Erin's First Day of School

Ready to go to 1st grade!

In her new classroom.



Erin with me in her classroom.

Ready for some serious learning!

Erin started school last Wednesday after Tropical Dud Fay finally left the area. She is in the same class as 3 of her friends from her last school so things have been easier on all of us. Her teachers all seem to be pretty nice.

The 2nd day of school we had one of our usual morning chats. It really was sweet.

Erin: I don't like 1st grade Mama.

Me: Why not Erin?

Erin: I miss my friends.

Me: Erin, aren't the twins & Alyssa in your class?

Erin: Yes, but I miss everyone else.

Me: Erin this is a great opportunity for you to meet new people & make new friends. Besides, don't you see your old friends in aftercare?

Erin: Yes I do. But I wanna play with them.

Me: Then we'll make playdates.

Erin: Really? Okay, then I'll go to 1st grade Mama.

What goes through a child's mind always amazes me. Each conversation should go this easily!

The Facts & Nothing But The Facts

According to Erin that is!

I was sitting here just doing nothing much on computer when Erin came over & started talking.

Mama likes:

• coffee
• soda (read coca cola NOT pepsi)
• chai
• cappuccino
• iced tea (don't get this one since I don't drink it)
• apple dippers with carmel
• Starzy (the dog)
• Troi (the cat)
• Daddy
• Me
• Herself

And Dada likes:

• models
• to play cards with me
• building things
• computers

And Erin likes:

• models
• watching tv
• Troi & Star

Now I know that there are other things we all like, but for now this is what Erin thinks. I wonder what we'll all like tomorrow.

Conversations With a 5 Year Old

My friend Viv is a great blogger. She's always writing about her conversations with her daughter Kerri. It's always interesting to me that Kerri & Erin seem to have the same things on their minds at the same time. Even though they're 2 years apart in age!

In the last few months, I've been starting the conversation that her Bubbe Nancy is not my mother. She has a real hard time with that since she knows that a bubbe is a grandma which means the parent of a parent. I've started telling her some things about her Grandma Enid who was my mother. I've been discussing the fact that she is named for her Grandma Enid.

Not long ago, Erin asked me where her Grandma Enid was. I had to explain that my mother had died a long time before Erin was born. This is a topic that has been getting a lot of attention lately. My dad & stepmother had to put their dog Henry down this year. Since Erin always asks to hear Henry bark over the phone, I had to tell her that Henry had gone to sleep. It was a fairly easy conversation since our fish Dory had died also. (BTW, I don't think she really understood that until the Henry talk.) We've also had to go to my grandfather's condo to meet my brother & his wife while they were taking care of things. Erin wanted to know where we were going & why. I told her we were going to Great-Grandpa Harry's old house. Uh, where is he momma? I explained that Great-Grandpa Harry had died when she was just a little baby.

Next I had to explain that Grandma Enid, Great-Grandpa Harry, Dory the Fish & Henry the Dog were all in heaven with G-d. Uh oh! Next conversation!

Thunder & lightening are recent problems for Erin. She has started to be upset by the noise & light flashes. I have done my best to explain that when it thunders, G-d is bowling, & when it's lightening, G-d has gotten a strike. This week, G-d is spending a lot of time at the bowling alley!

Now Erin wants to know if Grandma Enid & Great-Grandpa Harry are bowling too! And do they play with Dory the Fish & Henry the Dog.

Momma guess what. . .

Each morning Erin & I have a conversation on the way to school. Sometimes she just wants to point things out. Other times, it's things she's noticed & has questions about. Today's conversation was a hoot!

Erin: "Momma guess what I saw last week on the Cartoon Network?" (BTW, last week usually means yesterday.)

Me: "What did you see Punkie?"

Erin: "I saw a ram with a shofar on it's head!"

For those of you who aren't Jewish, we are now celebrating The High Holy Days & Rosh Hashanah has just passed. A shofar is actually the horn of a ram & is used during the holy days as a part of our services. I lead junior congregation for the Kindergarten at the school where I teach & Erin is now a student. Last week during services, we discussed what a shofar is & what it means to the Jewish people. I guess something made Erin sit up & take notice.

Mama, where is "E" from?

Today Erin had a birthday party to attend in the afternoon. We ran into "E's" parents at the party store when we were looking for things for Erin's party. "E's" parents are just so nice & warm. They always have a smile for the children & something sweet to say.

When we left Party City, Erin asked me "Mama, where is "E" from? HUH!? So I asked Erin what she meant. She repeated her question in exactly the same way. At the same time, David & I both said "Florida." So Erin said "NO! Where is she from before Florida?"

AH HAH!!

I realized what Erin was asking. I said to her "Erin, do you think "E" is adopted because she looks like you?" And, of course, she said yes. (A little background - "E's" mother is Philipinno & is married to a caucasian man.) I then explained to Erin that even though "E" looks like her, she isn't adopted. I reminded Erin that "E's" mommy also looks like her. Then I explained that "E" came from her mommy's tummy & isn't adopted.

Oh! Mama, can I listen to music now please?

Keep Driving

So the other day I was driving my much loved child to school. I call David each morning to let him know how the day started & that we're leaving for school & work. Erin screams her good mornings to her daddy. After I pull out of our development, I call my friend Debbie so we can BS about "stuff." Usually Erin, Jonathan & Kaylee will try talking to us while we're chatting. This particular day, I finished my morning chats early & was just driving down the road quietly listening to nothing in particular. All of a sudden I hear Erin chatting away so I asked her what was going on. My daughter said to me "It's okay momma. I'm only talking to myself. Keep driving." HUH!?!?