This year we have a third, second, and pre-K-3 student, and we won the lottery in terms of amazing teachers this year. Reni's actually excited to go to school every morning - always getting dressed, eating breakfast, and putting on his shoes in a way that when we're loading everyone/every backpack/yoga bag/water bottles/pop tarts/etc into the car, he shoots me a smile and says, "I didn't complain - I'm all ready and I like school. I'm doing good, right mama?" And I snuggle him close - something he usually only lets me do at night time when no one's looking - and try to save the memory of that hug for moments when things get a bit hairy. Mornings are a lot less hectic this year thanks to the loving Mrs. Gonzales in 2nd grade gifted.
Anika still comes downstairs fully dressed and with her hair done most mornings, but on those mornings when she stumbles down, eyes half shut, and flops onto the couch, I'm always eager to set down my coffee and go grab a snuggle, because before I know it she's going to be in high school. She's uber responsible with her homework and keeping track of everything, even on those days when they're with their dad and they have to keep track of stuff at his place. She was the very first Gator of the Month this year, and Mrs. Martinez also named her VIP for the first full week of classes, which meant she sat at a little cafe table and chair on a shag rug and got to use special gel pens and star-shaped paper clips and stickers. "I'm giving the stickers and pens to my friends," she told me. She couldn't be happier, and this is a kid who I feared wouldn't love her 3rd grade teacher as much as she adored her 2nd grade one. But clearly Mrs. Martinez speaks my daughter's love language.
Roman is thriving in Ms. Alexander's class, where he is the only 3 year-old role model in a class of special education-designated four year-olds. He's making some great buddies and his emotional IQ is so much higher at school - or maybe developing because of it - than I had seen at home. Maybe it's being freed from his place as the baby and instead being heralded as a leader and role model in the classroom, but he's always walking in and high-fiving or hugging his friends. And when his teacher called me yesterday early afternoon, I had a moment where I feared she was going to report that he dropped the F-bomb or he hit someone or he pooped in his underwear. Instead, another child had hit him with a toy (the kid was upset because it was time to put the toys away) and there was a mark under Roman's eye. When I picked up Roman and gave him a hug, he said, "Sebastian hit me with a toy cow. I'm going to try to make him happy and be his friend." And then again this morning, during drop-off (and without Sebastian even in sight), Roman remarked, again, "Today I'm going to help Sebastian." The heart of this kid, you guys! I adore picking him up because when I arrive he's sitting at the table, snacking on pretzels and chatting away with Emily and Noah, his two BFFs.
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