Rachel's First Day of School--Ever!

I was looking forward to doing another co-op preschool for Rachel's first year. Last school year, we started to put one together with 4 of the moms from last time, and we were working on finding a few more moms to join. Then, on a day in January, I realized that Sam would be moving, and in a panic, I talked to one of the other moms who actually has an early education degree and who designed our curriculum last time. I wanted to check to see if Sam moving would change things. She told me that she had just decided to put her little boy in an actual preschool--the one her other boys and Michael had attended. Our group was falling apart! I called Brian to talk it over with him and decide if we should send Rachel as well. Within an hour, I had turned in Rachel's registration, taking the last spot in Chicka-Chicka-Boom-Boom's 3-year-old class. 

For months leading up to the new school year, I felt a strange mix of guilt, disappointment,  and relief--guilt that I wasn't going to be more involved that first year like I had been with Michael and that we were going to be paying for 2 years of preschool. I was disappointed that I would get to watch her grow and interact with other kids. Mostly, I felt relief that I didn't have to do any work. Today, as I was reflecting on it, I must say that I'm so grateful that I'm not doing a co-op; I really just wouldn't have been able to do it this fall. That day back in January must surely have been prompted by the Spirit. He knew that the spots were almost gone, and if I had thought about it even the next day, I would have had a hard time finding a different preschool. 

After going to Michael's back to school night and first day of school, Rachel was really excited to have her turn. On the preschool open house, Rachel got to meet her teacher, see her classroom, and go fishing. Michael had gone fishing on his preschool open house, and that is how we ended up with a fish. Knowing I couldn't handle another dead goldfish on my hands, I convinced her to do a few catch-and-releases before she got bored and we headed out. 

 A week later, on September 6, she finally got her first day of school.

  

I walked her to the door, made sure she got her bag hung up, 

 and her coconut up on the tree

 and got settled

 and then I left. It was really strange. Two hours later, I came back to pick her up and take her to her first day of dance. She is so so so excited about dance. The building where she goes to dance is on the way to where we used to go to church, and every Sunday, she would say excitedly, "There's my dance class!" I wished I got a picture of her in the studio, but I didn't. Here she is later that day, still in her leotard, tights, and skirt.

I love my tiny, dancing preschooler. I can't believe that she is old enough to go, and I'm so glad she finally has something that is all just for her.