Preschool Sign Up

September 2 seems far away. Five months away. Ryan will be TWO by then. Sadly, it will be here before I know it. Hard to believe that my baby will be two, and that she will be going to "school". Not "mothers day out". I was corrected this morning when I signed her up. Since we will be paying a tuition and there is a curriculum, I enrolled Ry in a "preschool" this morning. I still can't believe it! I think mothers day out sounds more babyish and it helps me feel like Ryan is still a baby. Preschool sounds so old, but it is exactly what Ryan needs and is ready for. I know she needs it and I know she will love it. I am not as worried about her as I am about myself and her dad. (And her Grandpa, who has asked if he can go and stay with her the first day!) The sign up was an experience in itself! I visited the school last week for a tour and had already gotten the paperwork to register. The director of the preschool told me to arrive Monday at 8 a.m. to sign her up. So, this morning I got up at 7, fed Emma and drove the 2 miles to the church. I felt like I was ahead of the game walking in with my paperwork in hand ten minutes early. Boy was I surprised to see the line that was already formed! And most people also had the yellow paperwork in hand. I suddenly felt nervous that I had blown it. I knew that church members had already had the chance to sign up and that there were only a limited amount of slots for us non-members. At first I thought the line wrapped around the corner down the hallway, but I was wrong. It didn't and I was only the twelfth person in line. I hadn't screwed up! Ryan still had a chance! The couple in front of me in line looked just as nervous as I did (the father was actually pacing!) He spotted my yellow paperwork and asked me where I had gotten it. He was worried that they would be sent to the back of the line without the magical paperwork completed. I assured him that it was not required to already have the paperwork! Then, his wife and I started chatting about our kids. Turns out her son is Ryan's age. I got excited thinking this may be a new friend for Ryan and for me! She was very friendly and we had a lot in common. I started hoping that she would answer my next question the way I wanted her to. "Are you signing him up for Wednesday/Friday class or Tuesday/Thursday?" (Please say Wednesday/Friday I was thinking). "Tuesday/Thursday" she replied. Dang it! She explained why she chose Tues/Thurs and I explained my dilemma. I had originally thought I would put Ryan in the Tues/Thurs class because sometimes school is cancelled on Fridays and it works out better for long weekends. Then, I changed my mind and decided Wed/Fri would be better. I hated to not be able to take her to the Tuesday morning library story time she loves, so that was the main reason. I also realized that with Chris' schedule and me working part time it didn't benefit us that much to have her off on Fridays. We could make a long weekend trip Sat- Tues if we wanted to. So, I had made a decision: Wednesday/Friday class it would be. No big deal. It isn't like I am choosing what university Ryan will attend! That's what I thought until the sweet mom (who probably has a sweet kid) told me she was signing up for Tues/Thurs. I started thinking that maybe all the sweet people were going to pick Tues/Thurs. Maybe I should rethink my decision. What if all the mean kids were going to be in Wed/Fri.? Is library story time really that important? At that point the line started moving as registration began. I started to feel panicked! I even considered stepping out of line and taking a quick pole of who was signing up for what to help me decide. Then I text Mom. I actually text Chris first, but I knew that was a wasted text! He was at home sleeping in with the girls while I fretted over these life or death decisions alone! :-) Mom quickly text me back to "follow my heart" (We really are ridiculous.) Silly, but the advice helped and I stuck to my plan. I love taking Ryan to library story time and it is important to me and to her. I chose Wednesday/Friday because it is best for Ryan, and for our family. I did not let the peer pressure change my mind. It was difficult when it got to my turn and I saw that every parent ahead of me had signed up for the Tues/Thurs class! It seems to be the more desirable class for most peoples schedules, I think. (Later, when I told Chris this story he said "Oh great, Ryan is gonna be in the class with all of the slacker kids whose parents were too lazy and didn't get up to the church to sign them up first!") Leave it to Chris to make me second guess myself again! All kidding aside, it will be great! I am so excited for Ryan. I am nervous for me. 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. seems like a long day for a two year old. And for a two year old's control freak/worry wort mom! I definitely see myself crying that first day and I may sit in my car in the parking lot until she gets out. Just in case she needs me! (Uncle- I know you can relate!) I still have trouble believing that Ryan will lay down on a nap mat and actually nap! I've been told by many that I will be surprised what peer pressure can do. Peer pressure to lay on a nap mat is the good kind. It is the other peer pressure that I am worried about. I dread that peer pressure. The kind of peer pressure that can influence you to make a decision that you know may not be the smartest, or best. But you make it because everyone else did. The kind of peer pressure that I felt at preschool registration! (But I am proud to say I stood up to!) And I will admit- the kind of peer pressure that I tried to use on the sweet mom. "Wednesday/Friday are really going to be the better days because there is an awesome library story time on Tuesdays. Have you heard about it?"