First Day at Preschool

Today Wren started at his new preschool.  He was very apprehensive and worried about the details.  When I dropped him off he cried and stretched his arms out for me but I was firm and left.

Apparently he did 'well'.  I think that "well" might be preschool-teacher-speak for "he was freaked out but we didn't have to call you."

Going to preschool this morning.

He tells me he was sad and missed me but he had two friends who were girls and a boy and that the school has blue fairies and they bring them flowers and they give them things and they live in a tree but they had to dig up a tree to bring it inside for the blue fairies. 

Also, that they ate pasta for lunch and after lunch were allowed to have bread with honey.

And that it was TERRIBLE but ALRIGHT.

 The whole Waldorf experience has already had an impact on Wren.  He came home and went outside and spoke about fairies.  In the park this afternoon during Frost's soccer practice, Wren looked for trees where the fairies might live.

Also, he decided he was a dog and ran around with his tongue hanging out and picked up sticks from the ground with his mouth.  He also pretended to be a spider.  He says that they did not do this at preschool but I suspect that there was some bestial child at preschool who inspired him.

He never wanted to be a dog before?

This evening, Frost asked to help prepare dinner.  Apparently, his new teacher gives not too much homework and then allows them to do "alternative" homework including things like making dinner, doing sport and math or writing projects of their own devising.  I like this teacher.

Before the Dinosaurs we lived in Magnolia
At breakfast this morning, Wren asked me who built our house.

I explained that our house was built "long ago" by someone (1949) but Daddy and I built the kitchen.

Then Wren wondered how much it cost.  I told him it was a lot of money but we borrowed it from the bank.   He said "Before that you lived in a truck?"

"No," I answered "before that we lived in Magnolia.  You weren't born yet."

"Oh!" said Wren, everything now becoming clear.  "That was when the dinosaurs were still OUT."

"What do you mean, 'out'?"   I asked.

"Well, the dinosaurs were still out then" he repeated.   "Now they are gone 'stinct.  They DIED."

I wasn't quite sure where to go in the face of his bold compression of eras spanning millions of years into a scant decade.  Even creationism is not as bold.  Perhaps it is the power of the Waldorf Fairies.

Later, when I told Wren we are not going to buy something he wanted he suggested we "borrow the money from the bank."

Insurance / robbery update
Other good news is that Liberty Mutual is going to pay for both laptops and the camera stolen minus our $500 deductible.  That makes it a lot less than it could have been.  I am very impressed by them. I didn't have to fill in ONE FORM.  The cynic in me wonders whether our premium will skyrocket next year, but the service has been great so a small increase would be justified now that they know we are high-risk travelers to Africa.

Backlog of photos
Because of the loss of my laptop and the abysmal slowness of the local connection, I didn't get to post much about the last weeks of our trip.  I have a load of lovely pictures to which I am going to subject you.  Right now, I don't have time to write enough to do them justice but here are a few of the kids while at the Lodge in Hilltop Camp at Hluhluwe Game Reserve.  My many pictures of zebra will follow in the days ahead!

Wren, Frost and the Large Aloe

Frost climbs a tree in front of the lodge. 

The boys run down the road to the swimming pool.  This picture speaks to what is missing in a more ordered life.
I like the swimming pool being down a road by electric fence with bush-buck in the shrubbery and monkeys over
head.  This is the way it Should Be.