he's a doodlebug!

Up until probably the beginning of the summer, W had always been pretty attached to Momma and Dadda.  This was a little later than G had been attached to us like that, so we (ok, mostly I) started to worry (imagine that, a parent worry?) about W being able to go to school.  I did realize that he had a whole year to do some more growing up, but there is nothing like worrying in the present about the future that will maybe be totally different but maybe not...(have I lost anyone yet? =).  Anyways, just like G, W came out of it just fine and had a blast at VBS this summer not even looking back when I dropped him at his classroom.  So we knew he was going to be fine for school.  

Still, partly from experience with G, and partly from prompting from W ("I want to go to school like G!!!!!"), we enrolled him in the same preschool nature center classes for this year that we had G take the year before she went to school.  They are just once a week for 2 hours and they focus on nature and they also take place at the wonderful park system that we have fairly close to us.  Gives them a little bit of independence without having a huge time commitment and cost for pre-school. 

Needless to say, W was so very excited to start his "own school", especially after G started first grade!  We counted the days and he has the schedule down of what day he goes to school too.  His classes are a little different that G's were, because we chose a park that is closer to G's school so we can drop G off and continue on to W's class.  It is called "Doodlebugs" and is every Tuesday from 9:30 to 11:30 in the morning.  They focus on a specific nature book each week and do activities and art and nature walks that go with the book.  And last week was his first day!  He was up and ready to go and in typical boy fashion, would have NOTHING of standing by the door or in his classroom for pictures.  I didn't know if he would change his excited little mind when we actually got to his class, but he didn't and said "ok mom, you can go now!"

C was pretty devastated that he wasn't able to go to school too.  We talked about how Sunday School was "his school" on Sundays, but he still was pretty sad when we had to leave W.  The park is a ways from home and not real close to anything else (often we would go grocery shopping during G's classes at a different park), so I planned on just hanging out at the nature center with C every Tuesday morning.  So I packed a bag of "school related things" like crayons and color books and flashcards, and also some toys.  That didn't interest C at all at first, but the park happens to have a fabulous coffee shop so a smoothie and muffin helped both of us feel much better. =)  And then we went on to have a fabulous morning!  What a treat to spend one on one time with this 3rd child of mine.

And of course we hit the trails for part of the morning too!!  "Let's go on a walk, momma!"

We talked about Baby B too and C was pretty tickled that Baby B was on a "walk" with us and laughed at this photo!  And then, before you know it, it was time to go pick up W.

Once again, he did not want to take any pictures, but he excitedly showed me his class photo and told me about what he did in his class.  They read the book Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert, then went on a nature walk and picked up leaves and rocks and acorns in their baskets to make their own leaf man.  Best phrases from him?  "I got to use real glue momma!  And I was good at it!"  "I only played with the boys in the class.  I play with girls all the time at home." (cousins are girls and good friends from church are girls =)  And, "I can't WAIT to come back next week!!!!"

Neither can I, big boy.