There's nothing like a four-year old child preparing the evening before to be awake the next morning before her parents. I think she's hoping that we'll go to that site after she's snoozing and leave it open on the laptop so she won't have to do her normal 6:00 a.m. routine, which involves running to our room to make sure we are still asleep, turning on the laptop, logging in, finding Safari, and typing the URL in herself. Leave a note, save some work. She's nothing if not efficient.
It actually looks more like one of those ballot mock-up flyers to me, the kind that you receive at some legally-prescribed distance away from the entrance of your polling place before voting. "Vote 'YES' on pbskids.org!" When I read it like that, it cracks me up even more---less imperative, more like a written statement of endorsement, just so we all understand her position on this crucial matter. "You can bookmark what you want, but as for me, here's my site of choice...won't you consider it?"
We went to her preschool conference today, and they gave the kind of report that makes parents beam: EJ loves her friends, but is not cliquey (and yes, there is a clique in her school already...sigh). She is open to all kinds of new friends, and invites kids to play with her easily, talks to everyone, etc. While dramatic when upset, she is learning to express herself, and then calms down quickly. She loves to focus in on tasks and projects, and she isn't fidgety and unable to sit still like last year (the topic of every previous conference, and yes, she was only three and being fidgety is part of the job description). The one area on which they said that they are continuing to work with her is fine motor skill---cutting, writing, refining the size and accuracy of letters, doing detailed work. This kind of startled me, because fine motor has always been her strongest suit, even as a baby.
Maybe I should bring this note to school. I'd have to say, "Fine Motor: YES."
Of course, maybe I shouldn't assume this note is for me, and therefore, mine to share. It could have been made in a burst of make-believe play for her new stuffed animal, a small pink pig (she LOVES pink pigs, after all) sent to her in the mail from her Grandma and Grandpa (a.k.a., smart cookies) with her very own name on the package (note to the US Post: if you want to ensure your survival forever, figure out a way for preschoolers to vote, because they would literally storm the capital to keep snail mail arriving addressed "just for them.") She was chattering up a storm to this little beanie baby pig today, telling her the day's schedule, explaining the rules and the things we like to eat for lunch, and generally teaching her the ways of the world chez nous. The best part: she's named the pig, Panana, which is, in my mind, the hilarious linguistic merging of a pig and a banana. It also fits in nicely to Van Halen's "Panama" when you are rambling through the house trying to find the lost pig (who has been lost at least three times in two days of ownership)---singing always helps find lost stuffed animals, it is a universal rule. However she came up with the hog moniker, I have one thing to say:
"Panana, YES."
2 comments:
I was just telling Miss Lori (she's on Chicago Moms Blog so I see her at events) how little Pebbles goes around the house repeating, "pbs dot ORG!" Very effective message, that, and she doesn't even know that it's a Web site.
The signs we get around our house are much more direct orders, meant for the general population. Right now we have two in each room that say "SAVE STARBURST IN (our address)." Because she wants to make it clear that Starburst are to be stockpiled.
I can't get over these detailed academic evaluations in early education. I couldn't believe that Sara's kid's kindergarten was assigning actual grades for stuff like math and science, etc., and i can't get over EJ's school scrutinizing her letters either. For one thing, her lettering in this sign is at least as good as what I see displayed at Nutmeg's kindergarten, and better than some of the kindergarteners work. In fact some of the K kids showed up not recognizing all letters, much less being able to write them, and that's FINE. They're learning how to write the letters properly in K anway. For another, well, is it appropriate for this age level to be grading how well they write their letters? I just don't know.
But EJ? I know about her. EJ: yes!
She is so clever. And I love your writing style and posts. I can't wait until the switch flips for K. She is so close.
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