orientation

Today I began my orientation process at my new school. My mom has been deeply engaged in her orientation for almost a week with meetings, reading (the handbook is 170 pages), gathering supplies, and slowly trying to introduce some new procedures into my life. My dad has been working working working. Below is a photo of me after my bath (I even flossed my teeth because I so detest plaque buildup) and when I should have been walking toward the car instead of teetering on the verge of getting dirty. 

Pay no attention to how terrible my yard looks. This particular patch of "grass" has been a victim of the severe drought and my shovels. I am still on a mission to dig up my entire yard. It is a huge undertaking but it makes me happy and keeps me occupied (and then tired). 

My visit to the school went well . . . except I was rather sleepy. I had dropped my naps last week but have needed them some days. I am trying to be horribly unpredictable mostly so I can torment those around me. Today would have been an ideal day for a nap but my mom forced me to stay awake and I was miserable. We know that I will naturally fall into some kind of regular sleep schedule once school begins. In the meantime, my mom just needs to know if she can stay up until 3:00am because she will get a nap with me the next day!

We arrived at my school a few minutes early. We were instructed to wait in our car in the arrival lane. It was the most grueling five minutes of my life. Luckily, there were some birds frolicking about and I was certain that they were calling my Guide, Elizabeth. At long last, Elizabeth bounded out and greeted me. After I made it through the platitudes, I asked her "do you have any trains or cars" and the answer, of course, was no. But it did open up a conversation about whether I have ridden a train (yes, several times!). She likes trains too. The classroom is lovely. What is this? How does this work? What do you do with this? Can I try this? I was most interested in the color tablets.

I made it very clear that I do not like chairs but I told her I do like tables. In that setting, it becomes apparent just how big my personality is. Tomorrow I will return by myself for 30 minutes (GULP) and learn how to work with some of the materials. The visit will be earlier in the day so I should be less toddlerish.

I was supposed to call my grandmother after orientation to tell her how great my school is. But the day cooled off to a pleasant 90 degrees so we had to play outside for hours. I ran. I dug. We played ball. I rode in my swing. I climbed. My dog barked. It was almost as though we have not played outside ever. We love this time of year when the end is finally in sight.