Reflections

When Alyssa went from kindergarten to first grade, I was all, "Oh my gosh, where did the time go." I think there may have been some hand-wringing in there for dramatic affect.

When she exited first grade last Wednesday there was nary a hand-wring in sight. Yes, yes, she's growing so fast and I'm losing my baaybeeee, but...well, I kind of like this new, more mature little girl that is emerging from the cocoon of whininess that has enveloped my child and kept her safe for, oh, the last three years or so.

Where kindergarten (have I ever mentioned how much I HATE it when people call it 'kindy'? If you're one of those people, please don't be offended, it just rubs me the wrong way. Call it a sensory thing.) taught Alyssa the hard and fast rules of school, such as speaking to an adult when spoken to (she's bad about this when I'm around, *sigh*) and raising your hand when you have a question. First grade taught her the more subtle nuances of school.

She made friends in kindergarten but there were more one on one friends. In first grade, she made groups of friends. She learned that there is a hierarchy and that she wants nothing to do with it. I love this about her. I also find it amusing that since she cares nothing about the hierarchy, those kids who deem themselves at the top of the hierarchy want to be her friends. Interesting, that.

Kindergarten taught her to count to 100 and beyond, first grade taught her to add and subtract.

She went from a few sight words and reading from word to word to chapter books read with cadence and emotion. She reads silently to herself as well as aloud to her sister.

Speaking of her sister, Alyssa seems to have grown into her role as the big sister. She is so very good to Olivia. Of course there are still moments of jealousy, when she points out that she never gets to sleep next to me anymore since Olivia sleeps in the middle of the bed (yes, yes we are co-sleepers. And yes, I HATE it but...we do it anyway.) But overall she seems to have come to a place where she sees the benefits of being the first-born.

She no longer talks in babytalk to get attention. Instead, she plays with her sister, teaching her to pretend, teaching her to be a horse, playing house and being the mom while her sister is the baby.

Some of this change could very well be because once Alyssa headed off to school, she no longer had to sit through thrice weekly therapies with Olivia as the center of attention. She was finally in a setting where SHE was the one people were paying attention to, people were teaching HER.

Gymnastics starts tonight for both girls. Olivia's class is first and then Alyssa's. I think Alyssa will enjoy it a lot just because she loves to throw herself around.

We're using the gymnastics as a sort of physical therapy for Olivia rather than pay for private therapy through the summer.

I can't wait to see how much they both grow from yet another area of experience.