Maybe the Teachers at Sibley Need a Crash Course in Using the Slingee for Naptime

Well, Baby Brigid has had a week at SUNY Plattsburgh's Child Care Center and has lived to tell about it. With the exception of the biting incident from Monday, she's had no ill or adverse affects from being there; in fact, she has seemed to blossom by being there. She's happy to go, excited at the prospect of seeing "Sally Bubbles" -- our friend and the center's director, Sally, who blows bubbles for her. She likes Jen, her teacher, and seems to enjoy being around the other kids. There's plenty to do, and they take the kids out for walks around the center to visit other classrooms and see other parts of the building.

Their only problem, and it's one we expected, is getting her to take a nap in any meaningful way. We've struggled with that for months, with Jack giving her her naps via slingee or me getting her to nap via nursing. The staff folks have rocked her to sleep, but transfer to the cot has been impossible. I don't know if Brigid, being a creature of habit, will eventually adapt to the new regimen, but she's a stubborn creature of habit and may hold tightly to her aversion to going down willingly.

She's been tired at night, but not overtly so. I've been able to get her to bed at early hours this week, but not too early. The proof in how well she's adapted to child care will be on Monday, after being away for a weekend. If she's just as happy to go back on Monday as she has been all this week, then I think she's adjusted easily and happily; if she suddenly realizes, "Hey, this isn't temporary; they're bringing me here every day" and revolts, then we'll have a true problem. I'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it.

When I went to pick her up yesterday, I got there just as the kids were having their snack -- crackers and cheese -- and she was strapped into her little seat at the table along with most of the other kids. Three or four of them are in mini-high chairs. She saw me and tried to stand up but the strap kept the seat stuck to her. They let her go and she ran to me, "Mommy! Mommy!" and went immediately to get her suit, put it on the floor and sat on it so I could get her into it. I asked if she wouldn't like to have her snack before we left, and she was happy to go back over, in her snowsuit, and sit and eat crackers and cheese. But when she was done, she was ready to leave and happily said buh-bye to everyone as we went out the door. Her drop-offs and pick-ups have been happy, not too emotional or overly exuberant. It makes my heart jump to see her so happy there.

Margaret has a big English-Social Studies project she's working on where she'll study and assume the identity of a Revolutionary War era blacksmith. She's going to get some of Jack's farrier tools and apron from the lake this weekend to use. Meanwhile, Patricia is busy doing a huge project for Global Village where she's studying Nigeria. Both girls will be involved in a combined district-wide choral concert at the beginning of April. And then the chorus activity calms down. Can't believe it will be April next week. The time is flying by.