Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Making your way in the world today
Takes everything you've got;
Taking a break from all your worries
Sure would help a lot.

Wouldn't you like to get away?
All those night when you've got no lights,
The check is in the mail;
And your little angel
Hung the cat up by it's tail;
And your third fiance didn't show;
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came;
You want to be where you can see,
Our troubles are all the same;
You want to be where everybody knows your name.
                                                         --CHEERS LYRICS

I know many of you have been wondering how Cari's second week of preschool went.  While she still shed many tears each morning, she came home in a great mood in the evenings.  We decided to flip the pattern of drop offs and let Cari help drop off her little brother into his classroom. While she can verbalize that this is "Cari and Chad's School" she has never actually seen Chad in his classroom. The first morning, we walked Chad into his room and she made herself at home babysitting the other babies in the room. She plopped herself down on the little patch of carpet next to the bookshelf holding tens of gadgety toys, placing herself squarely in infront of a sweet little girl and continually handed her toys, "Here you go! Want this? Here you go! Here you go!" and before you knew it, the little baby with big pink cheeks and the little blonde curl on top of her head is buried to her ears in toys.  But they were both happy. So happy, in fact, that I had a hard time getting Cari to leave Chad's room and go to hers. 

We walked across the foyer down to the big kid hall to her classroom. On her door, which was closed, was a sign that read, "Please go to Ms. Jackie and Ms. Faye's room for breakfast." I had that heavy pit in my stomach once again.  I knew she wouldn't be happy with yet another new room full of faces she didn't know.  I excitedly told her that she got to have breakfast in a new room this morning and she grabbed onto my finger and we scaled the hallway looking at each and every door to find Ms. Jackie and Ms. Faye's room. We walked in to a nice teacher greeting Cari and me. I introduced Cari as she robotically maneuvered through the room, scouting out all of the new toys.  She stopped next to an Animal Alphabet Poster, which I knew she'd be extremely excited about. I knelt down and told her I was going to work and that Ms. Faye would give her some yummy breakfast.  To my surprise, she looked up at me and said, "I want to push you out the door, Mommy," and so she did. 

We continued the same ritual throughout the week so that she could get used to Chad also going to school.  In the evenings, I made a beeline to her playground to pick her up before getting Chad as well, so that she could help go pick up her little brother and carry his bag. 

By Wednesday, I took her into her room for breakfast, and her little lip poked out, her eyes got teary, and her cheeks got red.  She started breathing heavy and fast, reached up her little arms and said, "Mommy, hold me......." I picked her up and walked over to Ms. H, her teacher to find out how she had been the rest of the week.  I stood there and talked to Ms. H for a good 15 minutes with Cari's little quivering body draped over my shoulder. Ms. H said that Cari has the best manners out of everyone in the classrom. She says "Thank you" every time Ms. H hands her something. When she wants more to eat, she holds up her plate and says, "More, please!" I also found out that she has made several friends. Anna Rose seems to keep Cari's interest the most, as well as Sophia (Cari calls her Sophie-ya), and Antonelle.  After rocking Cari on my shoulder for several minutes, she finally perked her head up, looked at me with those big brown eyes and said, "Mommy, can you please pour me some cereal?" I gladly obliged.  Setting the bowl of cereal on the table, and kissing her forhead, I said, "I love you. I have to go to work now. I'll see you this afternoon" to which I heard a little voice say through slurps of milk "I love you Mommy. Bye bye."  And that was that.

I came to pick her up on Wednesday afternoon and found her on the swingset between Anna Rose and Sophia.  I squatted down, pointing to each kid on the playground asking her if she knew their names.  She went through all of the ones that she knows and then looked at me very sadly and said, "Where's Cooper?" I said, "Cooper? I think he went home already. Is he your friend too?" and suddenly her eyes beamed with stars, her hands clasped together in front of her chest, the corners of her lips met her ears, and she belted out "Yeah!!!!!" And, so, there you have it.  She's made three friends and gained a boyfriend.  All in a matter of a few days.  She's doing alright.  She's making it.  The kids are learning her name, as well as parents of other kids.  We walk down the hallways and parents, teachers, and kids alike all say, "Hi Cari!" and she just smiles and meekly responds, "hi......"

As we walked off the playground to go home, we suddenly felt a gush of wind run past us with arms sticking straight out.  Cari turned around just in time to be met with a full force hug from her little buddy Sophia. 

She'll be happy to return on Monday. Though the tears may fall in the morning, smiles are shared among the day.  Soon, everybody will know her name.

And she still has energy to get into thing, teaching her little brother the right way to live.  Adventure, fun, mess, giggles, laughter.

Thankfully, I found them before Chad got into it, too!