PRESCHOOL!

Gorden started Preschool on Tuesday. He Loved it! He and I went Monday and met his teacher and saw the school and where his classroom would be. Right away the teacher squatted down and gave him a hug and introduced herself. She is really sweet and he liked her from the get go. I'm so glad! On Tuesday my neighbor come over to stay with Adelaide while I took Gorden to school because I was going to stay a few minutes to make sure he was fine with being there. I wasn't sure if he'd want me to stay the whole time or if he'd be fine with me leaving.

So we go to the cafeteria to meet his class (most of the kids arrive by bus) and then they get in a line and go down the hall towards the classroom. Then all the kids sit by the wall in the hallway and the teacher and her aides put each child's backpack in a locker. (That way the kids don't accidentally slam their fingers. Smart!) Then back in a line and walk a little further and sit on a little bench and everybody takes turn going to the potty. Then the class goes outside to the playground. So I'm still there at this point and once I see he's playing fine I asked him if I could go home and that I'd be back later to pick him up and he says okay. So I turn to leave, and I never anticipated this at all, but as I closed the gate to the playground huge tears welled up in my eyes and I just started bawling as I walked to the car! I cried the whole way home and was still crying when I got Adelaide from my neighbor. It never even entered my mind that I might be sad to leave him there without me. Oh but I was!!! He is so little! Plus I'd just left him with complete strangers. That's never happened before. I really missed Gorden for the next 2 hours until it was time to go get him.

I took Adelaide with me to pick him up and when we walked in the classroom Gorden ran up to me and gave me the tightest hug and just started talking nonstop about everything they'd been doing. I think he told me about 6 times that they had cookies. =) Apparently that was the best part of his day! I'm really glad he liked it. Then Wednesday we went back again and I left after we met up with his class. He didn't look to sure about me going so soon, but he'd already made his teacher carry him by this point so I knew he'd be fine. And if you're wondering, I'm fine too. It was much easier the second day!

Then, what every parent knows about their child but loves to hear from another person, especially a teacher, when I picked up Gorden that day the teacher told me, "Gorden is very smart!" She said he is a very good listener and very observant. That was great to hear. Of course we think so, but it was nice to hear from his teacher, and so soon. She did say he asked for his mom several times during the 2 1/2 hours though. I think he's going to be fine and I'm excited for all that he'll be learning and be able to catch up on before he starts kindergarden in a couple years. He's still behind from being a Preemie so this class will help him a lot. Today Gorden cried to go to "Playschool" and doesn't want to wait until Monday!