I really, really wanted to sit down and write the day before yesterday while Clara was at pre-school and Leo was napping. I needed something to distract me from obsessively counting down the hours then the minutes until I could go back and pick her up. I was completely lost, it was so weird because she's been away from me many many times but this time I was a loose ends. I could have cleaned, cooked, read a book but I think I mostly just drifted around until Leo woke up.
As expected, Clara was just fine at her first day at the Carrefour des Petites Soleils Pre-school. I spent the first 45 minutes with her but once it was time for the parents to say goodbye and start a bricolage, Clara was waving and blowing me kisses with a big smile on her face. The only trouble we had was when we crossed paths about an hour later in the gym, she was leaving and Leo and I were arriving. She got a sad look and then was shuffled out the door. About 30 seconds later she was led back into the gym in tears by one of the teachers, she wanted a last kiss. It took all that I had to put on a brave face and take her back downstairs to her class.
Fast forward to 3:15 when I arrived early to pick up my big girl. This is what I was greeted with...
Ahh, I had to wait even longer!!! At least a trip to the park meant that Clara was finally experiencing something she's been looking forward to all Summer: The String. The String is the cord that groups of kids all hold on to while walking along the sidewalk. An adult at the front and an adult at the back and a bunch of dawdling cuties in between. Clara has seen The String and coveted it at different parks all year and has asked on several occasions why she can't walk with The String. My regular answer is that she's got my hand to hold but that never really made her feel much better. Near the end of the Summer I started telling her that she may get to use The String at pre-school (another thing to pump her up about the new experience) so when I realised she was probably going to be coming back on the string I grabbed Leo and the camera and head upstairs to greet the class. I only had to wait about 5 minutes before I got the first glimpses of our band of little sunshines. I realised I shouldn't let Clara see me until she was close enough for it to be safe to let go of The String. The last thing I wanted was for her to see me, drop her handle and dart off toward me, NOT something her teachers would appreciate I'm sure.So yes, I hid.
I peered around a concrete pillar and watched the 5 kids and their two teachers ramble towards me with lunchboxes in hand. I watched Clara and Chloe and all I could think about was how they were out experiencing the world on their own, without their mothers, and biggest champions at their side. For a split second I worried that Clara was upset about having been left all day in the care of relative strangers and that she'd be upset with me or cry when she saw me. She didn't. She smiled and said "Hi Mommy" and let me take her picture (yes, her eyes are closed but it was the only picture I took)
Then the information extraction session began. I of course wanted to know EVERYTHING about her day but, a three year old really isn't big on sharing details. With some very specific and pointed questions I managed to piece together parts of the day. That, along with a quick report from Emmanuelle gave me this general outline...-Bricolage; made a fish, used sparkles.
-Gym; balls, running.
-Songs; Tout les Legumes.
-Lunch; ate grapes first then pita.
-NAP!! What??? Yep, Clara was one of 2 who fell asleep during "quiet time"
-Park; wore a Carrefour Bib.
-Snack
-Walked back; Chloe tripped.
That's all folks! Day two is tomorrow and I think I'm going be a bit more emotionally ready. I'm gonna pack her lunch now and add a new pictoral note for her to open at lunchtime, she said she liked the heart with Clara and Mommy inside last time!
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