The big kid class

Ok, so we started this week "in transition."  Miss C started Monday in her original two year old class and a little while after breakfast was taken to her new classroom. She never looked back!  In fact, on the way home from school on Monday, Miss C told DH that she only wants to go to the "three year old room" from now on.
We have learned a few of her classmates' names (that will take a little while), talked with the teachers about her adjusting and even had breakfast with her class.
I admit I was a little nervous about the transition, in addition to the new room and new teachers, there are potentially 50% more students in the class, all of whom are older than Miss C. As usual, Miss C kicked butt. She remembered that Tuesday was music day and brought in her harmonica. Apparently she enjoys playing it in her classroom and the teachers complimented her play. Yea!
Today was bring in your favorite toy day as well as breakfast with parents day. We managed to remember both but since so few students brought in a toy, Miss C wasn't able to share hers. She insists that she wanted to share but the teachers didn't want her to basically give up her toy to someone else without being able to share someone else's toy., Sounds fair to me.
Monday is another big day. It will be Miss C's first field trip and I admit it, I am 10X more nervous about it than she is. The kids will be away from school (via school bus, another adventure!) from 9am to 2 pm, Nope, no nap time scheduled for the kids. Ugh. Hoping Miss C gets at least a cat nap in the bus on the way back to school.
We think her teachers are terrific and that Miss C is very well adjusted to her new class. She is still being very quiet in the classroom with her classmates but she is starting to open up. We told her teachers to give her another week and she's be her normal, chatty self.
Other than that, Miss C finally decided it was time to mail her numnums (pacifier) to the babies (I have to make sure she gets a thank you card from them!) and got a trumpet in return! Yea, Miss C!
One picture just to show how big she really has gotten (she is holding her carrot harvest!):

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Movin' on up...

Ok, so we finally got some resolution with Miss C's class situation. First some background... since she started her current (the two-year-old) class, Miss C has been reminded that once she is both potty trained and three years old, she will get to move to the "big kid class." On her birthday, Miss C woke up and asked me "mama, am I three year old now?" I answered her "yes, baby, you are." She then replied "when do I get to go to the big kid class?"
Well, that was nearly 5 weeks ago and each time we ask, we get told that there's no seat yet. I got tired of that answer. I asked earlier this week what the bottle neck was. See, it seemed to me that they have two two-year-old classes and only one three-year-old class.  Good thing I asked. As it turns out, all three of the other classes are preschool classes, the main difference from the one Miss C is in now is student:teacher ratio which, frankly, sucks here. Its about 7:1 right now and will go to 10 or 12:1. Anyway! Once I pushed, I was told that there are seats in the other two classes that we can join now, the difference being there are four and five-year-olds in the other two classes along with three or four three-year-olds.
We met with the school director as well as teachers from both classes. Both DH and I clicked with one specific teacher and the classroom and decided to go with that one. Since her birthday, Miss C has both patiently and not so patiently waited to transition and her wait is now over. We start preschool on Monday! Wish us luck!

Too many changes too fast for me.

When did someone tell my little girl to grow up? For the last two days it has become readily apparent that I am no longer the mother of a little one but I really am the mother of a toddler perhaps even preschooler.

Why do I say this? Well, for example, the past two nights have involved a significant shift in our bedtime reading. Last night, Miss C sat in her (our) chair alone, legs covered with her blankets (like I normally do when she is in my lap) reading her princess songs book (out loud no less!) and then her animal baby book. She did let me read the second book to her but I read from the floor. After the stories, she put herself in bed. :( Tonight, again, different. Miss C sat on her bed with her Wall-E toy and I read to her there. After her third book (Good night, Good night, Sleepyhead) she laid down and waited for me to cover her up. Growing up way too fast.

Today was our first real weekend day alone with no obligations. Miss C announced during breakfast that it was "Mama, [Miss C] Adventure Day." I call our days out those but hadn't realized how much she caught on to that. She decided that she wanted to paint something for DH. I had mentioned a Paint Your World place downtown (very small town so down town is just a street!) and she got herself clothes and then, once we got our shoes on, I was told we were going to paint for Daddy. Wow.

Another big change, Miss C decided she needs to start using the potty and wearing pull ups. There is something to be said for peer pressure. Most of her little friends in school are in pull ups and working on potty training so apparently must she.

On the plus side, for her anyway, she is still napping for me and at school (I have mentioned that she is in a great class where the teachers notice that she plays with her shoes so they let her take them off for a nap, even though its preferred that they keep them on? And that they put her far away from the music so it doesn't disturb her when she sleeps? I am so pleased with her new class!) and she is still in bed around 630-640ish nightly. She is so busy at school and at home that she is still worn out enough to do both.

I never thought I would long for putting a diaper on my little one. Too many changes way too fast for me but there is little I can do to turn back the hands of time. i only hope she lets me cuddle with her still.

Big kid class

About a week ago, I got a letter from Miss C's school that she will be moving to the big kid class this week. I met with the teachers last Wednesday and had my orientation while Miss C napped down the hallway. After orientation, during which I learned that Miss C won't be able to have her numnum (that what she calls her pacifier, if you are new to the blog), I started to talk to Miss C about moving into the two year old class.
On Thursday, on our way out of school, Miss C and I walked down to her new room. I thought it would be a good idea to show her where the room is, what their toys look like, etc while the other kids were playing outside. We also looked out into the two year old playground, which, gasp, has a big slide, lots of little cars (her absolute favorite) and a sandbox!
The next day, Miss C reported to her current teacher that (pointing to the other playground) "I go play there." She seemed to be starting to get it. We talked about the move all weekend, just here and there, about her being a big girl and being honest about not being able to have the numnum in the new room. I reminded her of which friends are already in that room, all of the fun toys, etc.
Today, before I left for work, we talked again. I reminded her that sometime after breakfast, Miss J would walk her to her new room. I reassured her that she would have fun, that she could give Miss J a hug bye-bye and that if she had any problems, she could go back to the other room. When I left, Miss L, the nice woman we all check in with in the morning, reminded me that I can always call to see how she is doing (she knows how I think and that I will probably call).
I guess I should know better by now. I called a little after noon, enough time for Miss C to see if she was ready to spend more time in the new room, enough time to find out if she would be ok without the dreaded numnum. As soon as Miss L knew it was me, she told me "Oh! She's having a great time! She signed and talked about going to the big girl room. She said she was a big kid and that she was happy! She's sleeping right now." I asked "In the new room?" She replied "Oh yea, she is doing just great!"
Yep, that's my big girl, in the big kid class. Why does that make me a little sad?