Preschool for All!

My mom bugged me this weekend and told me I needed to update my blog.  She's probably right... we're so busy these days!  I have missed being busy.  It feels good to wake up each day and to have places to go and things to accomplish!

This year we're doing preschool in a big way.  I haven't done it before, but this year Clara has been dying to go to school I decided to dig in and make it happen.  I found this little preschool run out of a home that was relatively inexpensive (side note: the price of preschool in North Phoenix is ASTRONOMICAL) and close to our house.  Two days a week, 9am-11:30am.  Perfect!

At about the same time, I got an email from a friend who wanted to do a little co/op for her 2 year old, and was wondering if Lucy would join.  I wouldn't have ever considered preschool for Lucy (who won't be two until September 19th) (also, see "astronomical price of preschool"), but it was free AND it was happening at the exact same time as Clara's preschool.  Tuesday/Thursday from 9:15-11:15.  Hello, who am I to turn down such a lovely opportunity?  So, we went from no preschool, to everyone is in preschool!  Including mom about 1/3 of the time as a teacher/helper in the school for Lucy.

This was our first full week and it went so well!  Both girls enjoy their preschools, and not only do they have corresponding preschool days/times, we also have a friend who lives around the corner who's girls are the same ages and are both doing the same preschool!  This means one of us drops the older kids off and the other drops the younger kids off.  Really, I couldn't have coordinated this better if I planned it, it's clearly just meant to be.  Because of my schedule and a couple of ladies having babies this month, I'm doing most of my helping/teaching days for Lucy's preschool this month.  So no free time for me quite yet, but after this month the rest of the year should be lovely!

This year is the first time since I've had Clara that I haven't been "in charge" of our schedule.  In the past, I have been able to choose what we do and when, because we almost never had any commitments.  I have mixed feeling on the changes.  It took me a couple of years to adjust to being a free agent all the time with the kids, but over the last year it's been so nice to basically do whatever we want.  I will miss that freedom.  But I'm excited for the purpose and structure that school will give our weeks.  I love that we're starting out slow, we still have Monday/Wednesdays/Fridays entirely to ourselves to do as we please.  I really love our new schedule!

Lucy at Preschool the first day I was a helper