Pre-School Registration

A year ago like now, I was wading in a warm pool with my fellow pregnant pals, enjoying baby-free time by talking about our toddlers and how they drive us crazy. Typical.

In the course of this conversation, I learned that one of my friends had just signed her daughter up for preschool... that starts in September ... in February.  My unborn daughter did a flip-flop in my belly! "You're choosing a school 9 months in advance?!"

Talking with my mom afterwards I learned that when she was a naive youngster with a toddler-me, she called preschools over the summer only to be laughed at - "You can't call 2-3 months before school starts?!" Looks like 1979 and 2013 have a lot in common and that my new hometown isn't just a crazy page out of the Stepford Wives.

So I did what any good suburbanite mom does and break out the list of preschools once January 1st hit : too $$, too far, too waitlisted ... 

In the end, I signed W up with a school I liked, that was close by, affordable, and recommended. As soon as I thought my work was done ... I received the call from another preschool -- the public one where everyone says don't bother unless you're prepared to wait in line in December (yes, you read right, December). As it turned out, they had just begun waitlisting students and we would be 1st on the list. A few weeks later, we got the call -- "A spot opened up, would you like to take it?"

Taking it meant we wouldn't be in the same class as one of my friend's daughter's, that W wouldn't be able to continue his PDO class he loves, and that I'd be getting him ready for 3-year old preschool 4 days/week. But once I visited the school, I felt this was the right choice. The kids looked happy, they were learning and socializing well, and I could see my little W right there among all the other cute precocious 3-year olds.

So there it goes, my adventures in Pre-School registration ... 9 months in advance.