We Don't Need No Education (um, no actually, we do)

"It’s been a big week for Education in our home. Yesterday I attended Scott [Howell's] press conference on education at the University of Utah, tonight was preschool orientation for my three year old, and it seems like all my social media channels are abuzz with first day of school pics."  That my friends, is from last week's contribution for the "WE Blog." I encourage you to check out the entire post -- and then make sure you're registered to vote.  

The truth is, I'd like to add to those obligatory "first day" photos. On Tuesday, Holden, Zoe and I hit up Holden's intro to Pre-school. It's the day where they meet their teachers (with the parents), get their 'cubbies' and their bags, and can play with the toys for as long as they want in a 2-hour window (which in most cases means, as long as their mom's will let them before they have to run more errands.) We stayed almost an hour.  

I asked Holden that morning if he was excited for pre-school. His response? "I'm excited for PG-firteen movies." 

Here's pic of him getting adjusted into his new environment.

For the record, Danny loathes those play contraptions. He said growing up he could never do them. I have a different philosophy. My Father in Law gets very stressed about kids hurting themselves -- and he's very protective (a wonderful attribute, though I know I drive him crazy because sometimes I let "natural consequences" play a role in parenting  -- gravity is really an amazing teacher). Anyway, my hypothesis goes like this. Dave told Danny not to play on them -- worried he would get hurt. Danny never played on them, worried he'd get hurt. Danny tells Holden he shouldn't play on them, because he'll get hurt. Holden plays on them anyway -- because I let him -- and Danny freaks out the whole time thinking, "I can;t do them - how can he at only 3?!?!

Anyway, he played and remained unscathed. 

Fast forward to Thursday morning -- first official day of school.  Holden takes the obligatory photo-op, though we have yet to put on his shoes, and I wonder why we're taking it at the front door, when Holden's not walking or leaving from the front door and his shoes are in the basement, next to where he'll put them on before he walks to the car to drive to school. 

Danny says you take first day of school pics at the door. So alas:

Proud to say we had no trouble with the drop off -- Holden jumped right out of the car and neither of us cried. 

When I picked him up he had tear stained cheeks so I asked him if he had cried at school. 

"Um yeah," he said. 

"Well what happened?"I asked

"So I was playing in the dirt, and they wanted me to come inside and I wanted to live in the park and they just wouldn't let me."

"So, you wanted to stay and play outside but they wanted you to come in?"

"Yeah - I didn't want to work it out." 

But apparently he did. He learned a song about a Jack in the Box and even brought home his first Art project from "Children's Discovery. It's a mixed medium piece titled "Jack in the Box." He said he'll try again next week.