Preschool Freak Out. For the Third Year in a Row.

Unlike Harry who spent his time over the last week lounging around and reading toy catalogues so he could begin his epic birthday wish list, I have been FREAKING THE FREAK OUT (more than usual, even) over preschool admission season. Every year for the past 3 years, I have freaked out over preschool admission. When Harry was still a baby, the other Little Gym moms looked at my like I had 2 heads when I said he wasn't on any waitlists. (and I made myself feel better by saying that exclusive preschool were stupid, but actually? I coveted admission into one of them.) We ended up lucking out and finding a once-a-week program at a place near our house that we all fell in love with.

Despite our great school and the option to increase his enrollment for this current school year, I still freaked the freak out last year about this year's enrollment. Ultimately, we went with the place he already went to, but when a spot opened up at the teeny, tiny school we were wait listed at, we went there, too. In the end, Harry went 5 days a week, and the only school we didn't attend that we really loved after eleventy billion tours was the fine arts preschool I mentioned in the freak out post I just linked to.

Jack started the once-a-week program at Harry's current school, and we signed both kids up for school next year at the teeny, tiny school Harry also attends. Problem solved, right?

Clearly, you are overestimating my love of the preschool freak out, my friends. We applied to the art school this year, too, for next year, and we have been on pins and needles waiting to hear if we got in. WE DID!!!

I am so excited!!! There are not enough exclamation points in the woooorld to express my excitement!!!!

Harry and Jack can both go the same days and the same times, and they can go to school while I am on campus, which is genius because our beloved Jamie is leaving town to attend whichever fabulous graduate school she chooses to get advanced degrees in chemistry (and she has her pick of the top programs in the nation because she got in everywhere, and we are so proud of her!)

My snack rant from the other day? A totally moot point because this school has its own chef who makes all the snacks from scratch! No wonder it always smells like baking bread in there. (But, on the subject of snacks, I am so jealous of the place Kim sends her kids. She sent me a snack list form her center, and OMG. They have the most amazing food rules. No juice! Only hormone-free milk! No processed food or food with a high sugar content! I was in love, and I brought it to my conference. The teachers were very receptive, but they do not see themselves changing the current snack policy to include dairy, which is kind of a bummer).

Also a bummer? That Harry is leaving the school he's attended for the past 2 years. He really loves it there and has thrived there. His new school has some advantages: a huge playground, an art studio with degreed art teachers, a music room. But his old school has a swimming pool/ swim lesson program, and a huge gym. Harry has been taking a once-a-week Spanish class all year, but at his new school, he'll be in a Spanish immersion classroom with bilingual teachers, which is pretty darn cool.

If I sound like I am trying to convince myself, I am a little. Harry's teachers really seem to like him a lot, and we have been happy with every aspect of the program-- except snack. We've both made friends. Jack loves it, too.

And then there's Jack, who will be attending a lot of school for a little kid. I feel bad about that, too. This new school is not a daycare center; it is a licensed preschool. Still, it caters to 2-parent working families and offers long hours and flexible schedules, making it perfect for us, but also meaning that Jack is going to school 3 days a week, 3 full days. I'm a little worried about the little guy, even though I know that the days we spend at home will not be nearly as enriching.

We got the news of our acceptance in time to enjoy V-day (which was good because Ben was going to kill me if I said anything about preschool again in this lifetime)

Here are Harry and Jack working on their V-Day paintings for Ben. Courtney has posted pics of her kids painting on canvases, and we thought we'd give it a try.




Valentine Eve, Ben and I drank a bottle of Moet and passed out in a puddle of couch drool watching Couples Retreat because we are glamorous and romantic like that.

The next morning, the kids ate their weight in Russel Stover, which is always my favorite way to spend the morning.


Hope you had a good Vday and that preschool admission season finds you well.