We will bring many puzzles from home!

Lucien is doing well in his second year of French preschool if you don't count him insulting the director and ending up in the ER.  His energy level is occasionally difficult to manage but his teacher claims things are going fine and he's a swell kid.  Al and I, however, are definitely on her list of people to eye with suspicion.  It's possible (likely) we're not her favorite people in the world. 

Last year in Saint Teacher's class, we discovered Lucien had a penchant for puzzles.  He liked working on puzzles with his friends and did so in a calm and only slightly bossy manner.  When he got bored with the puzzles in the classroom, Saint Teacher allowed us to bring in a few harder ones from home.  Everyone was happy.

We are still riding the puzzle craze wave.  It's possible, however, we've gotten a little too intense about puzzles, not to mention a little too lax in our marital communication.

This is what happened when Al dropped Loosh off the first day:
Alex:  Lucien is very fond of puzzles.  They've been very successful at focusing his attention in the past.
New Teacher:  I have some puzzles here on the bookshelf.  I'll set them out in the mornings.
Alex:  Fantastic!

Here's what happened when I picked him up:
Me:  Lucien is very fond of puzzles. They've been very successful at focusing his attention in the past.
New Teacher: *smiling politely*  Yes, yes, I'll set some out in the morning.
Me:  Fantastic!

Here's second day drop-of:
Alex:  There are no puzzles present.  Puzzles have been forgotten.  Lucien really digs those crazy puzzles.  Can we set out some puzzles?
New Teacher:  Oh yes, yes, of course.
Alex:  Last year, Saint Teacher let us bring in puzzles from home.  Can we bring in puzzles from home this year?
New Teacher:  No.  Lucien must do the puzzles that are in the classroom.  Do not bring in any puzzles.

Here's me, at pick-up: 
Me:  Madame New Teacher, we have some great puzzles at home.  We would like to bring in some puzzles. Can we bring in some puzzles tomorrow?
New Teacher: No.  Do not bring in any puzzles.
Me:  OK, great!  We will definitely bring in puzzles!
New Teacher:  Wha???

I misheard the teacher, most likely because I was busy thinking about puzzles.  I thus gave Alex the incorrect message that once Lucien completed the easy puzzles in the classroom, we would be allowed to bring in more difficult puzzles from home.  These words never came out of teacher's mouth; they came from my frenzied, fractured puzzle mind.

This was third day drop-off --
Lucien:  Daddy, these puzzles are too easy.
Alex:  Hello, teacher, seems like these puzzles are too easy.  So like you said, we'll be bringing in some harder puzzles from home tomorrow morning.
New Teacher:  (frustrated sigh)  No puzzles from home.  NO PUZZLES FROM HOME.  When Lucien has finished the easier puzzles here, I have harder puzzles in the closet that I will bring out.  For the love of God, people, no puzzles from home. 

Alex called me to talk about puzzles. We suddenly realized with great embarrassment that both of us had been talking about puzzles nonstop since the moment we met New Teacher.  We shared a few good-natured chuckles at our own expense.  We did impressions of ourselves like, "Good morning, teacher, puzzle puzzle puzzle puzzle."  Before we hung up, Alex said, "Do NOT mention puzzles at pick-up." I laughed because why the hell would I do that?

So....later that day at pick-up:

New Teacher: Lucien was very good today.
MJ:  (I swear it slipped out before I could punch myself in the face to stop it)  Did he do puzzles today?  Is he ready for harder puzzles?  (Oh my God, oh my God, no I did NOT.)
*bite bottom lip in desperate attempt to stop the madness.*

New Teacher cocked her head to the side and looked at me, mouth slightly agape with an incredulous expression on her face, kinda like, "My God, what is WRONG with these people?"  I dragged Lucien away quickly before I could say we have some very good puzzles at home!  We would be happy to bring them in the next day!

 Hi, teacher!  We have many nice puzzles!

We have since stopped mentioning puzzles so she is starting to look us in the eye again without fear.  Lucien dutifully and properly says, "Bonjour, Monsieur" and "Au revoir, Monsieur" to the director of the school every single day so he's close to being forgiven for the "Peanut" incident.  We smile and exchange pleasantries with the other parents in the class.  Everything was leveling out and feeling fine at school -- until Friday.

There was an informational meeting for parents in the classroom early Friday evening.  Alex thought he could attend but couldn't go at the last minute -- he had a bunch of rescheduled meetings thanks to his canceled Tuesday and dash to the emergency room. 

I explained to the teacher at pick-up that Alex wasn't able to attend because he had to work late unexpectedly and it was too late for me to find a babysitter.  She got the, "I've eaten something that tastes really bad and want to spit it out" look on her face and said curtly that it was very disappointing we weren't coming; she had a lot of important information to share.  I apologized and asked if there was any other way we could get the information?  She said maybe I could ask another parent to take notes for me.  Her lips were pursed and I felt sufficiently shamed.

There was only one mama still around by the time the teacher finished her reprimand.  It was a mama who has always been extremely kind and friendly so I felt relieved;  she would help us.  I ran over and asked if she was attending the meeting that night.  She said yes.  I asked if she could take notes for us because we were suddenly unable to attend.  She got a detached, far-away look in her eye.  I knew it before she said it -- she was going to say no.

She gave me "the shrug," the one that tells you you're on your own, and said vaguely, "well,... it's not me who's going to the meeting, it's my husband, so...." Then she gave a smile and a wave and walked away, leaving me absolutely speechless in the stairwell.

I don't know what kind of important information we missed at that meeting but I plan on addressing the issue many, many times with Lucien's teacher -- specifically, did we miss any information about puzzles?

Everybody hates MJ,
MJ