When my eldest daughter started kindergarten I was a mess. I waffled back and forth on whether we would enroll her in Junior Kindergarten at all, and once she did start attending I was, predictably, a nervous wreck. I was dying to know the details of what she did all day, and she wasn't sharing. "You weren't there, so you can't know." she would say, looking at me with a puzzled … [Read more...]
This Kid Plays Hard…
Here's what my kindergartener looks like at the end of the school day. That's not sunshine dappled across her jumper and leggings, that a fine coating of grey dirt. I send her off at the beginning of the day wearing barrettes, with tidy hair, a nice outfit, clean face and hands... And at the end of the day this filth monster steps off the bus coated head to toe in dirt and … [Read more...]
The One Where I Remember All of the Things I SHOULD Have Said to Her Kindergarten Teacher….
Dear Kindergarten Teacher, When we met last week you asked me to describe my daughter in a few words and my mind went blank. What I should have said is "She's like Tigger, but with hugs." Instead I told you she's "very touchy", which you took to mean tactile orientated. I tried in stumbling words to explain how she wants to touch, and hug, every person she sees. I think you … [Read more...]
Curing the Back to School Jitters
I have a little one who is nervous about heading to school. She's going into Kindergarten next month. Our countdown tells me it's 16 days away. Some days, when I'm ready to trade her to the neighbours for a decent cup of coffee, it feels like it can never come soon enough. Other days, I feel almost as nervous as she does at the idea of relinquishing my baby into someone else's … [Read more...]
Tired & Worn Out
So on the last day of school my daughter came home with these in her backpack.... Looking a little worse for wear, eh? These were the indoor shoes she swapped to when she got to school each day. I'm a bit shocked and disappointed that no one thought to mention to me that they had worn right through. What do you think, am I over-reacting? or would that make you grumpy too? … [Read more...]
Oliver’s Labels, Making Back to School Simple
Last year I didn't buy school labels for Rainbow. I had a hard time deciding if she should go into Junior Kindergarten, and our last minute enrolment didn't leave me much time to pre-plan for things you order ahead of time, like labels. It was a bit of a shock for me to find that the school expected us to label EVERYTHING. Water bottle? Cardigans? Running shoes? You've got to … [Read more...]
This Kid Is Ready to Learn!
Tomorrow my Rainbow starts Senior Kindergarten. Last year at this time I was having second and third thoughts about putting my daughter into Junior Kindergarten. In hindsight I wish I had stuck to my guns and kept her home. I still feel that full day Junior Kindergarten is too much for three and four year olds to handle. At four years old my daughter desperately needed an … [Read more...]
Back to School Already? Seriously?
I'm thinking about back to school shopping. I don't WANT to be thinking about it, but I can't help it as I'm being inundated with Back to School: Shop Now! ads. Seems like that's all the flyers and stores are full of these days. Heck, I started seeing ads and displays during the second week of July. Does anyone actually start their back to school shopping this early? This … [Read more...]
Secret Mommyhood Confession – I’m No Dietitian
When it comes to making school lunches I sometimes suspect I'm a lousy Mom. I want to be the Mom making the cool themed bento-style lunches, with fruit shaped like flowers and tiny sandwiches shaped like animals. The reality is I'm the mom that goes to head to bed at 1 a.m. and realizes I forgot to make my kids lunch again, and I'm left wondering if anyone at the school is … [Read more...]
Riding On The Bus Alone Hurts, Literally
A few days ago I was walking G-Girl home from the bus stop and she was complaining to me that no one had sat with her on the bus. "Today no one would sit with me on the way home, and it made me sad. It hurt." How my heart hurt to hear those words coming from my little four year old girl. I told her it was ok, and I was certain her friends would sit with her again another day. … [Read more...]
Get your butt off the computer and… Play!
As most of you know, I was really torn about Rainbow starting Junior Kindergarten. Do you know what she does all day at school? For 99% of the day they play! During the teacher interview at the beginning of the year they even gave out pamphlets on the importance of play, and how children learn through play and exploration. Though I still have mixed feeling over whether or not … [Read more...]
Litterless Lunches with Eco-Friendly Canadian Retailer Grassroots {Review}
I mentioned a little while back how excited I was to have discovered Grassroots, an eco-friendly online Canadian storefront based out of Toronto. As you know my daughter has just recently started junior kindergarten. Providing her with litterless lunches is a priority for me and Grassroots was a great place to start as they have an excellent selection of litterless lunch … [Read more...]
Things my daughter brought home from her first week of School…
First - I have a horrible confession to make, I actually sort of enjoyed not having Rainbow here for part of the time. Having just the one child to watch means I get to Do Stuff during naptime, without first playing the ever harrowing Can We Get the Naps to Match Up Today? roulette. Rainbow safely made it through her first week of school. Her continuing reluctance to … [Read more...]
Shoes, Tears, and the First Day at School…
Today was Rainbow's first day at Junior Kindergarten. She had some last minute reservations. She was so excited that she had a hard time falling asleep last night, so I wasn't surprised when she told me she was tired, and felt like maybe she wasn't done sleeping. She didn't like the change in our usually leisurely mornings. She complained that there was no time to read or … [Read more...]
The Kindergarten Jitters (Yeah, I’m still going on about that…)
I think someone has a bit of starting Kindergarten jitters. Someone other then mama that is. My brave and fiercely independent Rainbow has been clinging to me all day, asking for hugs and constantly touching me, pulling my hair, tugging on my skirt,and generally driving me NUTS. She has also been asking lots of questions about what exactly she will be doing at school. She is … [Read more...]