It comes as no surprise to me that I am enjoying the time I have with the big kids significantly more now that we have some time apart. I, like many moms who choose to work outside the home (as well as some who don't), believe myself to be a better mother when it's not my full-time job. That's not how it's worked out for us, and I am so relieved to have reached this point where I get the space I need and can be that better mom.
What I didn't anticipate is quite how much I would enjoy hearing about the school day. Up until this year I haven't really gotten much from Pacey. The staff that work with him have been fantastic in keeping up the communication log and share written details from his day with me that can serve as a jumping off point, but even then it's primarily a question-and-short-answer session. This year he's blossoming into quite the conversationalist and I'm hearing much more about his days unprompted which I appreciate for many different reasons.
But Miss Brighton is a different story entirely (pun intended). As she makes her way down the bus steps she is often already starting to recount the day..."MOM. You will NOT guess what happened today." And I love it. I love every single detail she shares. I love that she has a space now that does not revolve around me; I'm a listener by nature and I'd much rather hear about all the things that have occurred in her day than discuss the latest developments in Equestria.
A sampling of things I have learned in the month or so of school we've had so far:
* There's totally a naughty kid in her class. He is frequently in trouble and she likes to go into detail about his transgressions of the day. It makes me so happy that thus far I have not had to deal with behavioral issues at school (and lest you think I'm tempting the universe by being smuggy smug, something tells me that Archer is going to be a bit of a wild card anyway)
* Just because a child makes it to the bathroom before they throw up doesn't mean they do it in the toilet (all hail the school janitors)
* There is at least one kid who cries per day in kindergarten (all hail kindergarten teachers...they do NOT have an easy job)
* Even in kindergarten there is drama about who will sit with who at lunch
* Rock Paper Scissors is the game of choice on the school bus
* There are two kids in B's class named Emmett and Lucy and "they will make a good husband and wife because their names are the same as in the Lego movie."
* Emmett is the friend B talks about the most so far and he sounds like a nice kid. I hope she will continue to be friends with boys.
* Swinging on the monkey bars is quite a lot like swinging on vines in the jungle (she doesn't know how to swing on vines, apparently, but HAS conquered the monkey bars).
* At least one child needs to visit the nurse for some reason or another pretty much every day (all hail the school nurses of the world).
* My lovely, adorable daughter is 100% a teacher's pet. I foresee some gentle guidance in the future towards following the rules herself without being a goody-two-shoes about it. For now I'm reveling in the fact that she's an excellent student.
I know that typically as kids get older they want to share less about their lives with their parents, and while I still feel like that's beyond improbable with my chatterbox, I will nonetheless soak up all the minutiae while it's on offer.
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