Boy crazy

It all started when the baby went to preschool last year in the two year old class. There were six kids in her class, four boys and two girls. She and the other girl bonded and began a battle with the boys who were said to be "big meanies." After that, the baby no longer liked boys, violently sometimes. I spent the remainder of the school year wondering if she will have a note in her backpack when I picked her stating she had attacked one of her classmates (always a boy).

This year in the weeks leading up to three year old preschool, I stressed the importance of being nice to everyone in her class. She told me she would be nice to the girls so I tried a different tactic. I asked her to not hit anyone to which responded, "I won't hit anybody Mommy, just boys." My last plea was the morning of school. I dropped her off and hoped for the best.

I was thrilled when I picked her up and the first thing she said to me was "I didn't hit any of my friends today!" I let out a sigh of relief and though "one day down." She did inform me that the big boy had pushed her down and she hurt her knee. Sure enough, her knee was scraped and she was lightly limping on it. I asked her if he had pushed her or if it had been an accident. She said she didn't know. I began formulating my speech for the trip to school the next morning explaining that she should not take revenge on this boy and if he hurt her on purpose she should ask him to stop and not hurt back.

I gave her my speech in the car and she just said "Okay Mommy" and got out of the car. It was the best I could do. When I picked her up she was very quiet. I kept asking her questions and she merely grunted or gave me a short answer. Finally asked her what happened. She was silent a moment and then dropped her head and said "I played with a boy." Not what I expected her to say at all. I asked her who and she just said the big boy. I asked her why and she said he was nice to her. I told her it was okay to play with kids who were nice to her, even if they were boys.

After two weeks of preschool this Big Boy is her new best friend. The thing I find humorous is the boys father is someone I graduated with twenty years ago. At least she didn't beat the boy up because I suspect now that it was an accident that he pushed her down.

To finish it all off I asked her if she was a boy or a girl. For nearly the entire year of preschool last year she would say a boy, even though she knew she was a girl. I asked her yesterday if she was a boy or a girl and she just smiled and replied "I'm a princess" and skipped off down the hall.

Monkey farts

I was invited to a party tonight. No, not one of those "mingle with your friends and have fun" kind of parties. One of the "come over to my house and by something from this lady" kind of parties. I generally avoid these types of parties at any cost, but I was needing a little time away from the house so I decided to go. I'm kind of glad I did. Although I was intending on having some grown-up time, I took my oldest with me. I really want her to learn to sit quietly when she needs to. She did very well and actually won some prizes. She came home with a lip butter that smells of strawberries and a hand lotion that smells of Monkey Farts. What do Monkey Farts smell like? Well, in this case it seems to be coconut and banana. I'm going to have fun at work tomorrow telling people I smell like monkey farts.

A year gone

More than a year. I haven't been keeping up with this as I should. Hard to keep up with something if you think no one reads it.

My oldest started kindergarten this year. She has been attending for over a month and still loves going. She excitedly tells me about her day every time I pick her up. I hope she never stops being this excited about school.

The youngest started preschool yesterday. On the way we had a long discussion about not hitting anyone (a problem from last year) to which she replied she would only hit the boys. I reminded her gently that she shouldn't hit anyone. She said okay, and only boys. I bit more firmly that she shouldn't hit ANYONE. She said okay but just kind of looked at me, the look that says "whatever". When I picked her up, the first thing she said to me in the car was "Mommy, I didn't hurt any of my friends." I'm so proud.