Javier Ignacio just started pre-kinder, or “school” as he calls it. What will those kids think up next, huh? He has been so excited to attend school like his siblings. On his first day, he asked for his lunchbox, his lonchera, and I had to tell him that it was only to be a half-day. No lunch.
“Why, Daddy, I want my lunchbox!” And he cried and wailed. He was so excited to pack a lunch and head off to school.
“Javier, you’re only going to be there for a half day. There’s no lunch. You’ll have lunch when you get home.”
And Javier was despondent, thoroughly dejected and disillusioned. Poor little munchkin.
“Javier,” said Laura coming to the rescue, “why don’t we pack you a snack in your lonchera. You can take an apple, a snack bar, and some juice. Does that sound good?”
Javier cheered right up and all was right with the world.
His first day was a success. Javier was just like Jaimito, ready to learn, ready to be in SCHOOL! But the next day, due to the swine flu and a staggered schedule, he didn’t have school.
“Why?! I want to go to school. Why does Jaimito get to go to school?!” And Javier cried, for the world was not fair and just.
Here they are heading out on day one. Jaimito didn’t have school on that first day due to a staggered start schedule.
Don’t confuse squinting in morning tropical sun for frowning… at least I don’t think they were frowning.
After an uneven start, the next few days were uneventful, except for Javier’s excessive requirement for sleep. This little boy would come home so happy, so thrilled, so excited, so tired, he started falling asleep at 6pm and waking up at 6am the following morning. But on days, he was deprived of his sleep, his tired yet still passionate brain would complain: “I don’t want to go to school.” And he cried, “Daddy, how do you make the world end?”
“Huh, like end how?”
“End. I want the world to end.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want to go to school.”
“Oh, who’s my little evil super villain in training? Shall I get you a monocle and a Persian cat?”
“What, Daddy?”
We teased him and made fun of his overly dramatic attempts to ditch. He seems to be over it, but Javier, as it turns out, is not a morning person. For the past two days I’ve been forced to awakened my little sleeping super villain with whispers of strawberries, his favorite fruit.
“Javier, it’s time to get up for school.”
“I don’t wanna,” and he curled up in his blanket turning away from me hoping I’d go away.
“Javier, Daddy has strawberries. Would you like some strawberries on your cereal?”
“Uh huh.” And he got up in a flash. He got up for strawberries.
The next day it was strawberries and pancakes. “Javier, I have pancakes with strawberries and syrup. Yum. Doesn’t that sound good?”
“Yeah, Daddy.” And he bounced right up. Cute.
We seem to have gotten past the whole destroy the world to avoid school scheme. Whew! That was a close one.
I guess every evil super villain has a weakness. But strawberries? Come on!
From now on, I’m packing strawberries in my utility belt… just in case.