First week of Preschool

Holden started Preschool this past week and I have to say, I don't know who it was harder on; me, Daddy or Holden.  We've all been adjusting to a new schedule.  Before, Holden would eat breakfast at Ms. Linda's, not that he cant get once he gets to school, but it has to be something that doesn't need to be heated or prepared.  This will be fine sometimes, but I also want him to have a good breakfast most days.  So this week we have had cereal, fruit and yogurt, waffles and bagel with PB.  We've also been trying to get him in bed no later than 8:00, since we get up a little earlier to make sure we have time to get him ready, let him potty and eat breakfast before we head out the door.  I do like that I don't have to drive on the highway anymore, a few more read lights, but still less miles and time from dropping him off until I get to the office.

Monday he did so good at drop off.  One of the things that I like best about his school (Castle Creek Christian), among other things, is that you actually take your child to their classroom, get them settled and get to tell them good bye, kiss, hug, whatever before you leave.  Same thing in the afternoon at pick-up.  Holden walked right in the first day and wasted no time at all going straight to the toys.

Although I was cautions, we decided to go ahead and put him in his big boy underwear since he had been wearing them all day, with no accidents, at Ms. Linda's for going on 3 weeks.  I guess given his new surroundings, transition into a new school, new people, distraction, etc, potty training was the last thing from his mind.  Despite his teachers efforts (Ms. Dallas and Ms. Amy), Holden would not go pee-pee on the potty, but not 10 minutes later would go in his pants. So by the time Wednesday had rolled around, he had gone through 7 pairs of pants.  Daddy and I talked it over and figured we would continue to potty train at home and his teachers would still help him at school, but we would go back to pull-ups for a little while.  I think this was a good idea, cause Thursday Holden went on the potty and kept his pull-ups dry most of the day.  AND he is still doing a good job in the evenings and then this weekend of staying dry and going on the potty.  So we'll wait a few weeks to let him get comfortable with being on a new schedule, new place, etc and try big boy underwear again.

So, back to the good stuff about Preschool.  Holden loves it!  On the first day his report sheet said, "He was great!  It's like he has been here all along!"  This made me feel so happy and confident that we made the right decision in going ahead and starting him in school before the baby is born.  The next few mornings were a little tougher, he cried on mommy at drop off, but Ms. Dallas is so great with him. She always holds him and immediately gets him interested in a book, or blocks so that I can walk out.  BUT, Mommy stays in the hallway, peeking through the window to make sure that he is OK before I leave.  And he is, he stops crying the minute I am out the door.  He is also doing great at nap time, sleeping from 1.5-2 hours each day.  Only cried a little on Tuesday, but they rubbed his back and he went right on to sleep.  I think it's the cool nap mat that Mommy and Daddy got for him!

He is eating well at morning and afternoon snack and has done pretty well wit lunch.  Let me tell you, the snacks and lunch menu make me want to stay just to eat with the kids each day.  Love that he is getting a variety of different foods, some of them new too.

Each day they have different activities.  He has had Spanish, reading, the color red, the #2, yoga and who knows what else this week!  They also have outdoor play each day, with I'm thinking is Holden's favorite cause all he wants to do when we get home is go outside and play.  Even without anyone else.  Before, he only wanted to go outside and play if we had people over or Mommy or Daddy was out there.

Its funny, cause this week Holden has said more words than he was before.  Not that he didn't know what things were before, and I'm not saying he learned these new words in one week, but he definitely has surprised us.  He now says "two," "geen (green),"  and "boo (blue)."  And he said green when I asked him which jammies he wanted to wear one night. He kept saying over and over "geen, geen, geen" and I'll be honest it took me a minute to realize what he was saying until I picked up the green jammies and held them up and he grabbed them and said, "geen."  OK, OK.  You can wear the green ones.

All and all, it has been a good week.  There are a few things that we're hoping get better (like him getting more comfortable at school so that he poops (TMI) and that way isn't such a fussy butt in the evenings until he does go poop.  But we feel very fortunate and blessed that we were able to find a place that we like and Holden seems to be growing and developing at.  Let's see how he does next week!