I went to the beach last week with Jonas and my mom. We met my cousins there, and it was fun watching Jonas play with their kids. The other kids were all girls, aged 4-8, and they were kind of bossy. But maybe that is a girl thing, and they were very sweet with Jonas and did try to include him for the most part.
When we first went to the beach, it was just Jonas and I. He ran around in the sand laughing. Not really knowing what to do, but just happy to be at the beach. I suggested that we bury my feet in the sand, which he thought was fun, then the other kiddies came out and he saw how they were digging holes and building castles, so that was fun for him to try as well. The ocean was too rough the entire 4 days we were there. It was a "red flag" every day, so we never spent time in the ocean, but we did hang out in the swimming pool a bit and Jonas' confidence in the water really improved by the end of the vacation. He went from having a death grip around my mom's neck to floating rather leisurely in an inner tube and water wings.
One night the kids went out and caught 2 crabs. They were so excited to "go crabbing" but when they caught them and brought them back, they were all horrified and disgusted. Eventually one of the daddies took them both back outside, but in the process he got pinched on the finger and it actually drew blood! Sick! I hate sea life!
Monday was Jonas' first day at the Montesorri summer program. It is 5 days a week, 3 hours a day. His teacher told me today that she had fallen in love with Jonas. I was so proud of him this morning when I dropped him off. He went right in the classroom bravely, while another older boy was crying and holding on to his mom and saying he wanted to go home. The Montesorri classes are mixed ages. Jonas' "pink class" is age 2.5-6. I think that is pretty neat, and he enjoys being around older kids more than kids his own age anyway. I think if he were 6 I might not think it was so cool though. This month they are studying Italy, Flag Day (June 14th...get ready to...flag something), Michealangelo, Tomie DePaola (children's author), and some composer I have never heard of. They are also learning how to fold a mat and sit in a chair properly. And they have other sciencey things and crafts they will be doing too. I just know that specific stuff because I signed up to be the parent who goes to the public library and gets stuff to use in the classroom. I have been using my "free time" to go walking and go to the library and read while Jonas is in school. The school is near an expensive neighborhood and it makes me a wee bit depressed as I walk amongst houses I can't even come close to affording. But hopefully the walks will be good for the buns. And I got books on tape from the library to keep me company.
We have a firm date: Nick will be arriving back home on June 23rd. It has been a super long wait.
I went to Babies-R-Us tonight for one of the parenting classes, because I was hoping for some free stuff. Well, I won the door prize! Woohoo! I got a teddy bear that makes womb sounds (yay?...kind of a gross name), 5 recieving blankets, 2 baby nightgowns, and Johnson's Bedtime baby wash, lotion, disposable wash cloths, massage gel, and bar soap. I was sitting there feeling kind of sad that I didn't win the first door prize, which was a sound machine that I wanted. I actually already have one (it makes sounds like ocean waves so you can sleep and block out outside noises), but I wanted a second one for when we return to Laos and Jonas will be sleeping in his own room. But then they called my name for winning the GRAND PRIZE, which of course was actually better than the sound machine.
Wheee! I better get to bed!

Tuesday, Jun. 05, 2007 at 11:33 PM