I'm relieved to say that B.'s still enjoying her pre-school. That's to say, she likes it once she's there. Before we leave the house she likes to protest; some days more strongly than others.
However she is feeling about the prospect of going, she has two stock phrases that she always employs once she realises that we're going:
"I don't want to go to school", this is usually followed by a little cry, and
"I'll miss you at school", which is quite sweet really, (or at least it is the first few times you hear it!)
Sometimes these utterances are said with strength and feeling and are followed by very dramatic tantrums in which she refuses to have her trousers/socks/shoes/coat put on, other times they are said half-heartedly without emotion - as if she feels she has to say them just out of duty.
Once we arrive at the pre-school she is usually excited to see her friends (as the other children have now thankfully become) as well as the toys, and she is immediately upbeat. This makes me so happy, as I get the feeling now that she sees it as "her" school, and she feels that she belongs there.
Then there is usually a moment after I say goodbye to her when she lets out a cry. Sometimes it is big and dramatic, sometimes it is brief and weak; often she will stop mid-cry as she sees an interesting toy or activity that distracts her! And occasionally she doesn't cry at all. The funny thing is that she tells me before-hand whether or not she's going to cry. She decides this before we even leave the house. "I will cry at school" or "I'm not going to cry today". And she always sticks to her word.
Then when I go to pick her up I find a completely over-excited child, desperate to show me the lovely artwork, collage or cake that she's made, and tell me about what her friends have been up to. This makes me realise that pre-school was definitely right for her, despite the slow start.
Then, just as she's settled and happy, it's suddenly half-term already! I'm sure that half-terms didn't used to come around so quickly when I was at school..
This will be a busy week. We have lots of plans, mainly involving other small people. So far this week we've seen some family and friends, and we've started potty-training! (More of that in my next post).
Today we had three friends over with six children between us. B. and her friends are at the stage now where they all want to play with whatever toys the others are playing with, and there is no room for compromise! So our get-togethers are not quite as relaxing as they once were, and we take it in turns to break up the fights! What's more our house now looks like a war-zone; the fallout from a war that used cake and biscuit bombs as the main weapons of choice..
The front room floor is covered in Lego, puzzle pieces and ground-in crumbs, there are spills on the carpet, chalk drawings on the wallpaper, and all manner of strange things in improbable places - some of which may take weeks to find.
And I know that I should be cleaning it all up. But I'm feeling a little exhausted and rather shell-shocked. And so instead I am flopped in a chair with a strong cup of tea and a chocolate cupcake, listening to a selection of my favourite music (via myLot.com), and praying that B.'s nap will be a long one.
