The big kid transitions are coming hard and fast!
Lola is now fully in her big girl bed, showing not one iota of concern over abandonment of her crib. She is so independent and wants to charge headfirst into being a big girl. Unfortunately this means she can bolt out of bed at 5:30 am when she first wakes up and come charging into our room, shrieking with delight that "I wake up so early!" and "I wake up mommy!" Previously we could cajole her to sleep a little longer because we could contain her. Now, the Lola the energetic bunny has been set loose!
This past month, Lola has been switching from her 1.5 hour accompanied playgroup to a 3 hour unaccompanied class. She goes to Fairchild Academy, a school with relaxed, caring teachers of the Emilio Reggio method, in a bright and open space on the top floor of a commercial building in Causeway Bay/Tin Hau. Lola goes there three times a week currently and as far as I can tell, adores it. She has managed the switch here very smoothly, crying only a few times in the beginning. Now she tells us proudly that "I go to school by myself!" The school also managed the transition very well, easing her in slowly over a couple of weeks. They even have a child development specialist on hand to help with major transitions taking place in the child's home and school environment. Gosh, I can't help but compare and contrast this with my own educational experience in the early 1980s, when my transition consisted of being dropped into a large nursery school to learn English by sink or swim immersion...
I have tried to accompany Lola a few times, but I feel terrible because I know, while the teachers are happy to see me and Lola is thrilled to have me there, I completely mess up the routine. Lola cries more easily, is clingy, participates less, and is always looking for me. For now, I've accepted that my best place is not in any of her classrooms or playgroups. So either Jovie or Lily accompany her to class and wait for her outside the classroom but still on the premises. Once Lola really gets comfortable, then it will become a drop-off pick-up situation.
Here are some pictures of her just enjoying the heck out of her time in the classroom, first when she was still in the accompanied playgroup, and then gradually on her own.
We went to a pizza making birthday party this past weekend, and it was so much fun! Lola thoroughly enjoyed making her pizza, and it turned out beautifully. With help from Michael, she liberally spread mushrooms, tomatoes, olives, pepperoni and cheese on her personal pan pizza and was very proud of her creation.
Later, getting to enjoy the fruits of her labor at home!
We had managed to keep her virtually sugar free for 2 years, but now she
is in love with cake. Her strawberry birthday cake was, she told us,
her favorite part of her birthday party. At this birthday party, she
discovered the pleasure of a chocolate sponge cake and polished off the
whole thing. Now she will tell me apropos of nothing, that she loves
birthday cake and pizza. There's nothing wrong with her logic,
admittedly - it is a delicious combo! The issue is when she requests it
the very first thing in the morning when she wakes up...
I mentioned that one of the items we bought for her birthday was a mini
scooter. We finally got her a helmet and knee pads and elbow pads, and
took her for a little practice run in our parking garage. She looks
like a big kid! Except she's tiny! The combination of the big helmet
and her big eyes and her little legs and arms just makes my heart melt.
She is the most adorable thing on wheels!
She loved scooting and was so excited for her adventure. We are still working on turns, but she has figured out pretty quickly how to push and pedal and balance. It will be fun to take her to the race track or the park so she can really get some distance.
Lola is now fully in her big girl bed, showing not one iota of concern over abandonment of her crib. She is so independent and wants to charge headfirst into being a big girl. Unfortunately this means she can bolt out of bed at 5:30 am when she first wakes up and come charging into our room, shrieking with delight that "I wake up so early!" and "I wake up mommy!" Previously we could cajole her to sleep a little longer because we could contain her. Now, the Lola the energetic bunny has been set loose!
This past month, Lola has been switching from her 1.5 hour accompanied playgroup to a 3 hour unaccompanied class. She goes to Fairchild Academy, a school with relaxed, caring teachers of the Emilio Reggio method, in a bright and open space on the top floor of a commercial building in Causeway Bay/Tin Hau. Lola goes there three times a week currently and as far as I can tell, adores it. She has managed the switch here very smoothly, crying only a few times in the beginning. Now she tells us proudly that "I go to school by myself!" The school also managed the transition very well, easing her in slowly over a couple of weeks. They even have a child development specialist on hand to help with major transitions taking place in the child's home and school environment. Gosh, I can't help but compare and contrast this with my own educational experience in the early 1980s, when my transition consisted of being dropped into a large nursery school to learn English by sink or swim immersion...
I have tried to accompany Lola a few times, but I feel terrible because I know, while the teachers are happy to see me and Lola is thrilled to have me there, I completely mess up the routine. Lola cries more easily, is clingy, participates less, and is always looking for me. For now, I've accepted that my best place is not in any of her classrooms or playgroups. So either Jovie or Lily accompany her to class and wait for her outside the classroom but still on the premises. Once Lola really gets comfortable, then it will become a drop-off pick-up situation.
Here are some pictures of her just enjoying the heck out of her time in the classroom, first when she was still in the accompanied playgroup, and then gradually on her own.
She loved scooting and was so excited for her adventure. We are still working on turns, but she has figured out pretty quickly how to push and pedal and balance. It will be fun to take her to the race track or the park so she can really get some distance.
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