i mean like really asleep.  our teacher had to wake him up.  but not me -- i just lie there."  and then, after a short pause, "since we had rest time today at school, i think i should get to go to bed later tonight."

"there's this tv show every morning with kids on it.  [that's the news show put on by the fifth graders, i believe.]  and then we stand up and say the pledge of legions.  i put my hand over my left heart.  but i think next week i might put my hand over my other heart just to be fair."

perhaps the most telling example of how my firstborn is really gaining his independence occurred on thursday.  he bounded off the school bus and immediately ran up to me, beaming a goofy grin.  it took me less than a second to recognize that he had lost his other loose top tooth.  and here's how it apparently went down:  "my tongue was just playing with it while we walked back to our room from recess.  we were standing in line and i just, you know, flicked it out, and it went flying in the air and landed on the ground near the parking lot.  ms. sullivan picked it up and put it in a baggie for me and it's in my bookbag.  and she didn't throw up or anything!" 

come to think of it, that might just be the ticket to winning Rock, Paper, Scissors.  if a lost tooth flying through the air on the way back from recess can't beat an avalanche, i don't know what could.