Ashley's first Day of Day Out

I can't believe I sent my second child to Day Out. In my eyes she is still a little baby but to her she's as big as her sister; and was SO ready for preschool!

In the weeks getting ready for this big day we talked about preschool a lot. When we would ask Ashley the names of her teachers she would respond with "Ms. Schorgl and Ms Hopwood but no Ms Wozniak (Anna's teacher last year)." She seemed to understand that she was going to school just like Anna did last year and would sing songs, make friends, take naps with preschool paci and eat lunch there. I wasn't really sure how I thought Ashley would do on the first day. I really wasn't worried about drop off because she is so good at being dropped off at the nursery at school. I really wasn't worried about her not knowing her teachers since she was familiar with Ms. Schorgl from last year with Anna. I really wasn't worried about her making friends since she already knows my friend's daughter Mary. I guess if I was worried about anything it was the fact that Ashley has never been on her own (without a sister) for 5 hours and I wondered how she would handle it.

Well she did great!

She had a hard time at the beginning of the day when we dropped off Anna's backpack on Anna's hook because Ashley wanted hers to hang right next to Anna's. So Anna took Ashley by the hand and said, "No Ashley, let me show you where your hook is (just like a little mother hen)." And when Anna showed her her hook with her name by it she had forgotten all about wanting to hang her backpack by Anna. When her teachers opened the door she walked right up to Ms. Schorgl and just gave her a classic Ashley look and stood there silent for a minute. Then she ran to the doll house and I ran the other way. No tears, no looking back from Ashley! Apparently when my friend Stephanie dropped off her daughter Mary, who is in day out with Ashley, Mary went right in and started playing at the dollhouse with Ashley. Steph said Ashley looked like she was doing great!

When I arrived at noon to pick up Anna (Ashley goes to 2:30) I ran into the preschool director. She had said that Ashley had had a hard time transitioning from inside activities to outside and was crying for a little bit. I asked Paula, the director, if she got paci and she said one of the teachers just held her for a while when she was crying. I asked if she asked for paci and Paula said she was saying something but admist the crying no one cvould really understand her and thought she was saying snackie. After a while of cuddling with the teacher she then went back to doing her own thing on the playground.

When I picked her up she was so excited to see Anna, Abby and Me. Grama came by to surprise her and she loved that too! She was all smiles (on a tired little face) and the first thing she said to us was, "I cried outside for Anna. I miss Anna and Abby. I wanted to go home and my paci." Apparently she too thought that Anna would be outside at recess with her (I still don't know where that misunderstanding on both ends came from but oh well, they survived!)

When I saw Ms. Schorgl her teacher she ran to me with her arms in the air doing a dance saying, "We had a napper!!!!!!!!" Apparently it had been her mission to get Ashley asleep since she never accomplished that with Anna. I was so proud of Ashley for napping (and also thankful because she looked exhausted!) Ms. Schorgl then goes on to tell us that she is in the same spot that Anna slept in (by the door) and when the lights were turned off Ashley did the SAME thing Anna did and kept putting her fingers under the door and smiling at Ms. Schorgl. :)

After much resistance I got the girls to take a picture with their friend Mary in Ashley's day out class.

 

... they weren't thrilled!

When we got home it took a lot of effort to get things out of Ashley. She didn't report home in as much detail as Anna did after day out. But here's her report which was basically me asking specific questions and her saying yes or no to me. Example: Did you sing songs? Yes. Did you sing ABC's? Yes. Did you sing Making Friends? No. Did you sing Wheels on the Bus? Yes. Did you sing Happy birthday to the boy? No. Did your teachers? Yes. and so on......

1. They sang songs. They sang ABC's and Wheel's on the Bus

2. She had a cookies for a snack for a boy's happy birthday. She didn't sing Happy Birthday to him but her teacher's did.

3. She didn't sit by Mary at lunch, she sat by a boy

4. One of the teachers helped her open her yogurt- she opened her cheese on her own and ate her ham roll and bunnies all by herself

5. She went outside for recess where she cried for Anna, Abby, Mommy and paci

6. She went pee pee in the preschool potty and stayed dry

7. Her nap diaper was dry

8. She colored, dressed in a purple princess dress and played with doll house

9. She had so much fun but cried a little bit because she missed Anna

She can't wait to go back next week!!! I am so proud of you Ashley!!!

 Much Love,

Jenny

PS Today (the day after) when we were driving home from Anna's dance Ashley said, "Mommy, I am so sleepy." She has never said that during the day. And I guess she wasn't lying! I had to wake Ashley up to get somewhere after napping for almost 3 1/2 hours! She was so worn out!!!!!