Erika’s First Day of Pre-K

Pre-K here is  on a lottery system. The spring before you fill out pages and pages of paperwork, ranking the top three schools that you want your child to attend, and then just wait. Weeks go by and every parent of a Pre-K age child anxiously awaits to get a letter saying that their child was chosen to attend Pre-K. Well, that day came and went last spring, and Erika was put on the waiting list. She was okay with not going, and I was okay with her not going. She had Abby to play with at home, and it has been an fun experience watching them play together so nice each day. They are little mommies to Scott, carrying around their babies, pushing their strollers, and showing him the “right” way to play house.

Yesterday, almost 10 months after she was on the waiting list their was an opening for her at a school nearby. It wasn’t the same school that the other kids attend, but with an opening and a five year old that was getting a little stir crazy, we jumped at the chance. I am still not so sure of the all day preschool, but we shall see how the next weeks go.  It will only be for a few more months, which I think will be just perfect.

We walked her to her class to meet her teacher, and she immediately went right to playing with the other children. She loves getting to bring her backpack and lunchbox to school like the big kids, and already knows which hallway and classroom are hers. I asked her how she knew and she said, “My classroom is the one with the snowmen on the wall by it.” 

After picking her up from school I asked her the best part, and she said was too busy digging in her lunchbox for a snack to even answer. She was scarfing down every last part of her lunch- I guess Pre-K makes you very hungry!

Having her at a different school has made our daily drop off/pick up schedule interesting. Luckily, on everyday but Thursdays Aaron can take Brianna to school. On Thursdays though, we take Brianna to school which is right next to Erika’s school, then have to go to drop off Austin and Brooke because it still too early for Erika to go to her school. After we drop them off at their school which is closer to our house, we have to go back over to Erika’s school and drop her off, then back past the other’s kids school to go home. Pick up is just the reverse. It makes for a lot of car time for me and Abby and Scott, but it’s worth it. I love having the extra time in the car to talk to the kids after school, and I use it as a time to listen to NPR and catch up on the news or read the mail while I am waiting in line to pick them up.

I have to admit that the house was a lot quieter today. Not good quiet or bad quiet…. Just quiet.

Abby played quietly by herself, and Scott followed close behind trying to play with whatever she was playing with. She read stories to him, and carried around her baby. He brought her the big box of fishes from the pantry, and she put them in a little line on the bench for him to eat.

At naptime, I was getting ready to put Abby in her bed, when she said, “Why can’t I sleep in your bed with you? Erika’s not here.” Yeah, why can’t you? So Abby became my new naptime bed partner. We climbed under the big fluffy covers, read a book from the library, and cuddled close as we took our afternoon seista.

I remember when it was just Brianna cuddling with me.

Then Brianna and Austin.

Then just Austin.

Then Brooke.

Then Brooke and Erika.

Then just Erika.

Now just Abby.

I am not sure I will know what to do when all my kids are too big for naptimes with mom.

Naptime just won’t be the same.