Celebrations

This week in preschool, Lilah Rose is learning about Hanukkah which she will proudly tell you is "the festival of lights!"  I think it's really cool she is being taught about holidays other than those her family usually celebrates because it's good for expanding her worldview.  Granted, we have gotten to know many people who celebrate the holiday since we have gotten here (our friends who run Chazzano as well as most of the doctors my wife works with) so we have learned a lot more about Jewish culture in general.

My wife and I are what you would term agnostic or, as I told a classmate who read a piece I wrote and thought that I was Jewish because it was so convincingly written (he was Jewish, mind you, so I'm not just blowing my own horn) "I consider myself a citizen of the world."  Meaning that I don't elevate any one culture or creed over any other.  We had, on our own, started teaching Lilah each year about the different religions around the world, so I'm just glad she can be in a class where they continue that teaching.

I volunteer for the first time on Thursday and that will be interesting and fun, I'm sure.  The only part that might be hard is remembering everybody's names.  I'm just not very good with names, in general.  I never really have been.  Of course, the upshot to that is, once I have a name down, I generally don't forget it.  Also, Thursday, Lilah has show and tell.  I asked her what she wanted to bring and she is pretty set on her Merida doll, though there is always the last minute possibility she will change her mind and bring Eloise.  But I'm sure it will be one of the two of them and not some third thing.  

I know I shouldn't, but I still worry about how she is doing there.  I worry she might not be getting along well or having a fun time.  But those worries subside on days like today when I go to pick her up and all the other children are running to their parents saying "Hi" and "I missed you" while Lilah waits on the floor until I approach her and then says "I don't want to go home and have lunch."  I can't blame her, though.  I'm sure, compared to school, home is a little more boring now even with her large number of toys.  The sad fact of the matter is her only company is me and I'm not three.  

I think I'll come around, though.  And it's probably good that she doesn't miss me so much.  I want her to love education - to love school in a way that I had a hard time loving it until I was much older.  I think, as long as she's happy and really loves school, I can be alright with being a little "boring" in her eyes.