The School Career

I've been quiet this week because my mind has been stuck on one track. Preschool. I visited four and researched several more. That doesn't sound like many, but when you're going around with a 3-year-old who wants to participate in each and every activity she sees these incredibly lucky kids doing, it gets a little tiring. Not to mention the prospect of handing my baby over to one of these people in the fall. Anyway, it's been a good process and a lot of fun in some ways. In others, I'll just be glad to have it over with and move on.

I meant to start this all in the fall. I have several emails in my box that prove the process started in October. I've been stalling and pretending like it would take care of itself. It hasn't.

I don't feel obligated to send Sophia to preschool. I realize there are benefits and detractors to every choice. It's my belief that preschool will provide a good balance to the environment of our home. We operate fluidly. Structure isn't my thing. I value it highly, but I can't sustain it, so I don't try - that would be counterproductive. But I do think Sophia would benefit from exposure to a more structured environment, so that's my main criteria in choosing a preschool. Well, structure and gut. In visiting the schools we did, we didn't encounter too many core differences. There were a few, mind you, and I liked some things better than others. Still, when it came down to it, I had to admit that it's more important to me how I reacted at a gut level to the people to whom I'd be entrusting the development of my own preschooler.

Sophia has been in heaven through all this. The first preschool we visited is still her favorite. Every time we visit a new one, I ask which is her favorite. She responds, "Remember, Mom? I already told you I like William's school." Yep, her favorite is the school that her cousins have attended. She knows that the boys won't be there while she's there, but she still likes it best. It didn't hurt that they had a table filled with rice in the room that she'd be in. Digging and pouring have been her favorite things to do since she was a baby.

Even though she's biased to that school, she has fully enjoyed being the center of attention in many new classes. She isn't shy. She has scored a couple of art projects and a free book out of the hunt. However, even she is through with the process.

Anyway, I'll have lots more feelings and thoughts about the preschool thing when it approaches. Just wanted to let you know what's been keeping me distracted. The good news is that I plan to have a decision made and a spot reserved very soon. That way my brain can get back to things like relationships and cooking dinner...