Home Alone!

So, I am sitting here, at home, by myself. This has happened maybe 2-3 times in the past few years, so it feels incredibly bizarre! I'm at home by myself, because two weeks ago Evelyn started preschool. Oh my gosh! I know, me too : )

We had been talking about whether or not to send her to preschool this fall for months. As some of you know, I'm a bit of a preschool snob (sorry, I just am!) since I taught Montessori for 6 years. But for a variety of reasons, none of the local Montessori schools would work for us this year and so I kept going back and forth over if I wanted to send her to a regular preschool (I know, I said I was a snob!) or just keep her at home. However, she was really starting to go beyond what I could sit and do with her on a regular basis-wanting to spell words and learn numbers, going over her shapes and colors, and lots of arts and crafts. I think I would have been able to keep up for a little while, but closer to delivery and after the baby is born would be a stretch for me. Plus, you may have noticed she is just a little bit social! I knew she would love it.

I found a great deal at a well established church preschool-that actually goes through elementary school-and I know many of the teachers as well as families who attend. So we went and observed, she cried when we left which was a good sign.

Her first day was hilarious. She looked so adorable, like a big girl but still a baby! Bard came with me and when we got to the classroom it was pretty chaotic. Lots of sad little two year olds

: ( Evelyn walked right in, sat down at a table and started to play. She looked around puzzled, at the other children, as if to say, "Why on earth are you crying?" Bard and I said goodbye, which didn't faze her at all, although Mama was a little emotional! I picked her up just a few hours later-she goes twice a week for two and a half hours-and the teacher said she had done great! Evelyn had over told her teacher when she had to go potty, which amazed me.

So now I sit here, alone, the house is quiet and I'm trying to decide whether to do a million things or nothing! I'm using the time to get extra work done and things taken care of around the house, which gives me a bit more freedom when I am with her-to just be with her. It's interesting to imagine what she is doing. Although I have left her in Sunday School many times, since I am the Director, I know what she is doing and who she is with. Plus, I'm just down the hall if she needs me. It's also interesting to think I am now the mom of a pre schooler and have a baby on the way. It feels very stereotypical! Hi, I'm Kristin. I'm white, middle class, live in a mid sized city. We drive a Subaru, have a cat, and my husband has a good white collar job. Sheesh. I tend to rebel a bit against these descriptions, which of course is impossible, since they are all true! For some odd reason it makes me want to wear some crazy outfit when I drop her off at her little church school, tell them I have my tongue pierced, or go get a tattoo. But that would just be fitting into another stereotype. I couldn't quite bring myself to wear the little lanyard that holds our key card, required for entrance to the building. And breathed a sigh of relief as I listened to Lady Gaga while pulling out of the school parking lot. On my way to my church job. Sheesh. Why do we strive to fulfill some stereotypes and run away from others? Maybe I'll learn more from Evelyn's school than she will.