We've been taking it easy for the past few weeks. Lucy seems to be healthy, although she hasn't slept all night in about a week (which generally means she's about to get sick...didn't I just say she was healthy?). We're all back in the swing of school, and have been somewhat back to our version of "normal." I'm still painting canvases for friends, which is so much fun and helps me relax. Bryan can be found pecking away at his computer keys most nights, working on lesson plans. Lucy is Lucy. She counted to 10 in Spanish the other night in front of her grandparents. They are now SURE that she's the genius we've been thinking she must be. We DID tell them that she could count that way-guess they just needed to hear it for themselves.
Lucy discovered popcorn.
It is quite a tasty treat you know. She WILL eat the entire bowl if you let her. She's so skinny, we let her.
She has also been obsessed with her rain boots and jumping in puddles (although since the rain passed, I think we're over it now).
Bryan had a birthday (the 12th one he's had since I've been around-WOW!). What says "Happy Birthday" more than a cupcake with a tea light?
Lucy's got her volunteer pride going full strong, as well as the old duck obsession.
She still loves the camera and performing (most recently, she gets up in front of the t.v. and "leads" us in "music.") HELLO BROADWAY! I did always want to visit NYC.
We went to Baby Ella's 1st birthday party. Lu decided she was a huge fan of birthday parties, especially blow outs like Amber and Michael did for Ella.
We have been wearing all our custom made clothes and loving how well they twirl! Thanks to Faith for her beautiful creations!
I suppose the latest drama you might care to hear about came in the form of Lucy's most recent class move-up in school. She was supposed to move up from the class from hell on September 1st. I call her last class that name as she HATED school this summer, told us her teacher spanked her, and NEVER, I TELL YOU NEVER, came home with art work, a data sheet, NOTHING. Now, she was only there about 10 or 15 days total. Between vacation, laziness, sickness, and surgery, she was definitely home a lot more than she was there. But let me tell you, when we took her, it was an all out battle. Her teacher was LESS than warm and fuzzy, and we didn't care for her at all. Lu was not eating, taking 2-3 and a half hour naps while she was there-she was LITERALLY acting like a person who was DEPRESSED. A 2 year old should not be acting that way. We didn't "squeak" about it much since we knew in the fall she'd move out of that class.
I will tell you we did let the directors know about the alleged spanking. We were not too thrilled about that. And if you know Lu, you know she comes home and tells it like it is. "I kicked Kyle on the playground today and got in time out." OR "Kendall bit me so I pulled her hair." Yes, she tells it all. So, even though she's two, when she tells me, "Ms. Lauren spanked me and I don't like school," you know my mama radar is going off the charts!
So all that being said, they posted the new class lists a few days before the big move up. Hmmm, Lucy is not being moved up with all her friends to the preschool class. Odd. She's moving up, but to another toddler class...WITH NONE OF HER PEERS SHE HAS BEEN WITH SINCE SHE WAS FIVE MONTSH OLD. Hmmmm. Aren't we paying these "Child Development Center" folks an entire mortgage payment each month? Why is my child being held back and I haven't been informed of any issue. Radar, back up and going crazy. So, of course I ask what is up. The asst. director tells me, "Well, we think this would be a good fit for Lucy. She will be the oldest (they moved kids up by birthdays) and can be a leader, blah blah. She had a tough time this summer, blah blah. We think she'll do great. Let's try it and see, blah blah." Now, being an educator, I know what it is like to have some crazy parent in your face, not respecting your decisions. We've NEVER had a problem with our childcare choice (before this summer) and I was willing to give it a go. Lucy is social, so even though she had NO FRIENDS in her class, I knew she'd make new ones. However, I let the AD know that I was concerned about her being in class with kids who were just turning two, as Lucy was wise beyond her years. She assured me she'd be fine. Ok lady. We'll just see about that.
Fast forward to two days after the move. Lucy seems to have a good lead teacher in her new TODDLER class. She is ok with school, but tells me she gets upset when she has to leave her old friends on the playground. I decide to hang out in her class for a bit when I am there to pick her up. WELL THAT WAS THE FINAL STRAW FOLKS! When the teacher is telling the kids to "Use your words" BECAUSE THEY ARE UNABLE TO SPEAK- we have a problem. The kids in her new class are BABIES! HELLO, Lucy has been speaking in full sentences for a YEAR and you're telling me she can now step up and be a leader with THESE kids? Hello, she has to be a leader because she can't COMMUNICATE with ANY of her new "peers." Things didn't get better when I got the curriculum and saw they were working on: Types of clothes, the color RED, and learning the ABCs. Um, check, check, and check OVER A YEAR AGO. You can imagine my disdain for the whole situation at this point. Not to mention that Lucy told Bryan her NEW teacher told her she was too little to go to the class with her friends. DING DING DING. That's the bell! Let's put those gloves on and get in the ring!
Do I even need to tell you what happened next? Let's just say a brief meeting with the Director and AD was all it took for Bryan to make them see CLEARLY that if they wanted to continue caring for our child AND calling themselves a "Child Development Center" they needed to get a clue. We did offer to pay them MUCH LESS if they were going to just place kids by age in a room where they could finger paint in their poop. (Ok, that might have been a bit extreme, but you don't mess with my kid). Lucy spent this week as a "TRIAL PERIOD" in the preschool class. (HA! You just keep telling yourself that little director lady. We all know Lucy's staying in the preschool class) Each day her NEW NEW teachers told us, "She is doing great." or "I have a gifted kid too." or "She is a perfect fit for this class." BIG FAT DUH.
This past week gave me real insight into parenting and the rest of her life. It was the first time I felt like my child was wronged, and I didn't like what it made me feel and turn in to. Yes, the diapers and midnight feedings were hard, but nobody told me about this part!
The moral of this story is that you don't mess with Lucy and her parents.
You will get the smack down.
