Dustin started Preschool at Norkenzie and it has been great!! It was hard for me to drop him off the first day. It just felt so strange to not know exactly what he'll be doing for the next 3 hours, and completely trust someone I didn't know to take care of him. And it didn't help that Audrey started crying when we left, "My Dustin, my Dustin...in the classroom... don't leave him." Ug, break my heart! But I was able to go to the gym, shower, and put on a normal outfit with make-up, all before noon! I was so excited to pick him up, but our conversation went like this...
Me: So buddy! How was preschool??? What did you do???
Dustin: We just didn't do anything
Me: Whaddya mean you didn't do anything?? What about all these paintings in your backpack?
Dustin: Paintings?!?
Me: Yeah, it looks like you had fun! How was Miss Mary?
Dustin: Miss Mary?!?!
Me: Miss Mary is your teacher!
Dustin: Oh...Mom...I'm hungry.
I could not get a single detail out of him! He's such a guy! He seems happy when I pick him up, and a couple of times he's asked to stay longer, so I assume everything is ok! Plus he brings home little art projects, and his teacher says he's doing well, so it's all good, I guess. I've enjoyed having a little break and some one-on-one time with Peanut.
I was a little nervous about Preschool, because the week before, we went up the the Zoo and Ikea, which were both really fun, except that Dustin got to go into the playland for the first time, and he had only been in there a short time before the buzzer went off for us to come and get him. So we go down to see what's up. I walk up to the counter with Tim standing beside me and Audrey in the cart. The gal at the playland looks and me and says, "Um, are you Dustin's Mom?" Uh oh. Anytime a babysitter starts with Um, you know it's not good.
"Yep" I said.
She hesitates, "Well...he...uh... keeps on taking off his clothes and running around naked." Before she even finished her sentence, Tim does a U-turn with the cart and heads down some obscure isle, and leaves me, standing there to deal with MY kid. Thanks honey.
"Really," I say, "Huh, well, where is he now?"
"Um, (Again with the UM) he's in the bathroom. He kept saying he had to go potty, but then he'd come out without his pants and underwear on."
"Ooooh, ok, I think I know what happened."
Dustin has an amazing ghetto booty (between Tim and I, he never had a chance!) and it's really hard for him to get his pants up over his butt. So I'm guessing he had to poop, and decided to hold it, but couldn't pull his pants up.
Just then, I hear Dustin in the bathroom yelling at the top of his lungs,
"I'm doooooonnnneeee....come and wipe my buuuuuuummmmmm" over and over.
The babysitter looks at me.
"Well, we aren't allowed to wipe his bum or anything..."
"Oh, Don't worry about it, I'll go in and get him"
"Well, we uh, can't let you in without a supervisor," she sheepishly adds, "I'll call one right now."
And so, I was stuck waiting for 5 whole minutes listening to Dustin yell, with Tim pretending he doesn't know me, and the babysitter trying to make small talk. Alas, the supervisor did come, there was wiping of the bum, and a beeline outta Ikea, because Dustin was screaming his head off that he still wanted to play.
This same policy applies at Preschool, so I was nervous of a repeat, but so far, so good. I totally understand this policy, but at the same time, I don't know any 3-year-old who can do a reliable job in the wiping of the bum department.
As if there isn't enough bodily fluids in my life, we have also decided to start potty training Audrey. We thought she was ready because she's super vocal and smart and she was typically dry after waking up from naps. It's been three weeks now, and she still has no clue before she has to go to the bathroom! If I make an effort to put her on the potty every hour, she usually has a dry day. But she still has only been able to tell us a few times before she goes in her pants! It's getting so frustrating! I keep hoping she will recognize the sensation BEFORE she goes, but so far, not so good. She's all excited about panties, so I don't want to revert back to diapers, but what's a mom to do?? (Besides bite my knuckles so I don't scream and rip my hair out!)
Ahhh, the joys....
