Tori is starting preschool on the 15th. Big girl will be in the two year old program. It meets two days a week for 2.5 hours each day. So two days a week, Ill be getting up in the morning with my girl, getting her dressed (with whatever she wants to wear, of course), having breakfast with her, getting myself ready.. and taking my baby to watched and cared for by someone else two days a week. Two days a week someone else is going to be keeping her safe, making sure she is having fun, teaching her something new, making sure she is treating her friends nicely, cleaning up, sharing. Someone else will be trusted to be another 'me'. Crazy. She is more ready than I am.
Today we had her orientation. I got to meet both her head teacher and her co teacher. Both are so sweet, both are very educated, I could tell in our short visit both are very patient and are seasoned vets. Her co teacher looks exactly like what you imagine a preschool teacher would look like, petite, in her 60s, wearing a long dress, her white hair down and out of her face with a clip.
Her classroom was SUCH A CLASSROOM. I know what youre thinking, duh.. but it seemed even more like school than I thought it would be. The halls are white and bright and covered with so many colorful pictures, animals, designs, shapes. Her name is hung outside of her classroom door, with a little file folder where I can collect her paperwork and anything else the teacher needs to get to me. There are soooo many toys that Tori just loved. Side note: I need to invest in some Fisher price little people. She especially loved the farm and animals. It sounds like their day is going to be pretty structured (as much as a class full of 2/3 yr olds can be).
Security is tight at her preschool. I like that. You need badges, doors get locked. They run a tight ship there. The main annoyance I can see happening with the school is the pick up and drop off. You physically have to take your child inside to their classroom and pick them up from their classroom. Might be a pain with baby Ava but I am reminding myself that she will be teeny tiny and sleeping a lot so itll be a matter of taking her car seat in and out which will not be totally convenient but wont be the worst thing.
After the parents got an hour in the classroom with the kiddos we had a meeting with the director. So we left the kiddos there for the teachers to get to know them better. Tori wasn't even sort of scared. She said "bye mom!" and gave me a kiss... leaving the room was the only time I got a bit teary. 2.5 years has gone so fast. Parents don't lie when they tell you "the days are slow but the years are fast".
Fast forward to picking her up from the class and she did NOT want to leave. She was so happy and having so much fun playing with all of the toys and the kids.
"Mom, I play with my friends"
"Mom, I stay in my classroom"
When we got home from preschool the first thing she said to me was "Mom, I go to my classroom?" and I had to remind her that she doesn't start for a little while still lol. I am so glad she likes it, I am so glad its only just under 6 hours a week and I am so glad I didn't cry hysterically like I imagined I would.
In her classroom playing with kitchen toys
At the playdoh station
Pulling every toy she can find off of the shelves
Her very own bookbag hook
Playing in the rocks outside in the courtyard area
