Ready For School

Here's a pretty picture of Anna modeling one of her new outfits before heading off to school. She kind of looks like she just woke up, doesn't she? Her brother is a much lighter sleeper than she is, I've always thought. (Funny story: Mikel reported that, a couple weeks ago when I left the children with him to run errands, Alexander had woken up from his nap first and was talking with his father. I guess at some point Mikel gave him permission to go wake up his sister, so Alexander went into Anna's room to get her up. Anna's reponse was something to the effect of: "Anna still sleeping, Zander." I know it doesn't read very funny, but it was pretty amusing to hear it from Mikel.)

Anyway, so today was picture day at school. I dressed Anna in her little blue jean jumper dress that she wore to the ice cream social last week. Most of her other new school dresses are wool or velvet and decisively more wintery so those weren't an option. When I picked her up I got a report from one of the teachers that Anna had to have a little "time in" — that's what I thought she called it — for not listening or paying attention. One of the teachers who did not actually administer this punishment told me and didn't know all the details. Apparently another little girl had to have one at the same time, also, though I'm not sure they were in collusion together. From my understanding the child has to sit in a chair behind a red line. I don't know for how long. If it's a serious or repeated offense, I think the child is denied recess privileges, a punishment which I'm told really drives home the point when he/she sees the other children going outside for play.

Also, Anna had a pee pee accident at school yesterday and when I picked her up was wearing a pair of back-up pants the school keeps handy for such occasions. It must have been preety bad because not only were her bottoms wet but her socks and slippers were also sent home for me to wash. And she had even been wearing those rubber pants over her big girl panties! This was the first such accident, so I don't know what prompted it. Teachers said she was really thirsty and had consumed three glasses of water and that they were also in the process of washing dishes (the school is big on teaching independence and social skills) when this happened. I always thought it was an old wives' tale that running water causes you to feel like you have to urinate!