Second Day

Peeper did great this morning while we were getting dressed, until I said, "Okay, let's go pee-pee and brush your teeth, it's almost time to leave for school!" and she said, "Why do I have to go to school?"

Um, did you not realize that's what we were getting dressed for?

There was a bit of "I'm gonna miss you," but she perked up for the drive.

When we walked in the door, she started getting worried again, but was not freaking out like she did at dance last week.

When we got to her classroom, I had to take her to her cubby, take her backpack off and hang it up for her, then sort of put her in a chair at the table, to start playing with blocks. While I talked to one teacher for a minute, I could hear her happily talking to the other one.

Then I had to go tell her goodbye before I left.

Again with the tears, but I gave her the photo and "kissing hand," and reminded her that "it's just the bye-bye that's hard," and scooted on out.

I hovered outside the door for a minute and peeked back in on her, and she seemed to be doing okay.

D reports that when she dropped of G, Peeper was okay, then a few sniffles, then okay again.

Today, I made better use of my Peeper-free time, hitting three different grocery stores and going home long enough to put everything away!

When I went back to pick her up, her little eyes looked red, and she burst into tears the moment she saw me.

The teacher told me that she did well most of the day, but struggled with transitions, crying pretty much every time they moved from one activity to another.

When I talked to her about it, she agreed that she had fun while she was busy, but when she wasn't busy, she thought about missing us.

When I was asking about various parts of her day, and asked what she did in the gym, she said, "I cried, and I had fun."

I also hear that she did a great job when they had each kid sing the ABC song. Supposedly she "Was the best one of all!" but maybe that's what they tell all the moms.

This evening, I heard her singing a bit of what I think is their "goodbye" song, specifically the line "We had a great day," so that's a good sign, right?

She was also chanting, "Flappa, flappa, toot, toot, chicken, chicken, soldier!" which is a close second to her monologue from Wednesday evening, when she was not going to sleep:

Mama, one thing. That proves it. Compared to nothing. One thing makes it true. Some books make it true. I'm gonna be right here, reading books. No worries. I'll be right here if you need me, reading a book. Hmmm, Hungry Caterpillar . . . .

What the hell are they teaching her at this school?

Edited to Add: 
I almost forgot the lunch report! She finished her "salad" of spinach, carrot "coins" and black olives (She requested the spinach and carrots; the olives were a little surprise.), and I assume she finished her yogurt, although they would probably toss a half-eaten one.

She ate her squeezy applesauce while we were sitting outside waiting for D to come out with her kids, because I had something to give her. She didn't touch the fruit snacks, cheese stick or (as far as I can tell) pepperonis.

It would've been nice for her to have gotten a little more protein in her, and yeah, it's sugary yogurt, but that's two days in a row that she's finished off her veggies!

I was a little worried that the spinach had been tossed because it had gotten yucky, but when I asked if it was still crispy and yummy, she said it was, and on Wednesday, they sent home one and a half opened cheese sticks in a ziplock, so I'm assuming they don't throw out any food (except maybe half-eaten yogurts) so that you can tell exactly what's being eaten and adjust accordingly.

So, yeah, our almost-4 year old is requesting spinach in her preschool lunch, and eating it first.

Score!