First Day: Habitot Camp

This week Holly went to summer camp at  Habitot with Tyler.  It was definitely a test run for Kindergarden but even easier, and left me slightly worried in some areas and pleasantly surprised in others.

Camp is 4 hours from 9-1 with curb side drop of and pick up.  After the first day so I don't have to find parking and get out of the car.  This is the same as preschool hours but longer then the other weeks at summer camp she did this year.  

Kindergarden is 8:10-1:30.  So drop off first day was easy and she warned me it would be, she said " Mommy I will be fine, I know Habitot and I know Tyler" but she continued " Next week at Malcolm X you have to stay with me all day, I will be nervous". And true to her word we arrived and she trotted of to play without a glance back.

That said every day after pick up has been drama and crying.  She runs to me with a hug and tells me how much she misses me.  The first day a boy hit her in the head with a toy by "accident" and she had an ice pack, the second day a boy crashed the tower her and Tyler were building, and she wasn't listening and got in trouble for leaving circle time (she said she needed water and had the hiccups) I told her at Kindergarden she gets time outs for not following the rules but if she asks first the teacher will let her get water.  The third day she said she had bad news and that she got in trouble for getting goop all over her dress (her cloths were changed) she said her and a boy got it on his shirt and her dress, I asked if it was an accident she said yes, but the teacher didn't like that. When she first got to the car she was mostly in a good seeming mood and telling me about get day, painting, building and construction, making a mess with the beans, but hen she gets to these parts of the story above and cry and gets upset and says she cried at camp because she missed me.

It takes a lot of effort to turn her back around once she gets going, but the pleasantly surprising part is she wants to go back tomorrow and is excited.  I had the impression one bad event might send her into a tailspin of not wanting to go to school.  But after these episodes she us fine, and happy and eager to go back.

Today was the worst.  They went into the museum, she had an extra dress and a bathing suit.  She tried to change into the bathing suit so she could play in the water but the teacher told her no water and would not let her change.  This part annoyed me because on Monday I told them the water area was her favorite part and that I left a bathing suit and extra cloths.  But I guess the admin person I talked to didn't pass that on.

Also today at the museum was baby Dylan, Caitlin, and Sachi and get new baby sister on a play date. Holly said Caitlin was by the water and she couldn't play with her.  So I'm sure that was confusing too.

But after crying for twenty minutes telling me how the teacher said no water and me promising to take her tomorrow after camp, she continues crying another twenty minutes about how she missed me which then turns into missing Mira (who is in San Diego this week) and then when I tell her we might go on on vacation next weekend she cries  because she wants her friends to come with her, so at this point I realize nothing I say matters she must just be cranky, tired, and overwhelmed.  I give her the iPad and she eventually calms down, cheers up ect.

So I guess some things I did not anticipate but feel more prepared for next week with Kindergarden is the aftermath of a long day and her letting go after holding it together. Also I anticipate drop off will not be as easy as it was for Habitot, But on the bright dude she seems to be making it through the day, and set backs aren't as big if a deal she still has enthusiasm, and since the first week is observation I doubt there will be many demands made on her.  Also theoretically her aide will be there to support her in the beginning.  I guess next week ill know!