Spencer's 2nd Home

Do you remember the post with Spencer carrying his backpack on the first day of school/daycare? That day he loved it. And then he hated it. Hated it for about two weeks. Well, he didn't go every day for two weeks. I made sure I introduced him to it lightly by doing 2 hours a day, three days a week. He cried the second day, and then again the third day (but just not so much that day).

My friend had to reassure me that her son did the same thing and that it would get better. I felt a little embarrassed cuz I had already been through this with Xoe and Xanthe. But I guess it doesn't get easier, no matter how many children you have. Well, at least for me it doesn't.

She reminded me that this would be good resource to have if I needed someone to watch him since I don't have family around, and that he would grow to like it and have fun socializing with other kids (haha, I remember saying all those things to other parents when X&X were young).

So, I kept going. And now? He's in love with it. He runs in when we get there. And when I show up to get him, he doesn't want to leave. Yes, I could say it's because he enjoys the socialization, loves playing with all the toys, hearing the flannel board stories, singing the songs, painting the crafts, eating their food at a big community table and playing outside. It is all those things. But there is one thing he loves more than all of that. His teacher, Virginia.

Yup. This is her. He, no joke, is addicted to her. If he hears her voice around the corner, or sees her from afar, he will start shaking and squealing. In the morning when I ask him if he wants to go to "school," he kind of does a "grunt." But when I ask if he wants to see "Virginia" he starts laughing and giggling. He runs straight to her in the morning and won't take his eyes off her all day.

The great thing is that she has taken a special interest in him too. She doesn't get to bond with many of the kids on a regular basis because she takes care of the "hourly room" where children are sporadic and never consistent, unlike the other rooms where their parents put them in all day and they are in the same classroom every day.

Something she does that I don't think she does with many other kids is give me statuses on his development. She works with him on certain days, notices when he does something interesting, and will make special activities for him that she knows he needs to work on. One day she brought homemade play dough in for him since she knew he needed to work his gross motor skills (rolling balls, instead of picking off little pieces).

She truly is amazing and on the days she is not there, I'm actually a little sad. Spencer is really great with other people too, but they all know (the whole daycare place) that Spencer and Virginia have a special bond. There are comments made, such as "I know...I'm no Virginia, but I'll take good care of him," or "Virginia! Did you see him start squealing when you walked around the corner?"

And like I said, Spencer loves many other things about it. Some days (well, most days) I take him mostly cuz I know he's been home a lot and would love to have some time at the daycare playing with their toys, playing with the other kids, and getting some different, enriching activities.

Spencer eats better here at the CDC (Child Daycare Center) than even at home. I don't know why. I'm sure it's cuz he sees all the other kids eating, but I'll see him eat things there that he refuses at home...like meat! But he'll down their BBQ chicken, or sloppy joes. Silly kid. At least I know he's eating really well there.

His development has gone twice as fast, if not faster, since he's been going here. And if those aren't things to want to take him, I don't know what is. I'm so glad my friend kept "talking me down", and reassuring me, cuz this has been a very beneficial thing for everyone.