Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Preschool, Climbing Trees and Ponytails

Preschool has started 5-days a week now, though there are plenty of Jewish holidays to shorten the week. Des is now attending the Y in our neighborhood for 2.5 hours a day. The walk takes us about 30-minutes and that's x 4 (!) I'm getting a lot of extra exercise and Zoe is getting a lot of extra stroller time ( and not always happy about it.)

Des really enjoys his time in class and is quite proud to show the art projects from the day. I love it and think that he is so ready for this. It's a miracle we got into the class really or rather its a miracle we found a class that was still only half full and for his age group and in the neighborhood.

Many of our friends had their babes on waiting lists for the schools in the Bronx. I wasn't sure how to proceed knowing that we'd be leaving the country and thinking we could continue to do our co-op preschool arrangement. Just days before the school year began our friend Natasha mentioned her son's preschool (the Y) and that there was still space and to contact them about it. Suddenly it all clicked and I knew what I should do and, most importantly, I felt like doing it. So DPJ was able to start the second day of the school year and he's so acclimated that I'm shocked he hasn't once (not yet) rebelled against going. Des and Porter B. have become fast buddies and the teachers there are so nice! Today one of them hugged Des and actually told him she loved him. They are going apple picking this month too!! AWESOME!

So Natasha and I stopped by a great climbing tree on the way back from preschool one afternoon and the babes really had a great time being monkeys. Even Zoe continues to be fearless and ape like the boys. This was also a big day as she kept the ponytails in her hair for longer that 2 minutes (they were in for 3 hours or more!) What can I say, this was a triumph!

While we're on topic: the pic above of Desi in ponytail glory was not the first day of preschool -- though wouldn't that have been funny!? It's actually from a recent Sunday, before church, when he decided to help coax Zoe into keeping her pony-do in and, well, he got a little too into it. I negotiated for only the walk to church and then a full removal of all hairbands once we reach the font of the church bldg. By the time we got there he complied without incident declaring that, "ponytails are for girls anyway." I marvel that he can sometimes reach these conclusions without my hinting at them.



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