Noelle woke up this morning very excited. Why? Well, today she was going to eat Cocoa Puffs for breakfast! She had seen an ad for them while watching Disney Junior earlier this week and it spoke to her. (Aside: when did Disney Junior start airing commercials? That was one of the things I liked best about it and Nick Jr - no paid advertising. Assholes.) She's not a cereal eater, in fact, both of them usually have French toast sticks for breakfast unless there are pancakes. Which I rarely make except for dinner so frozen French toast sticks it is! I don't get this; I grew up eating cereal and to this day it is my preferred breakfast food but hey, it's not my stomach so whatever.
For her though, this was going to be awesome. It was chocolate! It would make the milk chocolaty! It would be the greatest thing since Monster High dolls and Star Wars all rolled into one! Breakfast as we knew it would be revolutionized! She took the first spoonful with great gusto and then...huh. There wasn't much going on. Sure, it's dark brown and the milk was turning an alarming shade of brown/grey but...where was the awesomeness? Where was the flavor she had been promised? For the love of god people, WHERE WAS THE CHOCOLATE?!
She ate about half the amount in her bowl when she turned to me and asked if she could be excused, she was done.
"Wasn't as good as you thought it was going to be, huh?"
She shook her head no.
"It's okay honey, that is what commercials are designed to do: make something or an experience so appealing that you just have to have it. It's called marketing and it's everywhere."
She got down from the table and went to play, a little sadder but hopefully a little bit wiser.
Me on the other hand? Well, let's just say that I already know what I'm eating for breakfast tomorrow.
Showing posts with label growing up. Show all posts
Showing posts with label growing up. Show all posts
Friday, January 24, 2014
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Kindergarten: Achievement Unlocked
WUT?!?!
How did she go from this
to this
to this
to this
to this
to this
to this?
In the words of the song you sang at graduation:
How did she go from this
to this
to this
to this
to this
to this
to this?
In the words of the song you sang at graduation:
Kindergarten here I come.
Kindergarten I will be there soon.
Kindergarten here I come.
I'm so glad it's June!
Sob.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
The first of the lasts
Last night was Noelle's final parent-teacher conference of her preschool career. I'll be honest, I was bit nostalgic, knowing that I wouldn't walk those halls again for her conference. Dylan or I attended every single one offered because we were (okay, still are) neurotic, over-involved parents. Also, new to the parenting rodeo. It was pretty much a formality as we knew from her February conference that she is more than ready for kindergarten. I won't lie, it's a nice feeling though being told what an awesome kid your child is.
She loves books and reading, always has. What was kind of surprising is that she shows a very strong aptitude for math as both Dyl and my strengths lie more in the humanities (thanks Grandad and GiGi!). She's always looking for and identifying patterns and has figured out grouping and sets. (Okay, we'll also thank The Penguins of Madagascar video game for the assist here as well.) She continues to be a compassionate and caring child who is genuinely liked by the whole class. This is big because we have been concerned about the effect of her being a naturally reserved child. As a baby she would sit and observe what was going on around her, responding to and interacting with others but rarely joining in the play.
She found a way around that obstacle though: she discovered the magic power of dressing up. From the age of 3 through practically 5, most days of the week she would show up to school in any one of a number of different outfits: fairies, princesses, knights. It was cute and adorable and as long as it didn't disrupt the class we let her dress up. (This is also known as either being smarter than we thought and/or being lazy. To-MAY-to, to-MAH-to.) She always took the costumes off though as soon as her teachers requested it. She has worn costumes to school maybe a handful of times in the last six months so I thought that is was something that she had grown out of. Her teachers and I were reminiscing about some of her costumes when we realized that she HAD outgrown it. Because she no longer needed the confidence boost of the make-believe to join with the others. And she doesn't need it now. She has developed the relationships and friendships with her classmates on her own; she no longer needs the crutch of the costume.
She still has her best friend in the whole world but they have both branched out and developed new friendships. She says that she will marry Nico when they are 27 and have a boy named Fred and a girl named Sally. She will be a rock-star and he will be an engineer. At least I don't have to worry about meeting his parents...though I should probably let his parents know the plan. She has discovered her girly side and has a group of two other little girls who like to play dress up and style each other's hair. As my own hair styling skills are woefully limited to pony-tails, I fear that this will be a dream never realized. She also loves playing adventure and scavenger hunt games with her other best friends Sammy and Paige. At nap time when she isn't sleepy, she loves to brush her teachers' hair. I think that they are very brave for allowing this because she is certainly not gentle when she plays with mine. I'm so proud of her what with me being the poster child for sullen hostility and chilly reservation and all.
She is so good at identifying patterns and seeing groupings and sets. She is able to figure out what letter words start with by sounding them out, well on her way to wrestling the insanity of the English language into submission. She is a true out-of-the-box thinker and a free spirit. She loves art and colors and has a strong fundamental grasp of Spanish which I credit solely to Dora. She knows her days of the week and what day it is in relation to others. She can identify what yesterday was and tomorrow will be; if you make a mistake, she will call you on it. She is counting by twos, fives and tens and is a stringent rule-follower. She is compassionate but has grown a strength to deal with adversity and challenges on her own instead of turning to teachers for help all the time. She is strong and confident, funny and silly and so, so happy. We are so very proud and privileged to be her parents.
The world is your oyster Noelle-bear. Go get it.
She loves books and reading, always has. What was kind of surprising is that she shows a very strong aptitude for math as both Dyl and my strengths lie more in the humanities (thanks Grandad and GiGi!). She's always looking for and identifying patterns and has figured out grouping and sets. (Okay, we'll also thank The Penguins of Madagascar video game for the assist here as well.) She continues to be a compassionate and caring child who is genuinely liked by the whole class. This is big because we have been concerned about the effect of her being a naturally reserved child. As a baby she would sit and observe what was going on around her, responding to and interacting with others but rarely joining in the play.
She found a way around that obstacle though: she discovered the magic power of dressing up. From the age of 3 through practically 5, most days of the week she would show up to school in any one of a number of different outfits: fairies, princesses, knights. It was cute and adorable and as long as it didn't disrupt the class we let her dress up. (This is also known as either being smarter than we thought and/or being lazy. To-MAY-to, to-MAH-to.) She always took the costumes off though as soon as her teachers requested it. She has worn costumes to school maybe a handful of times in the last six months so I thought that is was something that she had grown out of. Her teachers and I were reminiscing about some of her costumes when we realized that she HAD outgrown it. Because she no longer needed the confidence boost of the make-believe to join with the others. And she doesn't need it now. She has developed the relationships and friendships with her classmates on her own; she no longer needs the crutch of the costume.
She still has her best friend in the whole world but they have both branched out and developed new friendships. She says that she will marry Nico when they are 27 and have a boy named Fred and a girl named Sally. She will be a rock-star and he will be an engineer. At least I don't have to worry about meeting his parents...though I should probably let his parents know the plan. She has discovered her girly side and has a group of two other little girls who like to play dress up and style each other's hair. As my own hair styling skills are woefully limited to pony-tails, I fear that this will be a dream never realized. She also loves playing adventure and scavenger hunt games with her other best friends Sammy and Paige. At nap time when she isn't sleepy, she loves to brush her teachers' hair. I think that they are very brave for allowing this because she is certainly not gentle when she plays with mine. I'm so proud of her what with me being the poster child for sullen hostility and chilly reservation and all.
She is so good at identifying patterns and seeing groupings and sets. She is able to figure out what letter words start with by sounding them out, well on her way to wrestling the insanity of the English language into submission. She is a true out-of-the-box thinker and a free spirit. She loves art and colors and has a strong fundamental grasp of Spanish which I credit solely to Dora. She knows her days of the week and what day it is in relation to others. She can identify what yesterday was and tomorrow will be; if you make a mistake, she will call you on it. She is counting by twos, fives and tens and is a stringent rule-follower. She is compassionate but has grown a strength to deal with adversity and challenges on her own instead of turning to teachers for help all the time. She is strong and confident, funny and silly and so, so happy. We are so very proud and privileged to be her parents.
The world is your oyster Noelle-bear. Go get it.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Conversations
Though there is so much about the age of 4 that drives me crazy (the attitude, the absoluteness of, well, everything, the whining - ohmigod the whining) what I'm finding that I'm really enjoying is the ability to have actual conversations with Noelle beyond 'what did you do at school/camp today. (Answer: played in centers. I don't know why I bother to continue asking anymore.)
Last night we were reading the condensed Disney version of 'Beauty and the Beast' and happened upon this turn of phrase: "...dined together...". She immediately stopped me and asked, "What's 'dined' mean?" We were already later in getting her to bed than we liked but for once, I swallowed the flash of irritation and modulated my voice to answer her question. "It means to eat dinner. Belle and the Beast were eating dinner together now." Satisfied, she fell silent taking it all in until we came to another part of the story where Gaston and LeFou set up Maurice to be taken to Mr. D'Arque's insane asylum. (Yes, I was once able to recite this movie from memory complete with songs. Your point?)
"Mommy, what's an 'insane aslyium'?" Have you ever tried to explain the existence of psychiatric hospitals and the history of associated abuse to a preschooler? I don't recommend it, not without heavily fortifying oneself with wine first. But I digress. So I explained that it was a hospital that people were taken to when they were judged to be not right in the head but how that didn't apply to Maurice because we was clearly not crazy since Belle had the magic mirror and could show the townspeople that Maurice wasn't lying or insane. I resisted the urge to get into the chemistry of the brain so really, go me. We finished up the story and rather than feeling frustrated that it had taken so much longer with the stoppages for explanation/discussion, I felt strangely elated. I could really talk to her! She could take in more information, ask questions, become immersed in the world of words as I do. Such a heady feeling and when I leaned down to kiss her goodnight, I told her that I really enjoyed our story; that I loved her being involved and invested in the story. She had the biggest smile on her face as we turned out the light.
A little bit later, she got up to go potty. Again. (For the sake of brevity, this was actually the third trip to the potty.) She was a bit constipated and was finally able to 'get the poopies out.' She heaved a huge sigh of relief, 'That feels so much better.' Which of course led to why sometimes poopies are hard to get out, how they get into our bottoms and where they come from in the first place. I also don't recommend discussing the finer points of elimination after 9 pm but I'm a biologist by education and a food scientist by training so there you go.)
A wonderful end to the day, a glimpse into the future.
Now go the f*ck to sleep.
Last night we were reading the condensed Disney version of 'Beauty and the Beast' and happened upon this turn of phrase: "...dined together...". She immediately stopped me and asked, "What's 'dined' mean?" We were already later in getting her to bed than we liked but for once, I swallowed the flash of irritation and modulated my voice to answer her question. "It means to eat dinner. Belle and the Beast were eating dinner together now." Satisfied, she fell silent taking it all in until we came to another part of the story where Gaston and LeFou set up Maurice to be taken to Mr. D'Arque's insane asylum. (Yes, I was once able to recite this movie from memory complete with songs. Your point?)
"Mommy, what's an 'insane aslyium'?" Have you ever tried to explain the existence of psychiatric hospitals and the history of associated abuse to a preschooler? I don't recommend it, not without heavily fortifying oneself with wine first. But I digress. So I explained that it was a hospital that people were taken to when they were judged to be not right in the head but how that didn't apply to Maurice because we was clearly not crazy since Belle had the magic mirror and could show the townspeople that Maurice wasn't lying or insane. I resisted the urge to get into the chemistry of the brain so really, go me. We finished up the story and rather than feeling frustrated that it had taken so much longer with the stoppages for explanation/discussion, I felt strangely elated. I could really talk to her! She could take in more information, ask questions, become immersed in the world of words as I do. Such a heady feeling and when I leaned down to kiss her goodnight, I told her that I really enjoyed our story; that I loved her being involved and invested in the story. She had the biggest smile on her face as we turned out the light.
A little bit later, she got up to go potty. Again. (For the sake of brevity, this was actually the third trip to the potty.) She was a bit constipated and was finally able to 'get the poopies out.' She heaved a huge sigh of relief, 'That feels so much better.' Which of course led to why sometimes poopies are hard to get out, how they get into our bottoms and where they come from in the first place. I also don't recommend discussing the finer points of elimination after 9 pm but I'm a biologist by education and a food scientist by training so there you go.)
A wonderful end to the day, a glimpse into the future.
Now go the f*ck to sleep.
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