Tonight when we were playing before bed, Lyle handed me his little Baby Carmen doll (so named after his new nanny - adorable).
"You need to go to school now, Baby Carmen," he explained.
Knowing that my son has some mild nervousness about being dropped off (for a whole hour!) at nursery school for the first time tomorrow morning, I made Baby Carmen squeak, in perfect imitation of Lyle himself, "But, Daddy! I'm nervous about school!"
He looked at her for a moment, and then took her from me and cradled her in his arms, kissing her on the top of her newborn head. "I will carry you there. You'll be fine. The teachers there are...good."
"But...where will you be?" asked Baby Carmen.
"I have to go to work, and you will be fine. You'll be safe with the teachers. And I will always pick you up after the Good-bye Song and take you home," he told her with great assurance.
"What will I do there?" asked his Baby, still sounding nervous.
"Oh! You will play with blocks, and the babies in the water table, and even the chef! There's so many toys there!" he told her, big brown eyes lighting up more with each item he named.
"But what if I miss you?" she asked.
He thought about this for a moment. "Mmm, maybe you should bring a teddy bear, like Wemberly brought Petal to school?"
Brilliant suggestion! (Any idea that can lead to reading a Kevin Henkes book is automatically brilliant, as far as I'm concerned.)
He picked out a teddy bear for Baby Carmen that was literally twice as big as she was, declared it Petal, and she held it tight.
Lyle brought the baby to "school" across the room, gave her "a big hug and a big kiss" and then gently deposited her on a chair and went off to work.
I think we're gonna be okay.
****
In case you were wondering what this crazy crew was doing a year ago...
And how about two years ago?
What fun to be able to go back and get such a clear picture of it all.
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6 comments:
Oh yes, your little guy will do just fine...
And what fun to look back--you guys have had a busy couple of years, but how great is it to feel like you've come home to Chicago. I do think your city suits you in that way.
What a good mom you are to do that role play! Blogging is so awesome for recording our lives. I agree with Kristen that Chicago suits you.
What a brilliant kid - he's halfway to a degree in psychology. I hope the day went well!
The exchange you had with your child was the most precious thing I've ever read. I was in tears.
Thank you, anonymous! You made my day. Come back anytime.
Oh, and Lori and Kristen - Chicago does suit me in a way I didn't know was possible! If I were to write about how much I love this city as often as I want to, none of you would ever come back - the repetitive gushing would send everyone running!
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