ALEX'S FIRST DAYS AT SCHOOL

Alexander began attending summer school at Wittaya Sathid School in Phuket Town yesterday.  Remarkably, we didn't have any problems waking him up at 6:30 in the morning and he shed a lot less tears than I suspected (this is a kid that cries up a storm when his mama leaves his sight for longer than five minutes or so).  I didn't ride along when my wife took him to school but she reported that Alex was very respectful to his teacher upon meeting him, complete with the proper wai and a polite "Sawasdee khap" (he'd actually been rejected by several schools because he was rude during the interview process).

Upon returning home, our son reported that he'd made several new friends (with names like "Cartoon" and "Watermelon") and that they'd read a story, sang some songs, and had a nap.  Since he didn't have any homework I had Alex begin a daily journal in which I want him to write what he learns/does each day at school.  I also want him to include one thing he enjoys the most each day.  By beginning the journal on the first day I figure it will get him into the habit of doing "homework" before he can play or watch television at home each afternoon.  It's also a useful method for Tim and I to track his progress (right now, he can't even write so he dictates what he wants my wife to write) and shows him that we are interested in his days at school (away from us).  After each sentence that Tim wrote, I asked her to translate it for me.

This morning, it was a bit more difficult to get Alexander out of bed and into the shower.  We purchased some fried chicken at a roadside vendor (amidst my protests that this wasn't a good thing to eat for breakfast) and Alex ate in the sidecar during the 30-minute ride to school.

Here are some photos from yesterday and this morning:

eating a "proper" breakfast before leaving for school yesterday


showing papa his King Naresuan notebook


checking his brand-new backpack


searching for mama's keys (she can never find them whenever we need to go somewhere; I plan to buy a key peg-board for the new house)


realizing that mama can't stay with him at school


saying "goodbye" to papa


climbing into the sidecar for the ride to school


running late on the second day, Alex ate a fried chicken breakfast while Tim sped down the roads to school


going off to class but checking to see that we haven't left yet


Alex's school