Open House

Our baby had her very first open house for school on Wednesday night, and it brought back so many memories.  The earliest open house I remember is 3rd grade, and I remember excitedly pulling my parents by the hand down the halls of school.  Gigi’s open house was no different.

She was so excited, she ran down the halls, jumping to a stop in front of her cubbies outside her classroom, slapping her hands down on the wood and saying, “These are my two cubbies!  You take your coat off and hang it here.  Then you take your shoes off.”  All of this was said as she simultaneously fumbled with her coat zipper and kicked off her shoes in excitement.  Jim and I just grinned at each other.

Off she went into the room in a whirlwind, dodging other parents and kids to reach her teachers.  It was then that she realized Mama snuck a bow in her hair (gasp!), and unceremoniously ripped the offending article out of her hair and thrust it into a teacher’s hand.  I just rolled my eyes and responded wryly, “Now you see why she never shows up to school with a bow in her hair.”

She showed us every aspect of the gigantic room from the hamster named Oreo, to the fully stocked play-kitchen, the two lofts at both ends of the room, and everything in between.  We even had to check out the bathroom and sink.  Every child had a pocket to keep their toothpaste, toothbrush, cup, and hair brush.  The first three for before nap, the last for after nap.

The room was just filled with so many fun things for pre-schoolers to do.  It was a room meant just for them with puzzles, easels, books, and resource materials (anyone want to look at a book of various frogs in high def color?).

The room even boasted of a chores chart- all the kids are expected to help clean up, wipe down tables, fold laundry (hand towels), etc.  (So THAT’S where Gigi learned how to fold clothes!)

The best part of the evening though was listening to Gigi’s teachers talk about her.  It wasn’t a parent-teacher conference, but they did share snippets about her with us.  The two most memorable were:

• She is the most independent kid in the class.  She has to do everything herself.  This was said in the same loving yet exasperated way we say it. :-)
• She is such a great helper and leader.  When it’s time to wash hands, she’ll stand there and dispense soap for everyone and make them go through the line.  She helps kids with projects, she helps them put away things.  Part of it is mixed with bossiness.  i.e. “Here, let me help you.  No, *I* help you!”  In other words, “Now that I’ve decided to help, you don’t have a choice.  You’re going to do it my way.”

She’s such a great kid.  We’re so very proud of her.  She’s sassy and bossy it’s true, but she’s so guileless as she does it.  That’s just Gigi being Gigi.  Or as she now says, “I’m Gigi ‘mira Joyce Matasovsky!  Who are you?”