No vegans here

Today we were in the car driving along. Ryanne announces that we need to go catch a rabbit. I looked, understandably, a bit confused.

"Why do we need to catch a rabbit?"
"So we can cut it up into small pieces and cook it and eat it."
"..."
"We need a big net so we can catch lots of rabbits to cut up and cook and eat."
"... Ryanne, do you know where beef comes from?"

Yeah...now she wants to know why we don't have a cow so we can have more beef.

Five years

This one seems so momentous. She's 5. She's so independent.

She had her 5 year well check today. She's 43 inches tall and 41.6 pounds. She's just above 50% on both height and weight, but still tracking well. Definitely no risk of being overweight on that one. The doctor asked her a bunch of questions and she answered them all without issue.

They had a bit of miscommunication about the slides at the park, though. The doctor asked if they had a slide that swirled around. Ryanne said they had one that was a circle and one that was part of a circle. I think the doctor was talking about the top down appearance. Ryanne was discussing cross-section. I don't think the doctor got it.

While we were there, Ryanne started gnawing on her knee. The doctor didn't notice because we were talking about other things. I pointed it out. Chrys and I mentioned that she still bites and chews on just about everything. The doctor said she probably has some sensory issues. She'll prescribe occupational therapy as soon as I figure out which of her recommendations takes our insurance. Honestly, I've seen this coming for a long while. It's kind of nice to have the opportunity to work on it.

She did her first urine test. We got to answer lots of questions about what on earth they were going to do with her pee. Oy.

Four was more. She was more everything. I'm curious to see what five has in store for us. I can see we've still got some work to do on listening and human interactions so she's not going to hurt others. All in all, though, she's more sympathetic, more attentive, more aware of her surroundings.

Oh, and did I mention she could read? We're most of the way through the first BOB collection - short vowel sounds and consonants. She's into longer sentences without issue. Crazy.

She's still at the Y in their Mother's Day Out. She seems happy. They're working on doing more things, more complicated things, because they have some older kids this year. There haven't been any fights. I just don't think we can do summers there again. The academic year with continuity and curriculum is fine. The more open play of the summers is just hard on her. Lesson learned.

On the body

Recent statements regarding the human anatomy:
(Pointing at her wrist) My blue vines need more batteries.
(Pointing at her neck, concerned) My heart is in my neck!
(After daddy talked to her and calmed her down) Everyone has lots of hearts in their necks, fingers and ankles.

Apparently daddy had explained that oxygen in the blood was like batteries and that blue blood meant it needed more oxygen. She simplified.

As for the heart, she discovered her pulse on her own. Daddy explained that it was a pulse and told her about the other pulse points. More simplification.

She rocks!

Fail...

After 2 days of how well she was doing, how it seems to be working, how they love her...they had an email complaint this morning that Ryanne had bitten someone during recess yesterday. Ryanne says she didn't, but I watched her almost bite another kid at pickup so I just don't know. She admits to trying to scratch someone because he pushed her. They say he bumped into her and she did scratch.

That reminded me that we had problems when she transitioned to the Y 2 years ago. She bit someone the first week and then stopped. I told them that. I didn't remember it before because it was so long ago and not a continuing problem. She bites at home all the time, but she doesn't do it at school.

After 10 minutes of what a doll, we've loved having her, what does she think, they explained that they didn't think it was working because of the outbreaks and the fact that she's fidgety at the end of circle time. She's right on target for her developmental age, but that age isn't 5. They invited us to try again in January, but I don't know that I will and Chrys absolutely doesn't want to, at least not there. We've already dealt with the Little Gym that labeled her as a problem at the outset and we don't want to risk that again. I took her with me, early, much to their surprise - which I don't get because I would think it would be harder for her to finish out the day with the rest of the class and *then* learn she's not coming back.

I, embarrassingly, cried. She's so, so disappointed. So much for working to fix a problem as it says in their materials. And they kept saying how they don't like surprising people with things, but this was a hell of a shock after the feedback for the rest of the week. Damn "trial week" getting her and my hopes up because, no matter how much I tell her it's a test, she doesn't get that they're testing her, too. This week has been so wonderful with her waking up, eager to go to school.

I don't know what to do. She needs something. *I* need something. The Y doesn't cut it for us anymore because I can't fight her to go everyday. I don't know if our pocketbook can take Montessori. I don't know if I want to send her every day. I guess I need to find some of the part time Montessori schools and see if any of them still have a spot.

Most of all, I'm totally pissed at a school's ability to make me question my knowledge of my daughter. I *know* she's ready for this, but in 15 minutes they made me think I was wrong. Damn them. Damn biting.

First day

Today, Ryanne started Kindergarten.

I had spent the summer wrapping my head around the fact that I couldn't find a good way to get her into K early. That would leave me with trying to entertain her in other ways this year while she stuck it out at MDO. It wasn't easy to do. I had tried many avenues and my best bet was a school that might take her after a mock day in the second week.

Last Thursday, I got a call from Austin Home Base (aforementioned school). They had her teacher evaluations. They thought she looked like a good candidate. They wanted her to start on the first day. She would have a trial week starting immediately and, based on that, a decision would be made about the rest of the year.

Her first day went well. She presented her endangered animal (manatee) to the class. She was on par with her peers.

It is only three days a week. They are longer days than she's used to, though. She was *tired* tonight. She'll have homework to do on the other two days. It's a nice, gradual entry, while we figure out what to do about next year.

I think I'm still shell shocked. I didn't have time to prepare for her to start. On the one hand, I didn't have time to get myself all riled up. On the other, I don't quite have my head wrapped around her being at such a major milestone. *sniff*