Big Steps, Big Year

It feels a little cliche' to start blogging right after the start of a new year, even though one of my goals for the year is to keep better track of what's going on with our family, but today was a monumental day for me and I wanted to blog about it.

When Owen and Eli were 18 months old, I started Tot School with them and have been working with them for the last two years on all-things-preschool. For the last year, I've been thinking about the possibility of homeschooling and thought that I was going to go for it, at least for their preschool and kindergarten years. A good friend of mine homeschools her son and we had even talked about co-planning or co-teaching together. Then, 3 months ago, we found out that baby #4 is on the way, due in early June, and all of a sudden, sending the boys to preschool seemed like a decision that was forced on us for sanity's-sake, rather than because we had chosen to enroll them in school. I wasn't happy about it. I didn't feel ready to send them away for 2-3 days a week. I wasn't excited that someone else having so much influence over them. I just wasn't ready.

But we crossed the thresh hold and decided that we would send them to preschool in the fall. I called around and scheduled a few tours for this morning at the schools where our friends send their kids. After the first tour, I was still less than excited. It didn't seem to be the right fit for us, it didn't seem that organized, and there were some fatal flaws in the program that didn't sit well with me. THEN I toured Valley Ranch Baptist Church. I am in love with this school! I loved the program director, I loved curriculum, I loved the bright and airy classrooms, I even loved the supply closet full of manipulatives and craft activities. I went from reluctantly admitting that preschool would make our life easier to being genuinely excited to send them to school in the fall. This is a big step for me, and it will be for them. Our little boys are growing up!

Between now and then, Charlie and I are going to Steamboat Springs for our 10 year anniversary trip without the kids, our newest son will arrive in May or June, and we'll have all sorts of visitors after his birth to help us out. It's going to be a quick spring and a busy summer... lots to blog about! : )