Something's Missing

Today is Cole's first day of Kindergarten, a huge milestone in his short little life. Something about sending your child off on this day causes you to reflect upon their previous 5 years. I'm not new to the first day of kindergarten phenomenon, two years ago I wrote about Faith's first day. This time is different, I do love all of my children equally but each one of them brings something special into our family, Cole brings a certain something that I need each day. It is the sweet and genuine love that he has for each of us. He will randomly approach me with kisses and I love you's. He has an inherit kindness and compassion that are not present in my other children. He thinks of others more than he thinks of himself, and how many five year olds can you say that about. He has a wit and sense of humor that is unique, and I have never heard a more infectious laugh. I say this all now with pride because Cole's first four years were difficult. He was a child born with what we like to call "quirks," sensitivities that even as a baby caused him great anxiety. It was not until he was a toddler and could communicate that we began to understand why he would get so upset. He was a child that refused to wear conventional shoes (thank you God for Crocs), would obsess over the length of all articles of clothing and had difficulties with the texture of certain foods. Cole would chew his chicken to the point that it was unrecognizable, he would even gag and throw up trying to get it down. As a mother I was worried that he would not be ready for Kindergarten when that time came, today I am so proud of how far he has come. As I walked him (wearing his new conventional shoes) into class today I was confident that he was prepared and could even thrive in that environment. Today my only concern about Cole and Kindergarten is whether or not I am prepared to let him go. 

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Random conversation between my children while in the back seat:

Kate: Wouldn't it be funny if God was bald?
Faith: Yeah.
Cole: Guys don't make fun of God!
Faith: God really could be bald, we don't really know what he looks like.
Kate: {snickering} That would be funny.
Cole: God is real, I like God.

{Long Pause}

Cole: I love chocolate.

{Silence}

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Waste Free Lunch.

* Bentos available at Plastica

 As the next school year approaches, I have begun researching more waste free lunch options. In the past I have tried to keep the waste down by packing a reusable utensil and forgoing the usual plastic bags for the wax variety. This year I would like to go a step further, I would like Cole and Faith's lunch to create absolutely no waste. I am looking into the Bento box phenomenon and I think this may be a good option. Or possibly the Laptop Lunch system. Does anyone use either of these for elementary school children? Have any suggestions?

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Litter, The Sequel.

The kids are developing a passion, though it is not the passion I would have hoped for. I dreamed that they would care deeply about energy consumption, water conservation, or perhaps recycling. Nope, they have chosen a simpler problem; litter. The mere sight of a wrapper or bag will send Cole into a frenzy. While visiting a restaurant this weekend we had to pick up a discarded plastic cup from the parking lot. Faith was bothered by the fact that it was a kiddy cup from another establishment; she concluded that the assailants tossed this cup to make room for the new kiddy cup. Then while we were patiently waiting to eat, I had to restrain Cole from jumping into the nearby water to retrieve a plastic bag. " Remember Cole you can't swim without your floaties!" He then went on and on ( If you know Cole, you know that I am not exaggerating when I say On and On) about the litter and how the cops should find the litterers and take them away. Thank goodness they were finally distracted by a school of fish and a turtle, or it would have been the topic all through dinner. I am learning that you cannot force your children into action, you must relax and watch their passion develop naturally. You can model it for them but you can not expect them to imitate. 



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Litterbug

I think it is important during this process to record the failures as well as the triumphs. It was yesterday that Faith reminded me that there are lessons that need repeating. As we were driving down the street Eco Warrior Faith screams at her brother then informs me that Cole was indeed a litter bug. Taking the matter in to her own hands, she starts to teach him a lesson in littering. "Americans don't litter Cole,” she said. " We aren't Jewish." This is were I stepped in, "What do you mean?" She said, "Yeah, Jewish people litter." I follow with the well-worn phrase, "Where did you hear that?" " School" she said, "Yeah we learned about Jewish people and Hanukkah." What followed was a motherly lesson on racial equality and littering. I never imagined having the two together.



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