Zoë's first day of preschool

Today was Zoë's first day of our little neighbourhood co-op preschool. She has been rather anxious for her first day ever since her big brother and sisters went off on their first day of school. It's a relatively low-key affair (one day a week for 1.5 hours), but it offers a little glimpse of what life will be like with only one child at home (how weird will that be?!) and had me momentarily panic at the prospect of one day having no little babies at home (how weird with THAT be?!). 

But it was only a glimpse and my panic was only momentary because in reality I still do have my babies at home. Life happens in phases for a reason.

Zoë is much more excited for this phase than I am (I have commitment problems (you mean I have to get four kids off to places consistently?!)), though I am hoping that farming her out one morning a week and expanding the village that's raising my child will help her develop into a charming child and then young woman.

(Please, other moms, somehow convince her to stop screaming about everything! Please, please, please.)

Here's my happy preschooler:

It was actually rather difficult to get a picture of her smiling (because Zoë). When I asked her to move into the shade so I could take a few more pictures she posed for two seconds before saying, "I'm out," and savagely walking away (little sassy pants).

When I asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up she said, "I don't know! There's just too many things!" I told her to think about it while she was at school and I'd ask her when I picked her up, so that's what I did.

"Have you decided what you want to be when you grow up?" I asked her again.

She sighed and said, "Oh, I don't know. An alligator, maybe? Angelina Ballerina? Snow White?"

Evidently there are too many options to consider.

Her alligator answer reminded me of when Rachel, at around the same age, informed me she wanted to be an elephant when she grew up.

I think, however, she was inspired by her preschool lesson because they learned all about the letter A and sang the song, "Five Little Monkeys Swinging in a Tree." She wants to be the one to snap the monkeys right out of the tree!

She got an A stamp on her hand today, which was most upsetting. She spent several minutes trying to wash it off her hand before lunch.

"That mother put paint on mine hands!" she fumed. "She shouldn't have done that!"

Perhaps I need to tell the other mothers about my children's intense dislike for getting paint on their skin (face painting is always a refused and they avoid hand stamps like the plague). Mud they have no issues with and they will cake themselves in food residue. But ink/paint bothers them to no end.

Overall it was a good first day. I'm kind of nervous about my first time teaching in a few weeks here, but it should be fine.