Birthdays begin

It's official.  The first rounds of 5th birthday parties have started this summer and Alexandre's July 4th (his actual b-day) themed party last night was a hit with all in attendance. There was pizza and watermelon, homemade red/white/blue cookies and two kinds of cake--not to mention a beach ball, sprinklers and lots of balloon fun.  The park is definitely the easiest go-to party venue, considering the do-it-yourself cost cutting and how well the kids do with all that space to roam. There's no worrying about how the event is going or when you have to wrap up. No one rushes you out. It's just friends hanging out and the kids having a good time doing whatever it is kids like. For Elisa, I think she thrives on the open space and sense of autonomy that the park provides. It's really made attending these kinds of events easier for me as well. Carolina is almost completely self-sufficient there now too which means I can basically check in on her a few times an hour and we're good. So I had lots of fun chasing the kids and taking pics.

And by the time it started to rain on us, we were almost done anyway. So a quick goodbye and of course a few goodie bags later, and we were on our way home. The girls both tried Pop Rocks for the first time and I had to laugh at Carolina's annoyed expression. Sometimes the best thing to do when a toddler is being crazy is give them what they think they want. And the look on her face indicated she wasn't too thrilled with her candy discovery. Elisa, on the other hand, was elated. She loved the tickle on her tongue. And I snuck a few myself just to remember the explosive fun. Yeah, it was a nice night and a good group of kids and friends. Soon, we'll be planning our own birthday celebration for these August girls, and I can only hope they have as much fun.

UPK Graduation

Among several highlights this week was the Stepping Up ceremony at Little Friends, Elisa's preschool.  I'd already seen several other kids from our playgroup sporting caps and gowns for their preschool graduations, and now it was our turn.  Even the use of the word "graduation" seemed kind of misleading. It seemed too official. Nacho wondered aloud if we were going to have to go through this hoopla every year for the foreseeable future. But no. In fact, I think there's something unique and worthwhile about this ceremony. It was really about the transition we've been in for the past few months. Next fall, we will have a child in Kindergarten in the public school system.  Our yearly schedule will rise and fall with its holidays and time off, and Elisa will start to have her own daily routine without us.  I can't even imagine that now, and yet we're only 8 weeks (and one vacation) away from it.  So the time was right to celebrate the end of preschool and UPK and look forward to what's coming next...     

For months, we've been caught up in the Kinder Craze that seems an unavoidable pitfall of this city's placement process.  First there was G&T testing, then our zoned elementary school registration, followed by charter school tours and lottery applications, and finally the waiting game to see how it would all shake out.  But by mid-June we had jumped the last hurdle--the Dual Language program testing at P.S. 150--and we waited for the last piece of the puzzle.  She didn't get a spot. Not even a letter saying no. Nothing. In the end there was no big decision to make.  So we will take the windfall that fell in our lap--the acceptance at the only charter school we got into.  Elisa will attend Academy of the City Charter School in Woodside next fall and I'm very hopeful that it will be the right fit.  With 45 minutes a day each of recess and nap/quiet time, I feel like she will have a softer landing into this brave, new world.  Most of all, I think they will encourage her to love school and learning.  She will have a handful of friends attending as well, which sweetens the deal to be sure. But truly, I don't think she's ready for the one-size-fits-all agenda of a traditional Ged Ed Kindergarten, and she obviously didn't pass the muster for the academic rat race of the specialized programs. And to be honest, that was at times hard to reconcile.  I know Elisa is bright and social and linguistically capable. I wanted her to be offered the moon if she wanted it.  But in the end, what happened was that we got something we weren't even aware existed 6 months ago--a Kindergarten that seems to allow kids to play and develop in due time.  And for Elisa, I think she'll need this coming year to get her bearings, and I want her to have the space and time to gain the skills she'll need for the rest of her scholastic life. Because what's the rush?  When I look back over this process, I realize that as crazy and frustrating as it was as a parent to go through, I'm mostly glad that she's remained totally oblivious to it all because it really has so little bearing on her future. These kids are 4 years old, going on 5--not 18.  We have so many more years of trying to guide her through school and homework, applications and tests.  This is only the beginning of her journey.  I'm ready to move on, and so is she. 

Out of School BBQ Party

This last week of June has been highly anticipated for a while. As much as I've loved Elisa's morning preschool schedule this year, it was getting harder and harder to be up and out the door by 8 a.m. after late summer nights. The afternoon routine of playing at Lou Lodati after school was pushing naps later and then we wouldn't make it to SGP until nearly 5 p.m. some days. After a few hours of running around and cramming in dinner there, bedtimes were bordering on 9 p.m. Elisa needed a break. I needed a break.  And with Wednesday, June 26th officially the last day of school, the end was in sight! But of course, it wouldn't be a real relief without a little craziness to make it a busy last few days. On Wednesday afternoon, I was helping organize the park's Out of School BBQ which meant a morning run to buy food and 2 1/2 hours of set up before the party. By the time we opened the doors, I was a hot, sweaty mess but seeing the kids excitement was worth it. We had a dunk tank, water slide, DJ, cake walk and lots of food and refreshments.  What we didn't have a lot of were volunteers. Unfortunately, I think this event falling on the very last day of school meant parents were too tired and fried to help out. So we made the most with what we had and opted to forego some of the activities like the Scavenger Hunt and Egg & Spoon races. The Human Bingo never really took off. But I think overall, it was a great evening and the kickoff to summer was complete.

Seeing Elisa tackle the giant water slide three times was pretty awesome. I was waiting for her on the first slide down and seeing her wipe out on the bumpy landing and back slide into the catch pool was a bit unsettling. She was a little scared and very soaked. But after a hug and a high five, she was ready to jump right back in which made me happy to see. As much as I struggle to understand her sensitivities sometimes, she can also impress me with her bravado. When she wants to do something, she really is unstoppable. So after a few turns waiting in the long line, we grabbed some hot dogs and more Italian ices and took a little break. There was so much activity all over the park and the feeling of community was again the best part of the event.  School is OUT and the relief was palpable.  Carolina was nearing complete exhaustion by the end of the cake walk, but she held on like a champ. And seeing how much fun the big kids were having trying to win one of the creations was cool. I made a chocolate glazed donut cake with sprinkles that was surprisingly the first to go. But all of the cakes looked delicious and most had lots of candy confections to sweeten the deal.  As I watched Carolina staggering around, something about her ice cream covered face and tired eyes as she twirled with her sister was so heartening. This is really the best kind of summer evening--seeing all the kids out playing and laughing into the sunset. The party wound down and I was ready for bed that night too...a great finish to the school year and a welcome introduction to the rest of summer. 

Island Hopping

Early last week we found out Elisa had a field trip coming up which would keep her at school until 1:30 p.m. All year long we've been dealing with a noon pick-up time, so just that little bit more felt like a bonus.  Since Nacho was off that day in the morning, it was a perfect excuse to take a little field trip of our own and let Carolina enjoy an outing as the only child. Sometimes it's hard to remember that at this age, Elisa had all of our attention and yet Carolina rarely gets that. So it was somewhat with her in mind that we decided to head back to Roosevelt Island and try heading to South Point Park, the park on the southern end that includes the newly built FDR Four Freedoms Park. Nacho had noticed it from the air a few times and thought it looked like a nice speck of land to explore. So last Wednesday we were off to take a walk on a lovely summer day and let Carolina roam--and roam, she did. We've already reached that tricky age where this kid doesn't like to be confined in a stroller. She's 22 months going on 4 and it shows with every fiber of her being. She really thinks she's a big kid. And chasing after her sister most of the time has meant she's developed far quicker and better than Elisa at this age. Carolina is already riding a scooter, she climbs ladders and steps with ease, tackles all manner of slides and playground equipment and can almost pump her legs on the swings. It's kind of shocking at times to realize she's not even 2 yet. 

So on a day where we have two of us to chase her and guide her around the park, I thought it would be easy. But of course, I wasn't thinking about her wanting to walk along the rocky walls, climb the monuments and resist even the slightest time in the stroller. Most of the day we were sprinting to catch up with her. Ahhhh, this little sprite has really grown wings; we must keep up.  And no, Carolina wasn't always pleased with us on this little solo outing, but then it's hard when you're not as big or as capable as you think. I find myself giving her way more space and freedom to explore things than I did with Elisa, and yet, it still seems it's never enough for her. So go the toddler years, I'm afraid.  I have to remind myself that she won't be this little for much longer and the days of her nonverbal communication are also numbered. We're enjoying all the new words and combinations lately, but still there are moments of pure frustration--for us both. And it seems that the little girl I was thinking might be my quiet little flower is not such a shrinking violet after all. She is loud and squawky, hard charging and opinionated.  And yet after any one of her tantrums, she's most likely to turn her face down and wallow in shame for a minute before picking herself up and coming over for a hug.  That's the difference between Carolina and Elisa at this age. And right now, I'll take it.