School! Now With 100% Less Jesus*

For the past three weeks, Sam has been going to nursery school on Mondays and Thursdays. This allows me to get some quality time in with Lucy, and also to catch a break, a small but necessary one, from the rigors of life with two small children.

Also? He freaking loves it.

I was similarly inclined as a child. The first day of school almost as eagerly anticipated as Christmas to me. Since I was the only female child in my neighborhood, I assumed that all boys hated school and all girls loved it. Ha! I was quite disheartened when I found few like-minded ladies in the classrooms.

On the evening of his first day, there was an open house for his class. I was nervous to meet the other parents so soon after starting. I have to admit I was a bit shocked when almost every one of them told me how Sam blew kisses to them when they dropped off their child. Or hugged them. Or wanted to be picked up by them so he could kiss them directly on the mouth. With his trademark kissing sound effect, a big, loud 'Mmmmmmm-wha!' His teachers were astounded. They had never had a student so outgoing and excited on his first day.

I got questions about parenting styles and discipline techniques and 'you're obviously doing something right, so tell me what it is!' comments. The funny thing is that I was the youngest person there, and the only one with a younger child. Most of them actually had older children. So I felt quite unqualified to offer any advice. One of the more, um, inquisitive (neurotic) mothers quizzed me mercilessly on whether we were co-sleepers, breast or bottle fed, attachment parenting or not, etc. etc. ad nauseum.

Luckily he has continued to enjoy his time there, and he even seems to be learning a thing or two. Sam is social creature, and spending some time out of the house with a bevy of other children seems to do him a world of good. And like I mentioned earlier, it give me some time alone with this one!


*I have nothing against our lord god and saviour, I just feel better knowing that I am the one regulating Sam's dose of the holy ghost.