Preschool

Well, Sabrina is officially a preschooler. She started a couple of weeks ago, but it's taken me this long to fully admit that she is no longer a baby I can keep to myself, cuddling and playing with and not letting other people have fun with her. She's the kid you love to take out with you because she is so alarmingly cute, she stops people dead in their tracks. She knew more people on our street in Indonesia than all the rest of us put together - people would walk, bike or motorcycle by the front gate and wave and yell hello to her. And she loves it. And not in a 'oh I'm so cool' kind of way, I don't think. She loves it and is kind and gives everyone her attention.


Sabrina's school, Inland Leaders, and her very amazing teacher Ms. Heidi.


Going to school for the first time! She was more excited than she looks.





For example, the preschool class went to Brasswell's, an assisted living faciity, to sing some Christmas carols and give a cookie to a resident. She stood in the back with her 'ho ho hat' on, as she calls it, and stood and smiled. No, she didn't smile, she beamed. She also didn't sing anything, but she was very cute just standing there, beaming.







I had Sophie in the stroller and couldn't get inside the already packed room full of residents, their walkers and wheelchairs, the nursing staff and all of us mommies. So, one of the teachers helped her, and she presented her cookie to an elderly lady and the two of them talked in their own special languages (I still only understand Sabrina about 2/3rds of the time) until the room cleared and I could pull her away. Then she waved and said good morning to everyone in the hallway as we left. She thoroughly enjoyed herself.







It was nice. It was funny that this was the same facility we used to visit as a family every Sunday before we left for Indonesia. Maybe something stuck in her little baby brain. But I think she's just a gentle, old soul partying in a cute, white blond toddler body.







Then, to the preschool performance where again, it struck me that I was watching SABRINA perform, not one of the boys. What a mind meld that one was. And she had a great time prancing down the center aisle of the Church where the presentation was, standing in the front row, picking her nose through the first song, smiling and doing hand motions for the second song and then mouthing a few words and clapping during the rest of the songs.







Such a difference from the boys. All three of them refused to go perform in front of anyone until they hit kindergarten. I remember Jared at the tender age of three, dressed as a bee, crying next to a piano until I came to scoop him up and let him watch the rest of his class. Ditto for Zach and Kyle. Zach's 'Rock on Losers!' scream as he headed to the main stage for his preschool graduation just put the nail in the coffin that my boys, at least, are not ready for public consumption until somewhere around six years of age. The small babies who will grow up to be the protectors of their family need as much mommy love as they can get. And I'm willing to give it. As I see Jared's shoulders broaden and hear his coach talk about how he is the 'go to guy' for the football team and how much he had to 'wheel and deal' to get him away from the other team, I can't believe it. They grow so fast. Zach, my snuggle guy - the coach waxed on about how he was 'one of the top five players of the team' because he likes to TACKLE.







Well, it was quite a night. The Christmas Spirit shone down on us as hubby and I were wrestling schedules to get everyone to Sabrina's Chirstmas performance. On top of it, I was wrestling a migraine that got so bad I went straight to bed when I got home. But first, as we were doing the assembly line with the girls in the tub, getting them ready for the party, we hear a loud crash. The Christmas tree was felled for a second time this season. A new record even for us.







In the next instant, the phone rang with Jared's coach on the line cancelling his basketball practice. Yay! We can manage being in two places at once; being in three is quite a bit harder. So, if the tree has to capcize for a little peace and harmony this holiday season, so be it.