Preschool screening, a little late

Ella had preschool screening today. You know, now that she's five. They're supposed to do it when they're 3 or 4. Oops.

I have always thought my children are brilliant. Because that's what mothers do. I thought. But I must say, Public Health is an enlightening place. They see a lot of stuff. Because I said that. How I've always thought Ella's brilliant, but that's what parents do. "Well. Not all of them."

There were a few enjoyable moments. Like when she asked Ella to stand on one foot as long as she could.
Screener: "Good, now the other one."
Ella: "But I'm not done yet."

Or when she pointed to the shapes she wanted Ella to draw, and Ella drew every one of them. She held the paper up to show the other Public Health person, "Look at this! She drew all of them. ALL OF THEM." Well, yes. You asked her to. And for pete's sake, she's been to two years of preschool.

Or when she got to pick one of those giant stickers all the health fields have (over the course of her screening she got to pick FIVE), and Ella said, "I'm picking this one to give my sister." Awww.

Ella can start out pretty shy in new situations with new people. Me too. Only I usually hold my shy longer than 20 minutes. By the end of the appointment Ella is rocking away on a giant green snail so Screener can talk to me about the results and ask more questions. "I love this rocker. I wish we had one at home. If I had this rocker at home, I'd ride it all the time. I'd get one that's a monkey. And Natalie could have this green snail. She'd like that. Natalie's favorite color is green." Etc, etc, etc. Screener was literally doubled over laughing. Just about with tears in her eyes as Ella raced on in her little voice, nary a breath taken. The desk was shaking.

We are now one doctor physical away from kindergarten. I'm finding this to be much like pregnancy, where I liked having her where she was, and had no desire to go through labor. Magically in month 8 or 9 it turns to GET. YOURSELF. OUT. OF. THERE. CHILD. I've been dreading sending her to kindergarten (my baby's not old enough, blah blah blah). As the summer progresses, I'm nearly ready to beat down the door over at the school the moment I see the teacher's cars pull up.

Look for me on CNN. Crazy mom threatens teachers a week before school starts. Was heard shouting, "I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! I SEE YOU! I WATCHED YOU PARK YOUR CAR. LET HER IN NOW," before breaking through a window and leaving her child in the kindergarten room.

Ok, I promise to be better than that. Those windows look hard to break.