Kinder girl

Aubrey's class performed in all-school assembly on Wednesday, so Grant, Grandma A., and I went to watch her class sign the pledge of allegiance in song form. It was pretty cute. She signed it for us at home, so Greg could see. She was pretty good at it, very rhythmic and smooth. We were impressed. :)

Aubrey is so social. I love seeing the huge smile on her face as she walks into school with Kari and Joel and their friends, chatting away with them all. She just loves finally getting to be one of the "big kids." Kindergarten has been a little bit of an adjustment, though. She loves it, she really does, but being the emotional little thing that she is, she's had a few teary days at school.  I received a phone call one morning from her teacher (I always panic a bit when I see "East Orient" on the caller ID). She said Aubrey was crying and just needed to talk to me on the phone. Apparently, they were pulling kids out of class for an assessment of some kind down the hallway in a different classroom, and Aubrey got scared and fell apart. The teacher put her on the phone, and I talked to her, trying to calm her down and reassure her that she was safe and everything would be ok. She was SO pitiful, still crying and trying to catch her breath. She was able to finish the morning and cried some more when she was telling me about it at home, but then she was ok and had no problem going back the next day.

Another day she came home and told us that the teacher gave out jobs, but she didn't take one. I asked why she didn't take one, and she said, "Because I didn't want a job!" When told her it was not ok for her to tell teacher "no," she said, "But Mom, I said, "No, thank you!" So, we had a little talk about how everyone does jobs at school, just like everyone does chores at home and does their part to help out. The next week she accepted the job offered to her. It was a coveted job, line leader, which made me wonder if that was coincidence or teacher planned. She has accepted other jobs, though, too, so I think we're past that little hurdle.

 She was teary coming off the bus one day last week because the teacher changed all the seating arrangements, and Aubrey was no longer at a table with her friend, Makayla. We talked about the friends she could make at her new table, and she decided new friends could be good. Sigh! This child of ours! I helped out in her classroom yesterday, and it was good for me to see that there are other much more needy, high maintenance children in her class and that Aubrey did just fine, obeyed the rules, and was respectful. It will be interesting to hear what her teacher has to say at our parent-teacher conference next month. :-) She's just more dramatic and emotional than Kari and Joel were/are, and we're learning, as we go, how to deal with that and help her navigate all those emotions. I think she'll make it through kindergarten, at least! ;-)