Well, Sunniva, turns out we've gotten some more Daddy-Dynne time. 'Dynne' is of course what you call yourself these days: it began with a tentative whisper in the car on the way to Stavanger from Kristiansand, and has now developed into several variations which you love to pronounce all day long - while singing, looking at pictures or in the mirror, or just babbling away as you do so well.
Your transition from life at home with us to the daily routine of the barnehage has actually gone very well. Mommy and I were with you on the first three days (less and less so each day) and then you managed a few hours alone on your first Thursday and Friday, but you got an upset tummy and were very unhappy by the end of the day on Friday when we came to get you.
The second week was difficult for all of us - you cried, screamed and protested every morning when we dropped you off (almost always me) - and were often in a similar mood when I picked you up in the afternoon after work. Your teachers have been great at sending us messages and pictures to let us know how you're doing, but it was still no fun to know that you were crying your eyes out at times and wondering what on earth was happening to the safe little world you knew.
But thanks to your prodigious language abilities, you soon learned that 'mamma jobber' and 'pappa jobber' and you began to form a strong bond to Hilde, your contact teacher. During the first week alone you didn't want to play so much with the other kids, but you felt safe when you were with Hilde. The first two days you were so tired when you came home that you roamed around the house like a zombie; eyes wide and mind clearly overfull with all the new impression. This did make for some excellent sleeping at last (Mommy cutting out soy products also helped a great deal) and by your third week everything was going swimmingly.
Your teachers all love you and are very impressed by how much you talk, and you seem to enjoy playing with everyone now, as you've learned all their names! Things were already better by your third week - protesting only when dropped off but really enjoying your days after that - and by the middle of your fourth week I was somewhat shocked and even slightly insulted (not really;-) when you barely turned around to say goodbye to me in the morning, but this is in fact the best feeling Mommy and I can have - to know that you feel safe and happy when you're away from us for such a long period of time every day.We are very grateful that we chose this barnehage for you because it's really lived up to our first impression - the staff are highly competent, compassionate and communicative, and we know you're going to continue to thrive.
You've grown so much since beginning in the barnehage, and you're learning in new ways because of the contact with different people. Your language continues to explode, and you've even come home with some Eastern versions of words you've always said in Mommy's Western dialect - 'smokk' instead of 'tutt' being the funniest example. Your legs are finally starting to catch up with your tongue, too, as you can now walk (totter) about while only holding on to one hand. You've also started to dance during this past month - the cutest little up and down shake we've ever seen - and you even say 'shake a booty' when you dance! You much prefer standing to sitting, and love to explore countertops, chairs and anything that is just above eye level and slightly out of reach (Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development:-).
This brings me to the importance of schooling, and teachers, and the comfort level of students. I had the pleasure of welcoming back my ninth graders for three days but then school shut down due to a nationwide teachers' strike. I've now missed seven days of school, and it's now another Sunday night and there's no solution in sight. So, a strange and unexpected lull in what is usually a time of excitement and energy.
In typical fashion, I used all of my energy to fill my strike-time by starting my autumn swim practices on Monday and Tuesday, but I must have pushed myself a bit too hard, in addition to carrying you on my shoulders to and from work (we don't have that second car yet) and walking all the way to town to partake in strike activities, because I got sick! And what happens when one person in the family gets sick? Everyone gets sick!
Sorry to say that you came down with a fever on Thursday night and then Mommy got it on Friday. We've had a miserable weekend with little sleep and lots of snot, and now you've got a frog in your throat - ribbit! Oh, poor baby, it's your first real cold, and it's no fun to hear you cough like that. You're too young to know what's happening, too young to blow your own nose or cough intentionally to make yourself breathe better. I certainly hope you have a better night tonight, but regardless, you and I are staying home tomorrow until you're better. Maybe you can return to the barnehage on Tuesday, but for now, you're going to get as much TLC as we can give!
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