Sunday, April 3, 2011

The Growing Awareness of Others, Kindergarten Version

Our six-year-old, Owen, has loved every day of Kindergarten. Most schools around here require uniforms, and his school is no exception. I love uniforms! We bought three pairs of pants and three shirts at the beginning of the year, and we'll make it through to the end, too, with only an inch or two of sock showing.
When the order form for school spirit clothing came home in Owen's backpack, the very first thing I noticed was the extremely high price of expressing spirit. In fact, I may have snorted my coffee through my nose or something like that. I couldn't get past my feelings over the cost, but I wanted Owen to be able to have a mascot shirt. I did what any other crafty mama would have done; I stenciled my own version of the ACS Ram on a plain blue t-shirt I just happened to have hanging in my sewing room. It more than satisfied Owen. He was very pleased.

And then, he started noticing all the other kids who wore Atmore Christian hoodies, and we began to hear a new theme around our house. Owen wanted his own, very specific hoodie. We knew what he wanted it to say. We knew what picture it was supposed to have on the front. We knew it needed to have a string *right here* like the big kids. And then, the naming of the cousins who had Atmore Christian hoodies began. With that came more questions of why their parents had chosen to buy hoodies.

Finally I borrowed a card from my sister in law, and told him he could have one if he paid for half out of his chore money. Oh, the joy in that kid's heart! I had some excitement too, because it was golden motivation for completing his work.

He saved his money, and the big day finally came, just in time for a too-warm-for-a-hoodie spring. His daddy took him into the school office. The secretary had a few on hand, and Owen came home looking like the cat that ate the cream. Here's another picture of that proud boy. He had changed for P.E. and put that hoodie right back on!

Slightly unrelated, but every once in a great while, Owen will fall asleep during his Saturday afternoon rest. I couldn't resist taking his picture.
His little sister Helen was amused at how solidly he was sleeping.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

He is so big! I am sooo old!

maren said...

Ah, this post was a bittersweet one. I can remember those same feelings as a kid, but it's sad when they realize that what they have is no longer cool. Sigh. I love seeing how proud he is of the sweat shirt. How do you go about rest time? Does he half to sit on the chair? Just curious what you do as they 'outgrow' naps...

maren said...

*'have'..can you tell I was typing that quickly?

Cottonista said...

Maren, Owen usually has a rest time at school, but when he's home he DEFINITELY has one. (Don't tell him, but it's actually MY rest time.) I just require him and his sister to stay quietly wherever their resting place is for the day and look at books until "the big hand gets to the 12" or whatever time it's supposed to be. But outgrowing naps...yeah, I feel your pain!

Anonymous said...

and then... mean substitute Kindergarten teachers will stupidly send said hoodie home with a child that is most definitely not Owen! And of all days it had to happen on the Friday before Spring break! Oh well, after a jog out to Molly's house and then a jog down Weber Rd., the hoodie is safely back to its owner. Did he tell you THAT story? :)

Cottonista said...

Ruth let us know what happened, Doug! Thanks so much for going the literal extra mile!!

Anonymous said...

You are more than welcome... anything for Owen. :)

Grandma Ruby said...

My heart literally melts at this post. Seeing Owen in his hoodie and curled up in his sleeping chair are very sweet.

Unknown said...

Adorable. He sure is a cutie pie all curled up on his chair :) :)

I love helping kids learn the value of a $. In fact I just wrote about it on my blog today. :)