I'll always eat lunch with you Mommy!

My baby (1 of them) just keeps growing up!

Ages ago, say November, Trevor's teacher's suggested that it might be good for him to stay 1 (or more) days a week for lunch and into the early afternoon. Not because there are any problems, but just to let him expand his horizon's a little more. To help him get more comfortable being away for longer, to let him experience the different activities they do in the afternoon, to let him interact with the kindergarten kids that come in the afternoon rather than always sticking with his 1 or 2 best buddies (who are a year younger than him), etc.

When I mentioned this idea, in passing, to Trev....to say that he was not in favor of it, would be an understatement. The kid hates change (at least initially!). He was STRONGLY opposed to it for a LONG time. In fact, up until a few weeks ago, he would randomly remind me that he is NOT staying at school for lunch ANY time soon (as in, not even next year in Kindergarten! - good thing we have 1/2 day K here!).

So, Tuesday I picked him up from school. I don't even remember how the conversation started, but all of a sudden, he was talking about lunch at school and saying that he wanted to stay for lunch sometime. So, casually (oh, so casually!), I said, "Well you can stay tomorrow for lunch if you want." Bang, done, sold! He was SO excited!!! All afternoon and evening, that's all he talked about. He woke up early on Wednesday, because "We hafta make my lunch Mommy!". He was raring to go! We even got to school early!

And so, he stayed. He ate lunch there (peanut butter sandwich, brownie, and chocolate milk). Then they went outside, and he did lots of work that he doesn't usually get to do. He was slightly concerned, to make sure that I picked him up on time (at 2 pm). After all, Tom and Jerry starts at 2 pm, and he knows it, and he told his teachers!! And so, just like that, another milestone is reached. So, he'll be staying at school every Wednesday for lunch and into the afternoon. It works well as Blake is not there that day anyway, it doesn't conflict with my work schedule (no transportation issues), and Blake and I get some good time together to do things (which is rare!).

The icing on the cake was the work that he brought home. Sometimes, he brings home pictures and drawings and random art projects that he has made. Other times he brings home pages with writing or counting practice that he has done. No matter what it is, becuase it's a Montessori school, I know it is the work that he chose to do that day, nothing that he was 'forced' to do, or that everyone did. I like knowing that. On Wednesday, after being at school for 5 hours, he came home with Math papers. On 4 seperate sheets of paper, he completed all his math facts for numbers 1 through 4. So he added 1 + each number (0-9); 2 + each number; 3 + each number; and 4 + each number. And he got ALL the facts right (with the small issue of writing 12 and 13 backwards as 21 and 31). And, if you ask him any of these facts (what's 3+6?), he'll find something to count (legos, dinosaurs, fingers) and tell you. This kid, knows and LIKES his math!!!