Naps are for Babies

There's a new phenomenom going on in my house. I mentioned before the slippery slope of Sy's getting up independently. We're navigating that one pretty well, even though it does mean I must always be prepared (i.e., dressed) for a visitor in my bedroom in the early morning hours.

I also mentioned that I was remaining committed to naptime for Simon because I knew what waws coming (directly quoting myself): the new stage of pre-school, which will suck out all of his emotional, mental, and physical energy as he tries to behave, learn, play nice, make friends, adjust, follow new rules, and enjoy his new surroundings.

Well, here's the phenomenon: Every day he goes to the energy-sucking pre-school where his mind is stretched and his muscles are exercised far more than they are at home, Sy comes home and stares at the ceiling until I release him from "naptime." Every day that he spends the morning with me, he conks out for two hours in the afternoon.

I have a few theories to explain this abnormal activity:

1. A morning spent grocery shopping, arguing over who gets what toy, watching PBS kids, and helping with "chores" is actually more exhausting than sitting criss-cross-applesauce and waddling like a penguin.
2. A morning spent grocery shopping, arguing, watching, and helping is actually really, really boring and the kid is practically asleep before lunch.

Or, the one I'm going to go with for now because it makes me feel good is option 3:

On the days when he goes off to school, he wears his Big Boy hat and keeps it on all day. On the days when he is home with me, he gives me the satisfaction of staying my Baby in every way. 

I like to think that as much as my boy loves his new pre-school identity, he also loves it when things are the way they've always been. And, I love it that way too.

Pre-School: Where kids can't fail but moms can

Day One of Pre-School went fantastically well. I mean, seriously - does my kid who's afraid of everything look even slightly afraid of going off to a strange place filled with strange people?

He loved it. And, let's be honest - I loved it too. A whole morning with just one baby. I wish someone had told me how easy it is to have only one when I had only one. During T's morning nap I sat on the couch and ate pie. And made my blog look prettier. And enjoyed every minute.

Day Two is tomorrow and I'm already falling behind. First it was the medical form snaffu, which thanks to the gracious people at my pediatrician's office (see, I can say nice things about them too), was resolved just in time.

But, tonight, after getting Sy tucked safely into his bed, I realized the kid had homework.

Overkill, no?

What really freaks me out is not my inability to stay on top of the paperwork, but that I'm staring at his homework, and I don't even get it. Where are the instructions? What is supposed to go in the middle circle? Am I supposed to write down his answers or is he supposed to color pictures or something? When is this due? What is the second piece of paper for?

So, tomorrow over breakfast, I will be trying not to fail at my very first pre-school homework assignment.