ManyFest, many changes

My last post was about A's first day of school and the potential for Ai to start Nursery.  Turns out, he did!  The school made an exception as we're out of the catchment area, so on Friday we'd gone in to meet his teacher and check out the classroom.  It wasn't the same one he'd had his heart set on - not nearly as many toys!  His teacher is more into wooden and natural ones (which I appreciate) and seems very artsy, so it's more of an organic-looking classroom.  

That weekend was a bit of a bust, perhaps as I was still coming to terms with the new schedule and turn of events from the past week.  I also wasn't getting much sleep - partially due to the mystery rodent, which was in the wall of my bedroom.  I haven't heard it this week, so hopefully it's either moved elsewhere or has expired somewhere.  (We have to make our rounds to make sure the house has no gaps in the outside walls).  Anyway, I was tired - Steve, too.  Iz came down with a fever on Sunday but I still took her along on the bike to the Downtown Community festival - ManyFest - in order to give S a break.  You couldn't tell she was sick at all by how she partook in things!   We didn't even get past the first street to explore the main event as they got caught up in a free pony ride, the bouncy castles, street painting, etc.  Bad us for possibly passing on a virus, but it was a fun way to say farewell to summer.  It certainly felt like it'd ended the rest of the week as it's been chilly!

An apt sign for Ai to hang on to!

Not enjoying the live street music - I didn't either . . . 

A fun mural on our way home

Last Monday began our new routine of getting A on the bus then running through the house, into the back yard, into the bike trailer and off to school for Ai.  He can't take the bus until next year, so this is why I wasn't so thrilled to have him start school quite yet.  Means two years of hauling kids to school on the bike, which will have to be the van come winter.  I was convinced on Wednesday that I wouldn't be able to do this, as it was so tough-going.  I looked up the weather when I got home, however, and realized that we were experiencing wind-gusts of up to 56 kms/hr that day.  Explained why my bike had been blown down the side-walk, bike trailer with 80 pounds of kids and all, when I'd stopped to put mail in the mailbox.  Crazy!  

Ai started off the week quite excited about school and took to it well.  The teacher encouraged the parents to join the class in the playground by 11:10 until they finished up at 11:30, so Iz and I made sure to be there to see that he was doing okay.  He tolerated us on Monday, but on Tuesday he didn't want us to walk back in with his class.  He adamantly told us to "STOP!" This is my class!  Not YOU (pointing at Iz)."  He ran ahead and grabbed a teacher's hand to walk in with them.  I couldn't resist a picture, as it struck me as funny.  Iz, however, cried.  

"He doesn't want to be my friend!" 

"He is your friend, but he wants to be with his class right now.  He wants to be independent."

"What's that?"  

"He wants to feel like a four year old by being with the other four year olds.  Without his Mom."

"Well I don't like Nee-pen-ant!"

By Wednesday, Ai wasn't liking it much either.  It was hard to get him out the door in the morning, hard to get out of his classroom door and upsetting for him when I picked him up and he realized how much he'd wanted me.  The boy who can drive 2500 kilometres without napping in the van ended up falling asleep in the bike trailer by the time I got home!  He was feeling so undone.

Thursday he collapsed on the hallway floor when he saw me, bursting into tears.  Turns out, he had a very high fever.  The flu had hit us all, as S returned early from work and A came off the bus not well either.  Friday was a home day for all of us and the weekend was mellow once again.

This morning proved to be very tricky to get Ai to school, he was very reluctant.  But it all went fairly well and I'm keeping him to it for a while to see if this Nursery-thing will work.  Overall, I think it could be very good for him.  Certainly, it could be good for Iz, as she'll get some one-on-one time with me.  We enjoyed exploring downtown last week, attending a playgroup, visiting a friend.  

She has been out of sorts, however, so the changes don't seem to be easy on her.  Hopefully we'll all settle into some new rhythms that work for all of us.  It hasn't helped that in the past two weeks, naps are suddenly out the window.  Our street is being repaved so the heavy digging has created such noise that its been impossible for them to sleep.  I sadly thought we were done with naps for good, but today they both crashed for 3 hours, they were so tired!  I'm guessing naps are mostly done, however, except for the odd exceptions.  Another change in schedule for me which isn't entirely welcome!  

The bonus of the street work (aside from eventually having much improved sidewalks and a decent road) is that the kids had a fun time playing on the street once the workers packed it in for the weekend.    It's so nice to have no traffic to worry about - felt like they had an actual yard to play in for once!  I enjoyed how much they enjoyed digging in the gravel . . .  

It's also been pretty exciting for them to watch the various stages of breaking and re-making a road.

September's typically a month of adjustment, so I take comfort knowing I'm not the only parent experiencing fatigue and feelings of being mildly overwhelmed as I try to adjust all of us to a new normal.  I have to say, I've enjoyed seeing other parents from Ai's class chasing after their children as they passionately run away from the classroom door.  It's nice to have company.  I have vague memories of my mom trying to take me to a preschool in Kamloops.  She didn't win that one.  Hopefully Ai won't be a preschool drop-out like me, but I'm not too worried about it if we get to that point . . .  Would make my life a little easier, I think.