Off to school

Owl started school today, well, pre-kindergarten.
He was excited about it until it was time to go, and then he decided he didn't want to go to school. Before we left I took some pictures and in most of them he's sticking out his tongue, a sign of his complete disregard for this momentous occasion.

On the way he was totally quiet, which is totally unlike him. I think he was nervous, but he didn't want to talk about it.

We dropped BabyDoll off at the daycare first, which is the first time he talked.
"I don't have to go in there," he said joyfully.

Then, it was on to preschool. He held my hand all the way from the car to the classroom and when we got there he wandered the class, still silent. I had never seen him so quiet or calm.
The teacher showed him his cubby where he hung up his coat and put his toy and then he wandered around again.

He didn't cry and he didn't hold onto me. He was quite brave and determined to look like a "big boy," but I could tell he wasn't ready to like it.

Within the first few minutes he was getting an idea of the rules:
* Puzzles are played with on the carpet. Don't throw the puzzle pieces.
* Toys stay in the cubby.
* First thing, we write your name.

Knowing him, he's going to test every rule, dislike the teachers for the first week or two (I can just hear him telling me how 'mean' they are) and make friends very very quickly. Already he was eyeing some of the other boys, figuring out which ones might make a good friend.

All of this is ok. I look forward to the growing experience that this will be for him. He's a very smart kid, but he hasn't been in an environment like this where so much will be expected of him. It will challenge him, which I think he needs. He's at an interesting crossroad where he WANTS and CRAVES independence and at the same time needs so much attention and doesn't want to give up on getting help and having people do things for him.

I'm looking forward to hearing all about his day!