A Great Day, and a School Update

We have had the nicest day today! The weather was beautiful here, and Charlie was in a perfect mood all day. He slept until 8 (a treat, since we went to a wedding reception last night and pretended we were young kids that could stay out late), and then he played in the basement with me while I slowly woke up. We headed to the park after breakfast, and then to Old Navy for a Halloween costume and some new fall clothes. Charlie and I swung by Los Tios, one of his favorite restaurants, on the way home from shopping and enjoyed a delicious lunch on the outdoor patio. He behaved so well at the restaurant, ate tons of beans and a little chicken, and chattered to me in his language. I couldn't stop thinking about how proud I am of him, and how much fun we have ahead. He's been testing us a lot lately, but today he was just pure joy.

We headed back to the park this afternoon before dinner, this time with Daddy. There were a couple of 3 year old boys there who were running around like mad, playing and yelling and wrestling with each other. It's interesting to see how Charlie is around other kids who are more advanced than he; he loves watching them and laughs as they play, but he's not quite ready to join in. I know that will change soon, and school will probably have a lot to do with it.

Speaking of school, Charlie has done well again this week. He doesn't cry when Pamela drops him off, though she says he sometimes gets mad, or looks at her with sad eyes. His teacher says he's doing well in the classroom. She is really great about giving us regular updates on his progress, via notes sent home in his backpack and emails to me. Here’s an excerpt from a recent email:

Charlie had another great day today, he talked non-stop! At circle time, he wanted more music and kept pointing at the CD player. So I got him to say, “Go!” for each song I played, he loved it. He is also learning to be independent walking along the hallway, I am trying to get him to follow the others rather than needing to hold hands (just inside the building, it’s too busy outside) and he is doing so well. What a joy he is to work with!

His teacher is even coming for a home visit on Thursday; they like to see each kid in his or her home environment and get to know the family better. I feel so lucky that we ended up buying a house in Fairfax County, because the school system and programs are fantastic. This is going to be such a great year for our boy!