18 months - school

it was baby's first day at school today! i think i was more excited than she was, and also a bit nervous because i didn't know how she would handle being in a strange environment without us around.

decided that it would be better for the hubby to stay with her at the outset given that she's so clingy to me. so once she stepped into school i "disappeared" from sight while the hubby brought her into the main assembly area. after some complaining that she wanted to go gai-gai, she seemed to settle in ok. the hubby was even able to leave her with the teachers and classmates after the playground session. 

when i peeped in again at 10am, baby was hard at work with a wooden block puzzle and then went on to do a lot of scooping of dried pasta from one bowl to another (and back again). 

i was amazed that she was able to sit at the desk and complete so many tasks with the teacher's minimal interference without getting out of her seat and running about like she's so used to doing at home! it's a side of her i have NEVER seen before and i never knew her attention span could last more than 5 minutes!

even at lunch she sat at the table and ate with the rest of her playgroup classmates without fuss and she ate all her food! it's a rare occasion that she's able to remain in her high chair for so long when she is with us, so i was pleasantly surprised that she didn't get into trouble at mealtime as well.

waterworks only started when she caught a glimpse of me after lunch. but the teachers managed to get her to stop crying after her bath. and she was back participating in the sing along session soon afterwards. what a relief!

hoping that this positive phase will last beyond her first day!