Gnomey Hat Homework

My son started Waldorf school yesterday! We were all so excited that I even blow dried his hair, and it looked really good and super extra blonde. He picked out an awesome outfit, but his top was wrinkled and he made me run it in the dryer so the wrinkles would disappear and he wouldn’t look sloppy. First graders care about that sort of thing, I guess.

So anyway, this morning, after breakfast, he informs us that he had homework that he had “forgotten” until that moment. He said all the kids have to bring in a gnomey hat, because they are going to make gnomes today. A gnomey hat? Sure, that sounds like normal homework. I’m pretty sure he made that up, because who assigns that as homework with out giving the parents a heads up? Not everyone has gnomey hat-making supplies lying around, right? I mean, I guess if you are a Waldorf family, there’s a good chance you do have felt and thread, but still. Anyway, he ran to grab the extra orange gnome hat that we made the other day for a gnome for our new nature corner, but didn’t use because it was too small. because we DO have extra gnome hats lying around. So there we go. Fake made-up homework done and done!

Yesterday E reported making beeswax honeybees, learning how to color with rectangular crayons, and he’s pretty sure he already kinda knows how to play the pentatonic flute! I let him show me on my old flute, and no, he doesn’t know how to play it. That’s ok. He was so excited to learn from his teacher that they each get their very own flute (Did he think they'd be sharing? Gross.), and eventually they will be knitting their flute cases ALL ON THEIR OWN! He made knitting needles! I didn’t have the car when I went after work to pick him up from his friend’s house, so we rode the bus. Specifically, we walked a half a mile to the bus stop, then waited for the bus for ages, then we rode the bus. And the whole time he told me about his day.

This is unusual. I have the kid who has never told me more than a few words about his school day when asked. Sure, stuff slips out, and I’ve gathered bits and pieces, but if you ask him, “How was school?” he says, “Good” or “Stupid” and nothing else. Sometimes I’ve been able to trick him by asking really odd and specific questions, like “Hey E, did Nick have string cheese in his lunch again?” And he’ll accidentally answer, “No, he had yogurt though, and I really liked the sandwich you packed. Nick called me a butt head and the teacher didn’t even notice!” or something like that. And then I know that Nick is a meanie face.

I take it as a really good sign that he talked about his day for an hour straight. Yes, it took an hour to get home via public transportation. But that hour included the MAJOR CRISIS of E’s feet getting blisters from his new school shoes. It was completely tragic, especially because he was ALSO HUNGRY, and didn’t even seen to notice the two clementines and granola bar I shoved in his mouth, because he was still STARVING, and he didn’t know which to complain about so he just moaned and sat down in the street. (Have I mentioned my child is ALWAYS hungry?) Thank goodness for his friend’ mom who handed us a container of delicious pasta with meat sauce as we walked out the door. Yay for eating dinner on the edge of the sidewalk while waiting for a bus! And yay for Waldorf school and tiny gnomey hats.