George had his first day of Orff music class today. He knows the teachers but still became painfully shy. It was a new building with new kids. He did not know what to expect, and he did not want me to leave. In fact, he became attached to me. He was dead weight against me and was not going to move. His face was bright red from blushing, and I began to feel that this was exactly the wrong thing. I sat closer and closer to the kids in the circle and he followed me. Finally, I saw him accidentally moving his foot (the left one) to the music. He slowly began to do the motions and eventually joined the kids.
At one point the kids formed a circle with the teachers. George was accidentally in the middle of the circle. The teachers misunderstood and said, "That's okay George. You can be in the middle." He started turning red again and moved into a scared posture that is unfamiliar to me. Of course he didn't want to be in the middle. The hand grabbing just happened too fast. I wanted to say something, but I think it would have upset him more. He got through it. I got through it (barely). The class moved on and George began to really enjoy it. He got very upset when Ryk said that there was no class next week.
He has always had this "shy" side. He likes to be thoroughly prepared. He likes control. Starting new things like this in a safe environment... with me not too far away... is good, I think. We need to help him find the tools to deal with this as it will always be with him (and we aren't always). The teacher, who I like very much, told me that George will be fine when I leave. "Yes," I said. "He'll be okay, but I'm going to begin slowly and make the separation gentle. George is sensitive and the newness and separation is very jarring to him." I was proud of myself for being upfront. The teacher nodded ("yeah, yeah, yeah" he was probably thinking).
Adeline isn't feeling very well tonight. She went to sleep at 5PM and woke up an hour and a half later with a fever. She sat at the table with her brothers and her three "da"s (pacifiers). She didn't say a word. She had no comment on anything. She didn't touch her food.
After some Tylenol she felt a little better and required books from Daddy (with her brothers) and multiple songs from me. She demanded a "Ba ba" (bottle - these names go back to infancy) and then proceeded to stick it in her mouth along with her pacifier. "Chocolate" she said... at least I think that's what she said. "Chocolate?" I asked. "Yes." "It's milk." "It's chocolate milk." I'd poured it myself. We have no chocolate milk. She, as far as I know, has never had chocolate milk. "'It's milk." "It's chocolate." "I know it's milk." She smiled. I checked. White milk. She laughed at me. And she took her pacifier out and downed the milk. "Chocolate."
Sassy one. I think it was her first April Fool's joke. And she got me.
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