Joshua had his very first day of school on September 9! Giving him a new routine mantra definitely helped, though in retrospect, I should have added "...and then just Joshua will be at Joshua's school..." in the middle of the schedule rundown. He was very happy to go in the blue car with me, talking about how *we* were going to his school, and then he got a bit upset when I started to say goodbye to him in the classroom. So I stayed a few minutes longer, and one of the other little boys in the classroom offered him a firetruck, and that kind gesture (plus the panoply of new and different trucks!) helped Joshua decide that this school thing might not be so bad after all. :)
He didn't have much to say when I picked him up that first morning. But on Wednesday, on our ride back home, he started telling me all kinds of stories about what he did, what he saw, how many trucks he played with, and how his teacher told him it was "time for the trucks to take a rest" and then they sang songs and ate a SNACK!! This is huge for him -- up until that point, he had never really been one for relaying what he's done after the fact. So this was the first time I got to hear directly from him what he did and what he liked -- and I confess, I teared up a bit hearing how excited he was.
We're so thankful for what he's already learned from this wonderful little school environment! We have friends who have sent their kids to this nursery school, so we knew that the teachers were fantastic and that the program was excellent, but we're doubly thankful that the other boys and girls in Joshua's class are such a great little bunch. The teachers have commented on how everyone plays together so well, and it's exciting to hear Joshua name specific kids in his daily narratives. He does tend to need a little space, and a little time to get used to new environments, so it's encouraging to watch him embrace this new normal.
And of course, I took some "formal" first day of school photos of our big boy. :) I had all these visions of getting him to pose cooperatively while holding a special "first day of preschool" sign, but, well, he was a little too excited by all the events of the day, and very curious about what was on the frame I wanted him to hold...
This one was the very best of the lot:
Look at how grown up our little guy has gotten! So thankful that this transition has been going so well, and can't wait to see how much more he learns and grows this year!
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