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Kids/Parenting

Hayden’s a kindergartener!

Yesterday was Hayden’s first day!

Riding to school (It’s just a couple blocks from door to door.)

Saying bye

(The little boy behind him is the one mentioned below)

Walking in


His teacher is the woman leading the line. Ryan said the yellow-shirted man had a college ID, so he might have been a student teacher? I didn’t see him today.

Naturally, Hayden can’t give me a minute-by-minute account of the day, but I’ve gathered that he got to play with play dough, draw a picture of himself, sit criss-cross apple sauce(d) on the multi color carpet with our neighbor in his class, make a new friend (Who greeted him today by saying, “Hey! You! With glasses!” and holding out his arms as if to say “DUUUH, I’m right HERE!” [Ack, I can’t believe my son is “the one in the glasses!”]). Also, there are stars decorating the classroom. Hayden did his screening interview in this room, and at the time he asked if he could write his name on one of the stars hanging from the ceiling. He tells me he doesn’t have a desk, but a table. Tonight is his back to school night, so we’ll get a better idea of what school is really like.

But he was glad to see me at noon:

And I’m not sure when he picked this trick up, but this was the first I’d seen it:

Rachel slept the whole time. Rebecca loved having me to herself: yesterday, we played games, including one number game (the fourth one here), the entire time. I spent less than half an hour straightening up/on the computer. Today, we laid on the floor and snuggled for 2 hours while we watched Curious George and Toy Story. Every time I even sat up, she’d roll over and say in a perfectly innocent voice, “I thought you were going to duggle me.”

I think she needs a picture:

And Rachel, too. The first time she climbed up in the stroller on her own (I think):

She was very adventurous at the park after school today. She was very upset to leave!

Oh, and what you’re really wondering: how did I take it? Ryan actually took off work and we all went down together, and I teared up, but didn’t cry. My friend/neighbor (mother of Hayden’s friend) pointed out that this is kind of the beginning of the end: from here on out, our sphere of influence will only shrink in their lives. Ouch. But I still managed to keep it together. (Another friend’s son told her that “It was the worst day of my life because you left me,” so I think we all handled it pretty well, eh?)

Categories
Kids/Parenting

The long-awaited day

About a year ago, I made a valiant attempt to amputate Hayden’s ear. (Apparently I haven’t discussed this on the blog before.) It started innocently enough: I was on the last snip of a pretty dang good haircut—”but man, why won’t these scissors close? Hayden, stop screaming, hold still, I’m almost—HOLY CRAP that’s your ear!!”

Yeah. Although the damage wasn’t nearly as severe as I’d feared (a bandaid was enough to patch him up physically), I figured his hysterical fear of haircuts was justified. Since then, I’ve made him endure a grand total of two haircuts (one by me and Ryan [and Aunt Brooke?] while Hayden screamed and we took turns restraining/hugging him—anybody have that footage?—and the other at a kid haircutting place which I didn’t witness but heard wasn’t too much better).

Last night, Ryan finally succeeded in convincing Hayden that not only did he need a haircut, but he could get one tonight.

By some miracle, he also convinced Hayden that the clippers tickle. Hayden giggled the whole time, and never ended up taking our offer of chocolate chips.

And now . . . I have regrets. But Hayden doesn’t!

I guess I liked him shaggy.


And not to leave Rebecca out: we pulled out the doll bed her late great-grandfather made. I figured since she walks around with babies or Pinky, cradling and shushing and lullabying them, she might like it.

This wasn’t what I meant by that:

(And yeah, that’s the entertainment center. She takes after her brother, apparently.)


How have you helped your kids overcome their fears?