On Monday, April 2, Mike and I walked into Caroline’s daycare and into the TODDLER 1 classroom. We carried 2 sippy cups: one for water, one for milk. That was it. No bottles, no breast milk (or any outside food) allowed. Caroline was dressed in her required “sturdy hard soled walking shoes” and was shown her cot (no cribs here!) where she would sleep during her ONE nap of the day. Lots of changes going from the baby room to the big kid room! We were in the Big League now.

We left her in the care of her new loving teachers and headed to the parking lot. I took a deep breath and Mike pulled me close…he asked, “are you going to be okay? I know this is a big step.” It sure is, but she is ready!

Each week in the Toddler classroom has a theme. I love this. The first week was “Easter” and all sorts of egg-related fun took place, including an Easter egg hunt (the teachers filled a basket and eggs with bubbles, stickers, and goldfish–so cute!), playtime in an Easter “sensory bin” (a child size bucket filled with Easter grass).

After the first full week, we were informed that Caroline had an admirer…a little boy named Gideon. The teachers also informed us, giggling, that Caroline did not reciprocate Gideon’s affection and that she made it very clear. I didn’t believe this until I saw this picture.

Two things jumped out at me right away:

1. OK, so she really does NOT seem to like that sweet looking boy!
2. We need to do something about that hair!

Here’s another one of the hair situation…the boy situation, well…not much I can do to help you there. But the hair situation, I should be more reliable 😉

She is practically begging me (or anyone, for that matter) for help. I went out that day and bought some tiny little clear rubber bands. They are so tiny, they would be snug around a pencil. I tried to convince Mike that he needed to learn how to “do hair” so he could help and just laughed at me when I showed him the bands. He said, “but I have these great big bear paws you see…” I don’t think one of these rubber bands could fit around his pinky!

The next day, Sugar Bear was rocking the top ponytail, which we lovingly called the “palm tree.”

Much better. Here she is working on an artistic masterpiece at school.

After a few days, I even got brave and added a bow. Here she is making her “April showers” umbrella.

This girl loves anything that looks like a dot–a circle, a button, etc. These round stickers were a hit.

So after two full weeks in the Toddler 1 room, here is how we are doing:

1. We no longer cry at drop off. (I am proud of Caroline and me!)
2. We sleep on our cot for 2 solid hours a day! The first day was no good, nap-wise. I thought the classroom was cold so I brought in a heavier blanket. Coincidence? I don’t know but she sleeps now! Nevermind that all the other kids sleep from 12-2 and mine sleeps from 1-3. The teachers say this is what works and to that I say, fantastic. You do you.
3. We come home with dirty knees every day. For some reason, I love this. I feel like it means she plays hard. And playing so hard that you get dirty is the children equivalent of adults having so much fun they forget to check their phones. And isn’t that what you want?
4. We eat ALL of our breakfast, lunch, and 2 snacks each and every day. The little one year olds all sit in chairs at tables and eat their food in the calmest, most orderly fashion. I witnessed it and it was a beautiful sight. God bless those teachers. (Although I did learn that they have to scoot Caroline further away from the others because she has a reputation for snatching snacks from the other kids. Oh the shame! Whose child is this anyway?!? I promise we feed her. It’s just that she is a bottomless pit.)
5. We have not warmed up to Gideon. He still tries. We do, however, enjoy the presence of another little gentleman named Maddox. Maddox is a blonde haired, blue-eyed boy who enjoys playing with and sitting by Miss Caroline. They sit next to each other on the buggy (giant stroller that fits all 9 children) and apparently like to “hug and hold hands.” I have asked for photographic evidence because this sounds just too cute.
6. We still loooove our Infant 1 teacher, Ms. Faye. Caroline spotted Ms. Faye in the hallway and lunged her body towards her with such intensity that Mike had to catch himself. It made her whole daycare experience seem so real to me–she spends real time here with people who show her real love and she will make real memories here!
7. We just got invited to our first daycare center friend birthday party…it’s for one of the Ethans 🙂
8. We have a collection of art (from the “Easter” week and then “Weather” week) that would make Kay Kay proud. I was starting to get anxiety as these masterpieces cluttered up my fridge until I found them a more permanent home (in the basement). She makes something adorable almost each and every day.

Here is the Caroline Isabella Gallery Wall (so far):

Happy to report there’s lots of fun in Toddler 1!