Big Man on Campus

Everywhere he goes at our school he hears, "Hey, Rocco!" Teachers, principals, small kids, even big fifth graders. They all know the big man on campus; that's because I work at the school he attends and most people have known about the "science teacher's son" since he came home from Vietnam. Most of the time, he just looks at people like, "How do they know my name?" After about a week, I think he's gotten used to it. The after school care kids have always liked coming to my room to "help" me. Now, they enjoy keeping Rocco occupied. After he eats his afternoon snack he asks me, "Now what can I do?" Thankfully, they help me find things for him.

I know so many people have prayed for Rocco's transition to school. I simply give God the glory for how smoothly things have gone. He LOVES recess. His second favorite, he told his dad was . . . recess, too. No, really - he also likes PE. He brags about the fact that he stops when he hears the whistle. (Evidently that's the important thing when you're teaching 20 three and four year old's in gym. . . knowing when to stop.) He thinks it's fun running in there with his friends. I'm sure the gym seems so large to him.

In art, his class just completed self portraits of themselves. I got to look at them all. Pretty funny to see how kids perceive themselves. Rocco was the only one to draw a unibrow over his eyes. Guess he's used to his daddy's and his big eyebrows.

As for computer class, he knows what to do. He's sat in my lap enough in our home office to know how to use a mouse, where the back button is, and what "Favorites" are. The computer teacher said many of the kids had trouble and kept getting stuck during class. Little man in his headphones just kept on going.

The music teacher cracked him and his class up. Our southern, down-to-earth, music teacher from Alabama has some unusual sayings. Rocco picked one up from him. "Well, hush my mouth!"

He has two classroom teachers that are doing a wonderful job with the class. Often I'll see their group going to and from the cafeteria or to another location; Rocco will just stop, put his hand up, and say, "Hey mom!" He's so big. He then keeps walking with his class. (I think they've had to work on him running to the front of the line. Being an only child, he didn't have the grasp of waiting, especially in a line. Now, I think he understands that he actually has to be behind others. Great life lesson!)

And to keep him motivated (you know like to use the potty at school, turn in his morning folder, eat well at lunch - the important stuff) I bought new racecars from Disney's CARS. Every afternoon, he earns one if he meets his goals. It's Thursday and he's earned 3 for the week! We're so proud of our big man on campus!

52 months old

Fifty-two months. That's how old our little boy is now. And here are just a few things that he's into lately.

1) Dinosaurs. He knows every dinosaur in one of his books from home, Dinosaur Train. It's funny to hear such a little person pronounce all those names: T Rex, Diplodocus, Brachiosaurus, Triceratops, and Spinosaurus. Granddaddy aggravates him and tries to confuse him by asking, "Well, where's the Roccosaurus?"

2) And speaking of dinosaurs, Rocco loves to pretend that one is after us. "Hurry! There's a T Rex!" he'll say. We'll have to jump on the bed quickly. Every now and then a shark will be after us, too.

3) He continues to give me lots of loving. Now, after he does so he will say, "Don't tell daddy 'bout that cause he'll say (and he uses a deep voice here) 'That's my loving.'" It's so funny. When I laugh and laugh, he'll say, "Hey, what's so funny guys?" I'll tell him that he's the funny one. He comes back with this reply, "I'm not funny. I'm just an ol' fussy pot!" I don't know where he picked up this term, but he insists that we are all fussy pots. I think it actually means we are all happy.

4) During Sunday service at church one morning, Jason came down from the pulpit area while preaching and walked near the congregation. Rocco turned to me and asked, "Why's daddy off his porch?" Cracked me up! I told Richard, one of our deacons at church, and he said at least he wasn't off his rocker.

5) Just like any other boy, Rocco thinks that poots and burps are funny. We try to teach him proper manners and to say, "Excuse me." The other night at supper, I thought he was choked. Instead, it was a big burp that nearly took his breath. For hours he talked about that big burp. "That was the biggest burp ever!" I told him that even I couldn't burp that big.

Now this next part he came up with on his own - with his witty little sense of humor. If we're talking to him and we say something like, "I would like to do this, but. . . " he says, "Butt? Did you say butt?" He knows the differences in the but(t)s, and he loves to make a joke out of it.

6) This is a big age for Rocco. A stage where I'm having to let go just a little. He just started attending a Sunday School class for the first time without me. I've been his Sunday School teacher since he was old enough to attend one. He did great that first time without me. I was glad, but part of me missed him. And now that he's starting school, I'll have to let go a little more.

Where Did My Baby Go?

How can three and a half years go by so fast? I've tried to document so many events of our little boy's life, hoping that time would go a little slower if I kept up with each little happening. But regardless, I literally turned around a few times and I went from riding to his orphanage to pick him up to preparing to take him to pre K. Part of me is so happy to know I've been blessed to have this beautiful gift to see grow up, but the other half just wants to cry because he's not a baby anymore.

He asked me today, "Mom, why do you call me a baby?" I had to explain to him, just like my mom did to me, that no matter how old or how big he gets, he will always be my baby. Sure, he's a big boy now, but I don't care if he turns 100 one day he'll still be my baby.

I rocked him tonight (Rocco's request). As we cuddled in the rocking chair, I sang him some of the same songs I've sang to him over the last 3 years (I Love You Forever, Mama Told Me So, Jesus Loves Me, Jesus Loves the Little Children, and Ba Ba Bush Ka) and he still felt small in my arms. I cherished that time, trying to take it in and hold it forever in my mind. Please time don't go by so fast. My teary eyes can't take too much more.

Rocco Is Starting School

I'm not a mess. . . yet. Ask me Monday how I'm doing. That's when Rocco officially begins school. Tonight was just PTO Open House. Here's a picture of our little family (Jason's head was cut off by the kid photographer who took our picture - JJ- ha!)

Pre-K is already here for our little man. It's surreal. I mean we just brought him home from Vietnam not long ago. Now he's four and about to spend 8 hours a day away from us. Sure he's been away from me for that long before considering I've worked a job, but he's always been with Carolyn and Gary. Soon he'll be in a classroom full of some kids I don't even know who have been raised by parents I've never met. What will he do without us there? Who will open his favorite chips at lunch? Who will remind him to say his blessing before he eats? Who will insist that he say, "Mam?" instead of "Huh?" He'll be going to the bathroom without me to help him. Who will help him put his pants back on when he throws them off? Those are the kinds of things I worry about.

The good thing is that he's not away from family completely. One of his classroom teachers is Jason's first cousin. That puts my mind somewhat at ease. And another thing that helps me is knowing that I'll be there at the same school all day (albeit another hall over - but still I can check on him). Here he is with his teachers, Ms. Susan and Mrs. Bond.

I hope he won't bite on his fingers and get nasty school germs in his mouth. I hope no older kids bully him in the bathroom or in the halls. I hope he is secure in the love we have for him and know that we are coming back for him at the end of the school day. I hope he knows what to say when others notice he's not "white." I hope he is proud that he stands out in a class where there are no Asians. I hope he tells his teachers when he has to tee tee and doesn't wait until the last minute and suddenly whip it out at recess. Yes, there's a lot of things I think on and (I know I shouldn't) WORRY about.

On a more optimistic note, I'm very excited about Rocco's new school shoes. This was the last thing he needed before beginning pre K. I found these at a store in town today. They are size 8 and are "Jumping Jacks." I spent $50 on them, but I believe they'll hold up really well for him and be worth it in the long run.

I feel confident that Rocco will do well in his academics. He can already count to 100, read and spell a few words (toy, mom, dad, Rocco, and go), write some letters (A,a, C, c, D, G, M, O, o, P), and he can even "read" several books from memory. I believe he'll be reading books by the end of the year.

Here's a cute picture of Rocco in the school library. I hope he continues to love books the way that he does now.