Child of the Week

Today was a big day for Julia at her school. As "Child of the Week," she got to bring in a parent - yours truly - to help out in the classroom for the day. In addition, she got to bring in a special snack (pumpkin muffins), and was today's calendar helper:




She also got to choose three items from home and bring them to school in the class Dinosaur bag and present them for show-and-tell today. The three items she opted for were:



As we packed her items in the Dinosaur bag, I imagined all the detailed things she would have to say as she showed them to the class. I was in for a bit of a surprise there; most of you blog readers are familiar with the energetic, verbose, often goofy Julia that I see every day. Apparently at school she is more of a subdued, shy Julia, which, I guess, makes sense, seeing as I was quite shy and quiet as a kid. Here's a general synopsis of how show-and-tell went:

JULIA: (holding up the sheet music to "Frere Jacques") Um, Mama, YOU tell them what it is.
ME: Why don't you tell them about it?
JULIA: (smiling shyly) I don't know.
TEACHERS: Is that music?
KIDS: (all shouting over each other) Do you play the piano? My sister has that! Oh, my sister plays the piano and SHE has that! I HAVE THAT AT MY HOUSE!
ME: Julia, what instrument do you play?
JULIA: The piano.
ME: And is this one of the songs you play?
JULIA: (nodding and handing me the music to get her next item.)
TEACHERS: How long have you been playing the piano?
JULIA: A long time.
ME: Well, since the summer.
TEACHERS: And what else do you have?
JULIA: (holding up one of her My Little Ponies) My mom got me this for Easter.
ME: And what is it?
JULIA: A pony.
ME: What's her name?
JULIA: Fluttershy.
KIDS: (shouting over each other) We have My Little Pony! Oh, my SISTER has MY LITTLE PONY! WE DON'T HAVE MY LITTLE PONY!
JULIA: (handing me Fluttershy and getting her next item.)
TEACHERS: What else did you bring?
JULIA: (holding up her Halloween necklace) My dad's mother got this for me.
ME: And what do you call her?
JULIA: Nana.
TEACHERS: Did it come like that, or did you make it?
JULIA: I made it.
KIDS: (all shouting over each other) OH, I HAVE ONE OF THOSE! I have one but it only has two pumpkins and beads, it doesn't have the other thing. I HAVE A GHOST!!!

Once show-and-tell was over with, the kids got busy playing, and Julia wanted me right by her side in every activity she took part in. It was nice seeing her social interaction with her peers, using her manners ("Excuse me, I need to put this puzzle piece here!") and initiating play. She even got to play her "Frere Jacques" on the piano for the class, during which she was much more confident and less shy than she had been for show-and-tell. Perhaps the highlight of the day for me was that I got to do a music session with the class, getting a chance to know all of her class-mates.

Here are a few pictures of Julia at play:





And a big thank-you to Ethan, who stayed home with Madeleine this morning so that I could go and be the parent helper at school. Although I do wonder what on earth he did with Madeleine today, seeing as her first comment to me upon returning home was, "Mom, I had fun Daddy's CHURCH!"