Ali was so thrilled to be going to school that I didn't even shed a tear when she left! I have to admit that I have been pretty excited about her having some time away from the house after a really rough week with her last week!
Ali in her classroom, after her first day of preschool. She was so excited about the homemade playdough they made and the songs they sang. I was excited to see her after having a peaceful morning with the boys.
At the Open House last week we got to meet the teacher and explore the classroom. They even have two little gerbils (the class pets!) Miss Jenny had purple goop and shaving cream for the kids to play with at the Open House.
You aren't the only one surprised that my daughter is in PRESCHOOL this year!!! I still can't believe it! You see, all spring and summer, as friend after friend was talking about putting their kids in this or that preschool I told everyone that Ali wasn't going and wasn't ashamed of it. King Jo and I didn't feel it was necessary, or a wise use of our funds this year as we need to be upgrading our housing or saving for a house. I knew that we would do plenty of homeschool preschool activities and learning projects from our many books on the subject.
It just never occurred to me that I would ever send a child off to school. As in: need to buy school supplies, need to make sure they have their backpack, and a jacket, and papers to give to their teacher, have an opportunity to chaperone field trips and join the PIE group, etc.
So, how did all of this come about? Well, this summer my mom, who is a teacher at our local Christian school, mentioned that she had heard that the school might open a preschool program there this year. I expressed mild interest and she decided to call the prospective teacher about it. Well, the teacher was out of town for a couple of weeks, so it wasn't until right before our baby was born that we got the facts on it. The price was comparable to other preschools in town, and a part of me was ALL FOR paying a little something to give Ali a couple of mornings out of the house this winter (and myself a break from her) but I knew King Jo wouldn't go for it. I also knew that I did not want to get 3 kids loaded into the van in the morning in the snow and cold, take Ali to school, and then do it all over again 3 hours later.
When I told my mom that we probably wouldn't be doing it, she got back to me and expressed that they would love to pay for Ali's preschool, and it would be no trouble for her to swing just 2 blocks out of her way on her way to the school on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I wasn't sure about accepting such a big gift from my folks but she said she would love to help us out since we have a new baby and such a small apartment.
So, in a whirlwind of the last few busy weeks, we made the decision to let her go! We felt that 2 mornings a week was perfect as we wouldn't want her to be gone any more than that at this age. Our good friends, who also weren't planning on preschool this year, decided the same week we did to put their twins in the preschool too and we got the last 3 spots available by the grace of God! So, two of Ali's best buddies get to go with her! I'm excited to see how Ali grows this year as a result of the school schedule and training she will receive.
You can tell Jer is used to always having siblings around. When I got him up from his morning nap he held up his toy phone and said, "I talking to Ali." Then, when he couldn't find Ali and was told again that she was at school he said, "Dust-this wake up!" He wanted Justus to wake up and play with him!
When we went to get Ali, she exclaimed, "I missed Baby Justus soooo much because he didn't go to school with me!"
That is so cool that your mom will pick her up! that is why I didn't send Deacon...I thought it would just make me too stressed to do the drive/drop off thing with the other kids.
ReplyDeleteLindsey, you just keep on surprising me! First, you have a medicated hospital birth, now you're sending your daughter to preschool?! What's next?! You give up all your Calvinistic ideas and turn Arminian?! :-)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I don't know if you really want to hear this, but I have a confession to make. I, too, have been leary about sending Madison to preschool, just because I think she's still so young. But I get tons of people who ask me if I'm going to send her there this year. In fact, I just had a person today ask me. But when I read this post, I started to second-guess myself! I found myself thinking, "If Lindsey is sending Ali to preschool, maybe I SHOULD consider it!" But then I quickly caught myself thinking that and chided myself.
Isn't that crazy?! I guess it just goes to show how much I value your thoughts on life and child-rearing, and I tend to model some of my practices after things you post about doing with your own kids. :-)
How fun that Ali is going to preschool! I had always thought negatively about preschool settings until I had the experience of teaching at one. While living in Denver, I taught a 3 year old class one day a week, as well as a 4/5 year old one 3 days. They can be such a great way for kids to interact with others, be in a stimulating environment, and get more early exposure to reading, writing, and all kinds of motor skills! Please keep posting on how Ali's doing in school. Oh, how I miss teaching.
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