First Week of Preschool

Peter does not look old enough to be doing this, but he was so ready to begin preschool this week! He is going to the same Montessori preschool that Benjamin went to. I was a little worried it would be too structured for him, but he is doing great. I really think he is going to blossom there. The first day, his teacher confided in me that he had dropped one of the trays and broken something (which is not a big deal there- they encourage independence and even the mistakes that happen along the way), and how mortified he was about it. It took a lot of coaxing for him to try something new. He really just wanted someone to do it for him. Sweet Peter. He really wants to please!

So I realized I never really followed this apparently infamous post with my rosier feelings for Peter. He is a delightful little boy. I love his little voice and the funny things he chatters about. I love how careful he is about annunciating every syllable, and his recent valiant efforts in making the "R" sound. Especially when he says Nora's name with a rolled, almost Spanish sounding R. I love that he will randomly run up to me and throw his arms around me to give me a hug and tell me that he loves me. He is so creative. He comes up with silly games or jokes, which Benjamin happily joins in playing. He has very musical voice, and makes up funny songs to get a laugh out of anyone listening. For the most part, it's fun being in nursery with him. Sometimes he will be totally obstinate in there, like when all the kids put their carpets in a circle, and he plops his right in the center, refusing to budge. But then he's totally delightful too, when all the other kids will be rolling around on the floor or staring off into space during singing time, he's belting out all the words to the songs, in his fun, cheerful way. Quiet afternoons with him are still tricky. He's of course long since given up his naps. He's never been big into reading stories like Benjamin (and now Nora), and most games are still above him for the most part. He usually resorts to playing in his room by himself or asking me to put on and take off all the dress-ups. Or he'll watch one of his favorite shows that he normally doesn't get to with Benjamin, who by now is too cool for anything non-StarWars/Transformer/superhero. As you can see from his shirt, Spongebob is pretty cool in his book, as well as Blues Clues, Teletubbies, and Elmo. He is potty trained now, although sometimes he'll go in and make a huge mess all over the bathroom.The worst part about it though is that he tries to correct his mistake by "cleaning it up," which of course makes the mess much, much worse. You can't blame him for trying! He is a peacemaker. If Benjamin wants something, Peter is quick to give it up, even if he wanted it first. He's a sweet kid, and it's fun to watch him grow and develop into his own person. I think preschool is going to be very good for him as he realizes he can do big things on his own and builds confidence in his unique abilities.  What a blessing it is to have Peter in our family!