First Day at School

初めての幼稚園です。アメリカらしく、入学式や式服なんてものは一切なく、いきなりの通園です。半年早めにスタートするので、海璃はクラスの中でも一番のちびっ子。『メソメソしてたらどうしよう。一人っ子だからトロォとしてて、みんなのペースについていけないのでは。おやつの時間におやつを取れないでおわってしまうのでは。』という私の過保護な心配をよそに、ものすごく楽しかったみたいです。お迎えに行くと、他の子供達がどんどん出てくるのに、なんと一人でオモチャのキッチンにへばりつく海璃の姿。先生達も困ってしまっていてなんとも恥ずかしい。車に乗るなり、「ごーるどふぃっしゅ、いっぱいたべたの。」「えとは、でぃゆーす。れもんの。」「ぴーぴー（おしっこ）だけ、できたぁ。」とおやつもトイレも大丈夫だったよう。「またいくの。あした。」とおしゃっているし、私のあの緊張はなんだったのだろう。いつの間にこんなにしっかりしたんだろう。それでも、夜はがんばった分「ままがいいの。」と抱きついて眠りにつきました。

余談ですが、一日中”アメリア”と呼ばれていたようで、午後はずうっと"I'm not Amelia. I'm Amalie."と大きな声で言う練習をしておりました。

Amalie started Pre-school today. Since last night, I was really nervous. I was thinking, what if she cries through a day, if she couldn't follow the time table with other kids, if she couldn't get what she wants........endless. Even after I came home after dropping her off, I just did chores after chores trying to not thinking about it. However, I was fooling myself. At 12:15, other kids came out from the door, but not Amalie, so I went in. There she was with the kitchen toy by herself with several high school students whose faces was saying "Oh my god. What can we do with this one?" I had to peel her off from the kitchen saying "sorry, sorry, sorry..." As soon as she sat in her car seat, she told me that "I ate lots of goldfish and juice. Lemon." " I sing song sing" "Only pee-pee. I did it by myself!" She is really excited about the next school day. What was I worried about? She has grown more than I know. I didn't need to worry to death. I feel a little sentimental, but it's gone by the time when she wanted me to hold her to sleep.

By the way, she was called 'Amelia' all day. She was practicing "I'm not Amelia. I'm Amalie."with a big voice all afternoon.