Montessori

I finally got to see what Coco does at Montessori School...that's what she calls it instead of something easy to say like "Trinity."  I did a little Monday morning observation and I was not disappointed.  I watched her stare at me while the class was doing "circle" time.  Then I got to watch her survey the snacks for the morning.  She wasn't impressed.  I observed her giving other kids the side eye while telling them that I was her mommy, not theirs. And finally I got to watch her do some "works."  We sifted tiny alphabet letters out of sand and poured them in  a special jar.  We made snap-together necklaces and bracelets and we did a whole mess of puzzles.  And at the end of the observation period, I even  got some crocodile tears because I wasn't taking her with me.  Now all of this might make you think that she doesn't really like her school but I assure you, these little behaviors only occurred for my benefit.  She normally comes home telling me that she had the "best day ever!" and that her teacher is "soooo nice, she can't take it."  She has a best friend in Jordana and they are inseparable (that is, until the teacher actually separates them).  Sometimes she even asks me why she "wasn't put in this school sooner?"

Next up is holiday sing a long!

Coco turns 4

It turns out that 4 happens to by favorite little kid age.  At four, they are starting to think rationally on occasion, they can REALLY talk, their opinions are becoming stronger and so are their personalities.  The questions they come up with and the timing of them are quite suspect and they leave you, literally, stunned.   They ask very many questions about life and death.   They ask why ice cubes don’t count as dinner. They ask how babies come out of your belly, but thankfully, not how they get in.  They ask why you don’t sleep in their bed with them every night.  They ask why they can’t go to the water park in December.  Lots and lots of questions.   I make up lots and lots of answers. 

Coco absolutely has 3^rd kid syndrome.  She’s learned lots of things from her older, more experienced siblings and the leash is undoubtedly a lot looser for her. She wows the parents of other kids her age (who happen to be the oldest in their families) with her conversations, her physical tricks and her boldness.  When you’re the 3^rd kid in a family of talkative extroverts, you figure out ways to get your voice heard over the chaos. 

Another favorite part of the magical age of 4 is playing games.  They now have the understanding of winning AND of losing AND cheating.  This is a tough one because you have to recognize that they are getting smarter when they figure out how to cheat.  And it’s even really hard not to laugh when their sore loser antics come out.  This is one such exchange with our gummy bear, Coco:

Me:  Coco, I’m not going to play the game anymore if you cheat like that.

Coco:  Well, you don’t have to play anymore BECAUSE. I. QUIT! (foot stomp, arms crossed, bottom lick sticking out)

Her anguish is as fleeting as her attention span and after a few moments, she’ll “need a huggy.”  She is extremely affectionate.  She must be the world record holder for most hugs in one day.  When we are home together, just the two of us, she doesn’t let me out of her sight.  Should I move rooms without her, she’ll yell “Mommy!  Where ARE you?”  She’ll follow me to the laundry room, the kids’ rooms and of course, the bathroom.  Then she’ll tell me that she missed me.  I guess it has already been decided that we’ll be going to college together in 14 years.   You can see why 4 is my favorite age.