Back To School

Today was the first day of school here. It was exciting because both Anna and Alexander are enrolled in the Montessori preschool program. Anna will attend 5 mornings a week and Alexander 3. For two whole hours this morning (it was an abbreviated first-day) I didn't know what to do with myself. I told Shrevie it was almost like old times — just the two of us, which I'm sure he secretly prefers anyway.

Things are going to be quite different for not only the children but for the whole family this fall. I'm substitute teaching, which means we had to find afternoon care for the children.

I visited a few at-home day cares but just didn't feel comfortable. Either it didn't seem clean or well-lit enough or, as in almost all cases, I had a feeling the TV was going to be on ALL THE TIME. A few weeks ago I actually left the children for a few hours with one woman in a very nice home while I went for sub training. Alexander later told me that an older boy was watching something on TV that was "loud and scary" -- and I believe him because I saw the older boy sitting on the sofa downstairs watching TV. One grandmotherly type woman I interviewed didn't think to turn off the game show blaring on her TV while I asked her questions. In her defense, there were no children there that day, but still.

So, we decided more of a group setting in a formal daycare/preschool center would be the best way to go. A lot of places only want to take full-time kids, so this wasn't the easiest thing to figure out, either. We finally decided on a half-day YMCA preschool program for Anna; and a half-day T-Th preschool for Alexander at the Lutheran church school. He will also go full days to the Lutheran preschool on Mondays and Fridays when he is not at the Montessori school. Of course, I have the option of keeping the children home with me on the days I'm not teaching. I like the idea that they're getting more of a preschool learning setting in the afternoons instead of a babysitting/day care setting. Anna even gets to have swimming lessons three afternoons a week as part of her Y preschool. We really would have liked for Alex to go to the Y also but the only program they offer for 3-year-olds is for full-time children, and they have a waiting list of 18 people.

This is going to require a lot of juggling, but it might actually be good for the children to have some time apart from each other in the afternoons. When I'm teaching Mikel will be the one to pick them up from their Montessori school at 11:30 a.m. and have lunch with them before taking them to their afternoon preschools. This means I'll be packing lunches the night before (I'll be rushed enough just to get out the door so very early in the mornings for teaching). I got the kids their first lunch boxes, complete with a matching drink thermos with pop-up straw and a soup/fruit thermos. Anna has Hello Kitty, who is so cute. Alexander has Speed Racer. They're going to be so excited when I finally break these out.

We expect the children are going to be so exhausted come bed time. Though her naps have been getting shorter, Anna has still been sleeping. Her Y preschool program, however, does not allow time for naps. Alexander's afternoon preschool has nap time built in, but I don't know if he'll sleep. They said he didn't today. I hope all the stimulation and lack of sleep does not too negatively affect the children's behavior. I had some trouble getting them to leave their p.m. programs today. Alexander was on the verge of having a serious tantrum but he recovered somewhat. Anna had a bit of an attitude herself when I picked her up.

One of the photos I'm posting shows all the stuff they had to lug in to school: 8 rolls of paper towels; a ream of paper; 2 boxes of Zip Lock bags; 1 package of brown paper lunch bags; a box of Kleenex; a travel size pillow and small blanket for Alexander's afternoon naptime; and, of course, the children's backpacks. Oh, and the big manila envelope is stuffed with lots of forms I had to fill out (including, but not limited to, questions about your child's strengths and weaknesses; things that frustrate your child; your discipline methods; how much TV they watch; extracurricular activities; and playmates); immunization records, birth certificates and tuition checks. Heavens!

Other photos are in front of the Montessori school (yes, I blurred out the full name, address and phone number); goofing around at home before school; eating an ice-cream treat to celebrate the first day of school; and saying goodbye to a Montessori teacher.

And by the way, it's definitely fall, which is my favorite season. It's amazing how practically overnight the weather here has appropriately changed. At the moment it's 43 degrees outside, and someone at the grocery store today told me it's supposed to be in the 30s! The forecast for a week out calls for mid 60s during the day and mid 40s at night. Shreve's my little weather barometer. I always know it's cool outside when he's itching to get out and simply sit on the deck.

I guess it's a good thing that I forgot to mention that Mom and all my family members in Louisiana and Mississippi seem to be just fine. My sister lost power for a few hours (though apparently other places in McComb was, or has been still, without power for more than a day...hope y'all are making it through without too much inconvenience!) and they've had a lot of rain.