Coming Together

Coming Together

September 19, 2012

Hello,

It always takes some time when I reconnect with my grandchildren. Lexi, at five, remembers me, but I do not think that Natalie had any idea who I might be. She warmed up to me fairly easily, but certainly she did not jump at the chance to see me.

It was a different story when I dropped her off at day care. She was jiggling, wiggling, and grinning as we went in the door. It reminded me of our also nonverbal dog when we would come home from a time away. There is something to be said for body language.

Lexi and I have walked the two blocks to day care, come home, dropped off the stroller then headed off the seven or eight blocks to her kindergarten class. It is in the same building that she was in last year for preschool. Yesterday I went to school as parents had been invited to attend the morning meeting getting a feel for how school works. It was fun to see it. Certainly it has many of the same characteristics that I have seen in other schools. Even though September is not over they are already working on number recognition, patterns, letter recognition, weather, and dealing with feelings. There is certainly a lot to learn from how to sit to how to think.

In the afternoon I pick up Lexi first and then get Natalie. Yesterday we had a torrential downpour that thankfully stopped before the last minute before I had to pick up the girls. When I got to Lexi’s school I started to sign her out only to realize that someone else had signed in the same place indicating that she had already been picked up. I mentioned that to the person at the desk. She noted that that parent had signed on the wrong line. Then she asked for my ID. I had had it the day before when no one asked so I had not brought it as I am always interested in traveling light. They then looked for my name on the list of acceptable people to pick up Lexi. My name was not there. The person at the desk did know that I/someone else was to pick up Lexi this week. This woman also thought she recognized me from last year, but she called the principal anyway. They were going to call Sarah, but I informed them that she was in Tanzania, however they could call Stephen which they did and he verified that I was pick up Lexi. At least we know that not just anyone can waltz in and select a child to gather in and take away.

Paula