Every morning in the carpool line, he enthusiastically shakes the assistant's hand (she meets every student at the car and sees him safely to the front door) and wishes her a good morning.
As we pull away, he faithfully insists, "I go skoo TWO-yeaw-ode Mama!"
And every morning without fail, I say, "You can go when you're three. And potty trained."
"I go TWO. Diaper."
"Three. Potty trained."
I see him through my rear view mirror, staring wistfully out the window, plotting ways to circumvent toilet training and age advancement in order to gain access.
This morning was no different. We pulled up to the carpool line and switched the stereo from an 80s dance compilation to NPR news, turning down the volume. The V-meister unbuckled herself and perched, birdlike, on the edge of her car seat, waiting her turn to exit. The J-dog gazed broodingly out the window at V-meister's classmates as they made their way into the building. Lucky bastards.
After the V-meister had been greeted and was skipping merrily toward the front doors, the J-dog, as per the custom, cordially extended his mittened hand.
"Good morning, J-dog," the assistant said warmly.
"Good mowning" he said. And then, in a balls out effort to demonstrate his own pre-school readiness, the little J-dog took a deep breath, stated his name, and proceeded to spell it out, clearly and deliberately. When he was done, he restated it for emphasis like some kind of pint-sized spelling be contestant, then waited expectantly, beaming with pride.
It's not the Montessori way to heap praises on children for work well done - learning is its own reward, recognized by the child himself. So there was no hint of malice or mockery in the teacher's tone when she deadpanned, "You've spelled your name. Congratulations."
But I think the little guy was kind of disappointed. I suspect his master plan had been to wow his way into pre-school at age two-and-a-half. If I'd had a gold star handy, I would have planted it, against Montessori regulation, squarely in the middle of his sweet and eager little forehead.
"Is it the hat? Because I could totally lose the hat."
16 comments:
Oh bless his heart! He should get a star!
I love how you switched to NPR before greeting the teacher. heh.
Ohhhhh. How could she resist jumping up and down for him? I would not have been able to contain myself. How cute (and SMART) is he?????
My kid is 3 and a half and she can't spell her name. Perhaps you should run your own preschool at home. I mean you DO listen to NPR. ;)
What a Big, SMART, Handsome young MAN he is! (Good heavens, my children would wither and die in a Montessori school without the positive reinforcement. But the teacher sounds hilarious...)
Oh, poor little guy!
And can I just say, if there was a school around here at which they collected your child FROM YOUR CAR instead of requiring you to drag all fifty-five-ish pounds of children in by yourself? I would pay double.
Becca - I agree it is super awesome to have them meet you at the car, BUT! We *do* have to wait outside the main doors at pickup, younger siblings and all, even in sub-zero temps. If that makes you feel any better :)
I think he definitely has attorney potential with THOSE negotiating skills.
But OHHH that hat, I LURVE that hat!
A for effort J-dog! That is so adorable, I love that he was gunning for the early in. My nephew was touring his new preschool and announced to his new teacher that he WOULD be attending school the next month and that he WAS NOT going in the potty. Why are boys so anti? They managed to get him potty trained in last week before school started. He apparently likes to cram before a test.
I would be disappointed too. I've stopped spelling my name for people - it just doesn't seem to impress anymore...
He's a doll. Never lose the hat - it totally makes the outfit.
Dang he is smart. I hope you found a gold star for him when you got him home. So cute
You're so lucky - you have a bribe for potty training! Mine scoffs at our offers of cookies or fruit snacks.
that young man will go far, sounds like he knows exactly what he wants to do and intends to do it.
My sympathies to you for the time between now and three with potty!
Wow, what a negotiator!!! And why are they always in such a rush to grow up?
Don't lose the hat, it's too sweet!
What a sweet little thing, that plotting little angel.
Joles goes to a Montessori preschool too and loves it.
sweet
Why do these children want to be grown up so bad? Don't they KNOW how good they have it?
Post a Comment