Beau goes to preschool

As a recent graduate of Mommy's school of (go on the God damned potty or you are going to be punished BIG time buddy )potty training Beau is now eligible to attend 3 year old preschool. Sure it was a crash course but that is how we do things over here. Admittedly, his chances of graduating in time really weren't looking all that promising a few weeks ago. I thought for sure he was going to have to repeat the 2 yr old MMO program but in the end he pulled it out of his you know what and got it done and is now a card carrying member of team potty. Gooooo Beau! And when I say team potty, I ain't kidding. I am not just referring to this post but to every time Beau goes potty-- whether it is pee pee or poopy-- we all hear about it, have a celebration and discuss it ad nauseam and jump around and cheer. I think if Bubbles and Poppy were here they'd break out the champagne and we'd all be drunk 24/7. Certainly, I am trying to phase this aspect out and have been reverting to just some thumbs up, way to go buddy and high fives. Carmella though, is still the potty cheerleader: Give me a P! Give me a O and another O and a P and a Y and A Go Go Poopy Beau! herky and spirit fingers
In all seriousness, what this means-- other than saving me tons of money in diapers--is he can officially go to three year preschool. Some of you may be shocked and wonder what other rigorous standards are expected of 3 year olds? And at the same time, I know you are secretly internalizing; Oh my God! Will my child ever get into college? Well, you may rest easy: the only requisite for 3 year old preschool is to be potty trained. So yay us! We have that down. No remedial preschool for my boy! Okay, so yes he is still in speech but you see, speaking well is not a requirement for preschool, just being potty trained. And that Beau can do. Too bad swimming isn't also required because he can do that too. Hmmm, maybe I should see if that is enough to get him to AP preschool. No need waste any time getting my little genius on the fast track to college!
If you are wondering about the panda bear in all the pictures, well, that is for the Teddy Bear tea party, of course. I have to admit I am starting to get a bit annoyed about all this teddy bear nonsense. Every year since Carmella has been 2 she has had to take a teddy bear to the first day of school, even for kindergarten. Does this madness never end? My kids do not play with teddy bears.

Thankfully, we have quite a few and can pull them out for the first day of school so that we may participate in this precious new school year ritual. I understand that the teddy bear is to serve as a comfort item to help the child transition into the scary new classroom but my kids are not scared and what Carmella really wants to bring to school is a Barbie and what Beau really wants to bring is Batman. And they don't want to bring them for comfort but to show them off and impress their friends with their way cool toys. They do not want some freaking teddy bear they have no attachment to.

I totally try to play it up and get them excited about the tea party and bringing a bear to school but I can read it in their eyes and they both are thinking: this is so lame but I'll do it for you Mommy. Carmella even told me she "sure hoped she didn't have to bring the teddy bear the 2nd day of kindergarten." So after parading the teddy bear out that first day Bear was once again resigned to the shelf in Carmella's room.

So this morning I told Beau to go grab a teddy bear off his bed or Carmella's (we really do have a lot teddy bears) and he came down with a panda bear. So on a whim I asked him the panda's name just in case, you know, he was asked at school. He seemed thoughtful for a second and said "Bad Bear." I laughed and questioned him, "Bad Bear?" And he responded with a "Uh, yeah. Bad Bear." See, I told you they are not down with the teddy bear tea party.

However, in retrospect and taking into account his penchant for leaving the first sound off of all words he says he may have actually said "panda bear" but just agreed with my "Bad Bear" interpretation because that sounded better and really, made more sense. If nothing else, at least one of our teddy bears has a name now.

Beau is very excited about this year and I am too for that matter. Have I mentioned yet that I now, for the first time in 5 1/2 years, will have 4 days with 3 consecutive hours when I will be kid and fancy free wheeling-- I mean running my ass off? Really, I don't know who is more excited about this school year: Carmella, Beau or me. Okay, I think it is me.

I have probably lost more sleep over worrying about Beau going to 3 year old preschool than I have about Carmella going to kindergarten. This is because last year, Beau--being the strong willed child that he is-- was a bit of a problem for his teachers. I won't say that Beau was a problem because really he was just being a boy and well, was just being a 2 year old. Both of those things, especially when combined together, were apparently greatly frowned upon and quite taxing on his teachers. What they wanted was a classroom full of compliant sweet little girls and boys who sat crissed-crossed applesauce with neatly folded hands. And for the most part they had that, except for Beau. I dreaded picking him up because I knew I would have to hear, yet again, another lecture about how Beau wouldn't listen to them and how I needed to fight the battles with him. As if.

For the record Beau's worst offense, the one that got him sent to the director's office twice and sent home once, was for refusing to wear his coat on the playground. Seriously, this is Georgia and they only go outside for 20 minutes. I told them just to let him freeze but the problem wasn't a question of him being cold but one of if they let him not wear his coat then the other 2 year olds would see it and then they too would rebel against wearing their coats and then there would be anarchy in the classroom. See how they are making them all little socialists? Beau is a political force, a revolutionary and he is not cool with that commie crap.

Well, thankfully, this year my little anarchist has company because Parker is in his class. Parker's mommy and I commiserated last year on how much "trouble" our boys were in school and consoled each other every time once of us got called to collect our little hellions and comforted each other in that they were just "boys being boys."

And yes, I dressed Beau in that pale pink shirt so his new teachers would think he is a little pansy angel criss-cross applesause boy rather than the devilish, screw you and your rules little boy he can be. Doubt that will work for long.
He said he had a great day and I had to drag him kicking and screaming out of the classroom and away from his buddy Parker. I thought for sure this would be the year Beau and I could walk calmly in and out of that school but so far he is still causing a scene and jogged everyone's memory of exactly who he is today. If nothing else at least it wore his little tail out. He refused a nap and then fell promptly asleep watching Scooby Doo before I could even get him his snack.

On the running front I have already fallen off my schedule, but not necessarily in a bad way. Yesterday I did my "assigned" 6 mile run but sadly the champagne from the night before had me dragging and my pace was 8:58 rather than the outlined 8-8:30. Not to mention I was sore from my 7 miles the previous day at a 7:45 pace. I did an ice bath after the 6 and felt better for it today.

This morning after I dropped Beau off I was supposed to do a 5k sprint at 7-7:30 pace and call it a day and rest up for tomorrow's long run. Instead, excited at my freedom, I ran 4 miles to the gym at an 8:15 pace and then did 30 minutes of upper body work and then ran the mile back to the school at a 7:50 pace. So slower, but longer than I had planned. I hope the extra miles and weights didn't ruin me for the long run tomorrow.

Lastly, rain rain go away and bring me some cool dry air.