Monday, November 14, 2011

1st Parent Teacher Conference





It's been a week of charming firsts around here. First school picture order form and a first parent teacher conference. I always get struck by the mundane milestones like these more than the typical ones like birthdays or holidays.

I mean, school picture order form? REALLY? Half the time I still feel new to the whole parenting club and now I'm picking out pictures and sending in unholy sums of cash for my 8 wallets and 2 5x7s.

Just look at her in that picture. All confident and using an apple for painting and out in the world doing her own thing, all on her own. It's a bizarre concept for a stay at home mom. She's already started her own little life, one that doesn't include her father and me. It'll blow your mind if you let it.

And since she's been with us, all day, every day, since the beginning, it was fascinating to get someone else's perspective on what she's like. No surprise, she's not any different at school than she is at home, but it was interesting nonetheless.

The first thing they told us was that she LOVES the art table. That it's her favorite activity, that she goes to it immediately and never wants to leave it. The other favorite is the water/rice tub. This was all very reassuring to hear for our extremely limited toy household. She doesn't have buckets of toys, but she does have plenty of art supplies (and more coming for Christmas from relatives), and a great pasta tub that her uncle built her. I would have felt like an ass if they had gone on and on about her love of the toy kitchen, knowing that we can't fit one in the house.

They also said that she was extremely verbal, which was surprising to hear since she hardly spoke much at all until she turned two and then the valve never shut off. But it's true that she's very chatty now.

They said that they loved her, that she was very independent, never at a loss for what she wants to do next, totally comfortable exploring her surroundings, fairly fearless, good at taking directions, strong willed, and charming. Pretty much the exact wrap-up I would have given you, had you asked.



2 comments:

Ithaca_chick said...

What does one do at a water/rice tub?

Sarah Berry said...

Basically it's a big rectangular container sunk into a little table (toddler-height) that can either contain water or rice/pasta/seed/etc. Then you stand at it and play with little cups, etc.

Charlotte's was outside and filled with birdseed all summer - that way anything that spilled didn't have to be cleaned up. (It had a top for night time).

This fall we dumped all that out and replaced it with pasta that we dyed together. The pasta is a little bigger and therefore easier to clean up all winter long.

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