Preschool Potential

Last week, I spent an evening learning about many of the preschools in our area.  Even though we weren't planning on sending the girls until next fall, I wanted to to be a bit proactive since some programs fill up quickly.  While we would love to send the girls to a Montessori school, the nearest option isn't the right fit for our family.  Besides being incredibly expensive, it also requires the girls to be interviewed prior to acceptance.  Last time I checked, this is preschool we're talking about, not college.
Our next choice is for the girls to be chosen as peer mentors for the program run by the local school district.  Some of their classmates would be typically developing and others would have disabilities.  We like the idea of exposing our girls to children with diverse abilities and needs.  Unfortunately, there are always way more applicants than available spots, so we need other options.  I think I found that option the other night.
I had a wonderful experience talking to the director of a small preschool affiliated with one of the local churches.  I was so impressed, I began to think about enrolling the girls in the school's program this fall instead of waiting until next year.  My mom guilt instantly set in. Am I ready to give up a few hours a week with them?  The cost is reasonable, but they have an elementary school teacher as a mom.  Do we really need to pay someone else to teach them?  What will Mate think? They already know their numbers, letters, colors, and basic shapes.  Will they be bored? Decision-making as a parent is hard work!

Choosing whether or not to sign the girls up was easier than I had anticipated because Mate was on-board right away.  Sometimes, I would love his ability to look at a situation rationally instead of emotionally.  Of course, that's not going to happen, so it took me a little longer to realize that sending them to preschool for a few hours a week doesn't make me a bad mom.  Here are the positives:

1. Socialization
2. Language development
3. Listening Skills
4. Learning from others
5. Time for Eliana and I to spend one-on-one

When I called the school to ask a few more questions, the director was busy making green eggs and ham with the kids in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday.  That sealed the deal for me.  Now, we just need to get this potty-training thing under control before school starts.

How did we get from this to preschool already???