It has been crazy busy around here – probably everyone else, too!
Let me start my catching up by showing Thane’s visit with Santa today. Santa Claus visited his preschool today. The children sang for him and Thane was too cute. He sings at the top of his lungs. It’s charming in a goofy kind of way, and it makes everyone smile. He was in the front row too, which was a bit of a surprise to me.
I wasn’t sure if I should go as I haven’t been feeling well this week and I knew I couldn’t stand through kids singing and visiting Santa. Dave was kind of enough to talk to teachers and make sure they reserved a chair for me.
Both of the older classes were in the studio for the party, so it looked like 20 kids, perhaps more. Thane was the second one to go see Santa. He cheerfully sat on Santa’s lap. He said he has been good this year and asked for a ball (and people think I am kidding when I say just about any boy is happy to get a ball, or several, as a gift). He was given a present there, a book. All the kids brought in a wrapped book to be handed out as presents for the kids – I thought that was a great idea.
As soon as Thane looked up, he saw me. He had to point me out to Santa, who waved and Thane was entranced by the bells on his wrist.
He got his book, ran to hug me, unwrap it, and immediately ask if he could go home. That’s Thane – when he’s done his part, he’s done with it all. I suggested he sit, so he sat down and read his book through. Then he went up in between kids to thank Santa, which I think Santa thought was cute.
But then Thane came back and again asked to go home. I was starting to feel two things – the seat of the old chair underneath my big butt starting to crack, probably because I had to perch on it in a strange way, and that Thane was behaving differently from other kids. The other children would go back and rejoin their group, but Thane was really feeling that I was there and it was time to go. Thane went to talk to Santa a third time and I heard him suggest in a very jovial way that Thane should allow other children a turn.
I looked at the treat table and realized there was nothing there he could have if I dared stay perched on that chair, and he asked four times to go home. He looked disheveled and very tired, and it sounded as if he was cranky in the classroom before the party. I asked if it was okay to just take him, and was told it was.
One of the teachers was very sweet – they all are, really, but this one really goes out of her way for me without making me feel like the problem I feel like I am. She got Thaney’s bag from the other building and brought them to the car. I told her that I broke the chair she reserved for me and she didn’t miss a beat, she was very sweet about it. I asked if she could please remove it before someone actually got hurt on it. Sigh. Preschool’s just don’t tend to have furniture built for very large people. I’m just glad I got to tell her and that she was nice about it.
So I have some mixed feelings about the day and the visit to school. It is clear to me that Thane thinks of me as his ticket home, so he doesn’t really want me to be there for another reason. I was really stressed about going because I just haven’t been well this week, but I didn’t want to miss him seeing Santa. In a weird way, I feel like I handled it okay, even if it was one of those events that I dread. A friend of mine actually shattered a chair recently and I was so impressed with her for just thinking it was hilarious. He was thrilled to see me there and to share his book with me, but I feel like I cut his party short. He did come home and have an upset tummy, though, so I am sure it is better that he didn’t stay in the same room with all those cookies and such.
I made up cards for the teachers and gave them each a beaded bookmark as Thane likes to help me with those. It feels like rather little in comparison to what these teachers do for and with Thane, but there were also seven of them to give gifts to today!
