And the Winner Is......

....Montessori. Thanks for all your comments. I've always kind of rolled my eyes at people who obsess over preschools (it's PRESCHOOL, for heaven's sake, not college), but damn. It is hard. He's a fairly adaptable kid, but I really want him to have positive associations with school and academics. That makes it so much easier later.

I took A. to a play-based preschool near our house yesterday morning, and while he was very impressed that they 1. knew how to draw turtles, and, 2. had a sandbox, he was overwhelmed almost to the point of tears by all the attention from the teachers who fawned over him and the kids, who thought he was exotic, being one of the few white kids, and definitely the only red-headed kid, there. He loves attention, but it has to be on his terms.

He did answer the teachers when they were asking him how old he was and if he wanted to go to school. He said, "I'm free (three). I'm a big kid. But on my next birthday I'll be bigger and maybe I'll go to school after that day." The teachers thought this was hilarious and kept commenting on how verbal he was. "Well, yeah, we do talk to him," I thought. They also told him that he was big enough now, and he looked at them like he'd decided then and there never to trust a teacher again.

As we walked back towards the entrance, the kept encouraging him to join in the activities or find something to play with, and his face screwed up in that "I'm about to have a meltdown" way. He pulled on my arm to get the hell out of there. As we walked out, though, he said, "That was cool! And they give you food if you don't have any!"

Later that afternoon, he went with G. to observe the Montessori. He was supposed to sit quietly in a chair next to G. while observing, which was no problem for him. When they got back, I asked which he liked better, the one he saw that morning with me, or the one he saw that afternoon with Papa.

He said, "the one I saw this morning...with Papa." Thanks, that clears it up.

Later, though, he confirmed twice that he liked the Montessori better. I think it just seemed so much calmer to him. So. He'll start in July.

On the one hand, I can't wait to have a few hours in the morning alone with Ben. He loves music and instruments and I think he'd love Music Together, which I did with A. a few years back.

On the other hand, My Little First Born is going to school! 5 days a week! That means I have to be dressed before 8:30 am almost every day! The classroom is at the back of a church campus, so yes, I do have to get out of the car. And I suppose I have to be coherent enough to drive safely. Fortunately, it's not too far away and I don't mind giving the impression that I'm much more concerned about character and knowledge than appearance. Heck, I already give that impression.

Oh, and that's him flying a kite up there on the header. How cute is that? G. taught him how to do it at the Kids'nKites festival this weekend and it was a great, blustery day for it.