Under the Covers

So the latest greatest thing in the world involves crawling under the sheets and rolling around. We start the day this way now, and despite her getting all worked up, it's hard not to end the day the same way. I don't think Walter sees the appeal however.

She's a musical genius

Here's the song.

It's a Raffi song they sing at school. I have to say, Mia's rendition is fairly close. Proof that a Montessori education works.

Say wha?

For a kid that isn't two years old yet, she's been very verbal. Of course, she's not yet two, so most of what she says sounds like gibberish to the untrained ear. We've adapted as best we could, and repitition certainly helps. "E.B. Fighter" is of course "Itsy-Bitsy Spider" Punkin is what she calls her friend Duncan (preferable to Ca-ka for Carla).

Every now and then though, Corrie and I just have to look at each other across the table and wonder, what could that string of grunts and chirps possibly mean? If you want to try your hand, please leave suggestions in the comment section as to what song you think this might be:



She's been singing this to herself over and over and over again all evening.

Fashion show

Now that we're in to colder weather, she can't get away with just a simple T-shirt with a catchy slogan. ("My other diaper is full of poop too" - you get the idea.) We've got to coordinate outfits, and most importantly accessorize. In the hunt for inspiration, where better to look than pop culture. There's the overly big sunglasses look



...but given her tiny head, our options were limited.



Then there's the Pirate look made popular this summer...



...but so far she's lacking in that mysterious, threatening department.



The search continues

Learning

Last night was a Parent Education night at Mia's Montessori school. The evening meeting was scheduled to last one hour, during which the teachers would show parents how the "materials" work and their importance to the Montessori curriculum.

For those who don't know, Montessori has a very set curriculum. Each material is carefully designed to lead children through the process of learning at a specific and individualized pace. The toys or objects in the room are called "materials" and the use of the "materials" is called "work." Students talk about their day in terms of the work they did, and a very specific language is always supposed to be used when talking about the day at school.

I had a basic understanding of Montessori curriculum before I went last night. I knew that the students are supposed to work at their own pace, and that they aren't grouped by age but rather are encouraged to work in mixed-age groups at whatever speed is appropriate for them. At Mia's school, the pre-school is for ages 3-6. She's in the toddler room now, and then will transition in the fall to the "transition room" as she'll be too young for formal preschool which begins at 2 years 9 months. They keep the kids in the transition room until the teachers believe they are ready for the more advanced learning that takes place in the pre-school.

Our plan has always been to keep Mia at the school through age 5, at which point, assuming we still live here, we would enter the school lottery. One really has to hedge one's bets when it comes to the Boston Public School system. Even though we live in a priority area for a great local public school, there is only a 50% chance that Mia would be able to go there given the way the lottery system works. We don't have a plan for what happens if we don't get a good school, other than find a way to move to Brookline, which isn't really a possibility. Apparently we are just like every other parent in the school. There are no children in the pre-school who are 6, because they have either moved into the BPS kindergarten or moved out of Boston to attend a better school system.

The point of last night's meeting was to show the kind of learning that takes place as kids move up through the top end of the pre-school. I was completely blown away. Literally almost had my socks knocked off. The kids--ages 4, 5, 6--learn multiplication and long division, nouns and verbs and conjunctions, and all kinds of things I wouldn't ever imagine a child that small could learn. Almost every kid leaves the school knowing how to read, which is amazing considering how young they are. The teachers showed us how they teach the higher level math. They did say that most kids don't get to that point before they leave the school, although if they stayed until 6 more would.

All of this got me thinking, what happens to the kids who do get to that higher level once they leave the school and enter a regular kindergarten? How could they possibly be challenged, when the standard curriculum involves identifying vegetables and fruits instead of multiplication and division? If Mia already knows how to read and write and multiply and divide and diagram sentences (yes, they do this!), will she come to hate school and see it as boring?

Of course, we have no way to know how she'll fare as she grows up. We know she's smart, but every parent knows their kid is smart. But if she is one of those kids with advanced reading or math skills, what will we do?

Prior to last night, I firmly believed that public elementary was the only way to go. Why spend $25K per year for your child to learn to make friends? I believed that elementary education was really more about socialization than learning. Of course, that is based on my own education, which was actually pretty good. I guess I just didn't know what other schools could do, with classes of 15 or fewer and 2 teachers per room. What schools could do if they could work individually with children to challenge them on every level instead of preparing them to pass standardized tests. I certainly knew this to be true at the high school level, but I never really applied the logic to the lower levels.

My beliefs haven't necessarily changed, and I need to step back and take a few deep breaths before signing Mia up for the local Montessori elementary school. As an educator and supporter of public education, perhaps my efforts would be better spent getting involved at whatever public school Mia could go to, advocating for her at every turn and ensuring that she gets the very best. But I have to say, I learned more than I expected to last night. Food for thought.

First (Real) Haircut

I trimmed Mia's hair before she started school, but I did a terrible job. It was very uneven in the back, and I didn't even attempt to cut the top.
Thursday is school picture day, so we figured we ought to take Mia for her first professional 'do. She sat very quietly in her seat and barely even blinked. I don't know if she was scared or thrilled. After a few snips, she's even cuter than before.

Sleeping beauty

Monday Morning Mia--Big Girl Edition

So much to document it's hard to even know where to begin. It seems like every day there's a new change, a new skill, more hair, more height, more weight, more hugs, more tears. I think this is what nearing 2 is all about, but who knows? Either way it really keeps us on our toes.

Last night Mia slept by herself in her very own new Big Girl Bed, complete with pillow and comforter. Pinky and Manny were there, of course, but all of the other stuffed friends have been relocated. We went to Ikea yesterday to pick out the bed. Mia had a grand old time trying out each and every bed to see which one was the best. We of course picked the one that came with a guard rail, but she seemed to like it just fine. We got her a new comforter with animals on it, and her matching pillowcase is green with white dots. As soon as the bed was in her room she wanted to sit on it, read books on it, sing songs on it, and generally just BE on it. She didn't want to sleep in her crib but instead insisted on the bed. And she slept well, too, from 8 until I woke her up at 7. Of course, her head was at the foot end, but that doesn't matter. She was at least still on the bed this morning. I half expected her to be asleep on the floor, books strewn everywhere, but that wasn't the case. Here's hoping the bed is equally exciting tonight.

We are finally coming through a rough patch regarding the bath. For the last 2 weeks, Mia has outright refused to take a bath. No amount of cajoling would work. We tried the shower, the sink, Mommy in the bath, nothing worked. Finally we pushed through and she stopped crying. I ended up taking a bath with her for a few nights, and that seemed to make it somewhat more tolerable. Now, in an abrupt change of heart, she BEGS for the bath. If you so much as take her diaper off she asks for a bath. She stands near the tub and asks for a bath. We have to drag her pruny little self out each night as she begs for more bath. She's extra clean these days!

She has also developed very strong fashion and music opinions. She will only wear pink socks, and sometimes only pink striped socks. She will almost always only wear her pink shoes, although sometimes she can be convinced to wear her black shoes or her sneakers. She wants to hear only one CD in the car, over and over. She never seemed to mind that we only listen to NPR in the car, but now she wants music. We're happy to indulge these little requests. They seem so important to her, and it's fun to see her personality shine through more and more each day. It's difficult to keep up with her wants and desires, but she's been very vocal about what it is she would like, so as long as she keeps us informed I think we'll be okay.

Getting colder

Walter has been getting his walks in 40 to 50 degre weather these days, the leaves need raking in the backyard, and most of our daughters winter wardrobe needs replenishing. With that in mind, and with an eye towards her new favorite thing in the world, she is now prepared to face the world each day with penguin on her feet.

A weekend away

One of the joys of having grandparents living nearby is the option to abuse them and leave them with our girl (and hound) for a weekend. It was the first time we had spent a night away from her, and it felt like a big step. To our slight dismay, Mia did just fine without us, learned some new songs, and ran her grandmother ragged.


(view just near our Inn)

Corrie and I on the other hand slept in (7:30 that is) without a dog or kid to worry about. Got some reading in, had some fine seafood, poked around some little island stores, and otherwise just got to breath deeply for two whole days. We found ourselves in an extremely secluded spot on the island with fantastic views of the cliffs overlooking the ocean. Wild deer walked by us as the sun set. After dinner the mainland lit up the horizon with a chimney orange glow, but somehow the stars above the hotel still managed to stand out.


(Coffee and a book in the grass)

Still, we got to come home to this, which is even more fun.


(Not even noticing we're not home)

No More Tears

An update to my last post...
Mia is thriving at school. The past two days have been wonderful. When I pick her up she runs to me, gives me a hug, and tells me about her friends. I was a little early on Monday to get her so I listened to Teri Gross in the car for a few minutes. I was still the first parent there. Yesterday I made myself wait a little, and another mom was there at the same time.

The first day she only slept an hour, but yesterday she slept close to 2. She seems to be doing ok with Pinky2, although Manny 2 hasn't arrived yet. She's well-fed and well-loved at school, and after I pick her up I drag her tired little self over to the playground for some more fun with her non-school friends. With this social calendar I fear she'll need a blackberry, or at least an iPhone, by age 2.

Because she has been at school all day my productivity has skyrocketed. I have submitted my study for approval by the university's internal review board and managed to get my head back above water on one of the two projects I am managing at school. All in all, success for everyone, I hope.

Monday Morning Mia--Sad Mom Edition

I dropped Mia off at school today for her very first full day. I packed up an extra special lunch for her and added in a sippy cup of milk for her nap. I tucked a baby blanket into her school bag and tossed in her stuffed pink cat, Pinky. (Actually, I tossed in a stunt double. We ordered an extra Pinky and an extra Manny (penguin) to live at school. Manny 2 hasn't arrived yet. Original Pinky and Manny are at home in the crib, probably sad and lonely that their companion isn't home to nap with them).

As soon as we arrived in the parking lot Mia's face lit up. "Friends? Sarah? Two Sarahs?" she asked. I promised that her friends would be there, and she practically jumped out of her car seat to walk from the car to the school.

She walked right into the classroom, went straight to her cubby and got her slippers, and brought them over to the little bench where she sits to change her shoes. I gently placed her special items from home into their special slot in the cubby, on top of the little sheet they provide to cover the sleeping mats. Her teacher asked her if she wanted help with her slippers, and Mia said yes, so the two of them exchanged Mia's outside shoes for her slippers.

After exchanging a few details with the teacher, I gave Mia a quick hug and kiss. She barely allowed me to do so as she walked over to join her friends. She didn't even look back as I walked away.

It's almost naptime at school now, and I'm hoping with all my heart that she sleeps well there. The teachers turn on quiet music, close the shades and turn out the lights, and give the kids backrubs as they drift off to sleep. Mia has never slept anywhere but her crib or the pack and play, occasionally on our bed. Last week, though, she asked her teachers if she could take a nap at school, so I know she knows that the other kids do it. The teachers said they'd call if she had a hard time, but I know she'll do great.

Only 3.5 more hours until I can go pick her up.