I'm back!

Yes, I can do a bit of blogging today!

I'm online mostly when I'm at work and my workplace had since blocked sites that are not considered 'relevant'. Blogger is unfortunately one of them. I'm working from home today and it's good to be back here typing away my thoughts.

Clarisse is at her pre-school today. She's managing pre-school better now than 1.5 months ago. She still cried when she learned she's going to the pre-school, shivered in fear, told me she doesn't like the teachers there. I try to reassure her as best as I can. She tried controlling her tears, was very subdued inside the car (as opposed to howling all the way there a month ago). I felt like I was bringing her to her execution. When we arrived at the pre-school, I took her to the crafts table. Crafts always helped her settle in. They were doing play dough today. She slowly moved away from me to find a spot on the table, I knew it's ok for me to go.

I know she needs to feel secure in a place like that, and that is why she hates it so much. She has limited social skills to help her make friends. She find the teachers intimidating. There are good outcomes to her attendance though. She gained a lot of skills and confidence for the past 2 months. She (and I) are confident on her feeding herself now with a spoon and a fork. She can eat all by herself even at home. Because at the pre-school she is expected to feed herself. She uses the toilet herself. I remember one time when I arrived to pick her up, I found her in the toilet wiping herself with a tissue. Then when she saw me she cried "Mommy! My bum-bum is still wet!" That night she insisted that she'd wipe herself. She was practicing, so she won't have to struggle at pre-school.

She'll be starting proper school in 2011. A year and a half from now. I hope her experiences in pre-school will help her adjust more easily to big school. There'd be more students, bigger grounds, she'd be expected to carry her back to school, know how to open her bag and bring out her things, know how to use the toilet, know how to open her lunch box and feed herself. She's growing up fast. Hardly the baby who used to cling to me the whole day.