First Day of School

In Dakar, there aren't many 'children's' activities. There are no library reading groups, children's museums, and playgrounds and playgroups are limited. Parents have to be very creative to keep our kids stimulated and happy. We are lucky enough to have beaches and pools, but there is a severe lacking of educational or even social children's activities.

Today, the boys attended their first day of french 'preschool'.

The school is a GEM. Being a teacher, it is everything I imagined a school to be, but in Africa! Third world country Africa, no less!

At the door, the boys were greeted by the 'Gnome farm'. After signing in, and meeting their teacher (who only spoke French to them), they went straight to the library where they read French books with another teacher. (Shockingly, this was THEIR choice...not the car area, or the tool-time center, or even the activity center!) There was a little confusion, as their English words for 'fish, moon, car, and truck' were corrected with 'poisson, lune, voiture, and camion'.

After that they played with cars, cooked in the kitchen, played dress up, trampoline bouncing, and even enjoyed a room full of balls. The boys were squeeling with excitement.

It was a wonderful afternoon 'test run'... in fact, both boys cried when it was time to leave. After the tears stopped, the boys sang 'E-I-E-I-Oooooo' all the way home.

I however, shed a private tear, that my little babies, are growing up way too fast.

Je taime Laird and Dylan. ox

Enjoy the pics below. Also attached is a video of Dylan having a blast!

Going to school!

My little monkey.

Reading French books.

Aren't these murals AWESOME?!

Could life be any better? Rocking on a horse AND playing with cars and trucks?!!!

Laird and Dylan not happy about leaving the school at the end of the day. They are showing me their 'I'm not happy' face.