First Day of Preschool!

This past Wednesday, the 23rd, was Jacob's 3rd birthday! More on that coming in another post scheduled for tomorrow! That means as of Wednesday, Jacob was officially discharged from Early Intervention and was eligible to transfer to the public preschool program on the day of his third birthday instead of having to wait until the Fall.

We went for our Orientation on Tuesday and I had a tour of the school, even though I technically didn't need it since I went to that school for first through fifth grade, while Jacob stayed in the classroom with his new friends and participated in circle time and story time. The school has changed A LOT since I went there in the late 80's and early 90's. I was surprised to learn that not only is my fifth grade teacher now the principal, but the music and art teachers are still the same! Jacob is also in one of two preschool classrooms and one of my very good childhood friend's Mom is one of those teachers! Did you get all that?

When I left Jacob on Tuesday, to take the very brief tour, I came back to find a very distraught Jacob trying to escape the grasp of the aide who was hired to guide him around for the first few weeks and help acclimate him. As soon as he saw me, it was cries of Mama! and tears. I was nervous for Thursday which was his first real day, but come Thursday I dropped him off, he held his teacher's hand and turned around a couple of times to say goodbye, but he separated well.

I picked him up at the end of the day and they said he did great! The report was the same on Friday at pick-up! I am very proud of him and although I know this is just a coincidence he hopped in the car after his first day and promptly asked for, "Twinkle Star" which is his favorite song on the children's CD we sometimes play in the car. He never uses two words together so I was thrilled and told Ian, "See! He's a genius already!". He also had his birthday party this past weekend and was more vocal than he has ever been so hopefully this is only the beginning of great things to come.

The day at school is very structured, much more so than the group he attended for EI, and I know it is going to be good for him. There is a certain way we drop-off and a certain way we pick-up at the end of the day and everyone has to adhere to it so they are getting Jacob into the routine and hopefully he will learn it quickly. Right now he just wants to sprint to me as soon as he sees me.

I have attached a few pictures below from his first and second day. When I picked him up the first day and he walked outside with his coat, hat and backpack on he looked like such a big boy. I almost cried. ALMOST! I would actually like to preface this by saying he DID most certainly wear a coat, but for one or two pictures we took him outside briefly due to lighting issues in the house which you'll notice in the indoor pictures.