A Tale of Two Schools

So...tonight, I'm gonna tell you a lovely tale of two (pre)schools, the switcheroo we just pulled, and the awesomesauce, could-not-be-clearer direction that God was kind enough to send my way.

(Oh, and since it's a slightly long tale, I'll pepper in with random, nothing-to-do-with-the-post, adorable pics to keep you scrolling.)

(Pre)School #1

Our tale begins nearly18 months ago, when I made a lovely, spur-of-the-moment-I-have-a-grandparent-in-town-to-watch-kids visit to a local, private preschool I'd read about online.

At the time, I wanted to get a head-start on the process of checking into schools for many reasons.

First and foremost--I knew it would help my eventual anxiety and please-don't-grow-up-and-leave-me meltdown if I selected the school far in advance, so I could have it all tidy in m'brain.

And second--some high-strung Mamas 'round here will lead you to believe that if you don't have your child signed up in utero, you're going to miss your chance at a slot.

Pfft. So not true (at least for the kind of places I'm interested in.)

Random pic time:

But back then, I was a little more susceptible to other Mamas' scare tactics.

So...that random day so long ago, I visited School #1, and, quite surprisingly, fell in love.

It was intimate but technologically savvy.

It had a challenging curriculum tempered by a nurturing, this-is-still-preschool environment.

And it had wonderful, informative employees and teachers I could eventually trust with my child.

So I filed away all the information I gathered, rested a little easier from then on knowing I'd found a place I could actually send my kiddo to someday...and then went about the business of living my life, and, ya know, birthing another nugget.

Random pic time:

(Pre)School #2

Fast forward to a few months ago, when it was finally time to revisit the school issue and lock down the decision for Fall enrollment.

I knew I already loved School #1, but there was a brand new, highly-lauded School #2 that was scheduled for its grand opening, right around our decision time.

So we went for a visit, participated in the most chaotic, impressive, nutso grand opening for a preschool that I could have imagined, and were definitely wowed.

This school was a larger franchise, had tons of fun curriculum "extras," and certainly snagged the attention of my kiddos, who walked around wide-eyed and bushy-tailed.

That day, we were told the spots would go lighting fast, so we needed to act fast, and put down a deposit pronto.

And so we did. Just so we'd have the option.

Random pic time:

In the month following that deposit, as the hubby and I chatted through the decision process, we came to a great, but super-duper annoying conclusion: both were great options, so we couldn't really go wrong.

Comparable fantastic curriculum.
Comparable pricing.
Comparable proximity to home.
Comparable comfort level and enthusiasm from Chica.

So basically, it came down to the fact that we'd already put down a deposit on the second school. So we just defaulted to that one as the winner.

Now, to the very end of this tale.

I reserved one final judgment call before everything was final final (and by final, I mean my girl is walking into school with her backpack on, ha).

And that judgment call was: the T-E-A-C-H-E-R. I prayed often and prayed fervently that God grant me peace with the decision by giving me a very clear cut sign on this front.

Random pic time:

School #2, being brand-spanking new, was still staffing up a few months ago, so I worried things might be fluid. And boy were they.

When I called a couple days ago to confirm staffing for Chica's specific class, there had already been turnover in just a few short months, and the employee speaking with me couldn't even verify the two teachers that would be leading my Chica's class next week.

Say it with me, peeps. HELL TO THE NO.

Two major strikes against them. (Though, to be fair, I think it all comes down to the fact that they're still getting their feet under them, and are having some setting-up-shop growing paints. But that is so not what we want to be a part of.)

So today, we made a triumphant and ridiculously happy return to School #1--now the official Chosen One for Chica's preschool experience.

And it was RIDICULOUS how right it felt walking in there. All three of my kiddos were thrilled. The administrative staff is so nice I want to make a couple of them my new besties, and Chica's official teacher is a veteran employee with them, complete with a Masters degree in education, thankyouverymuch.

It was literally like choirs of Angels were singing in my head. Loudly.

We signed the papers.

We had our photo IDs taken.

We had our thumbprint scanned.

We purchased our uniforms (yep, she'll be in one, though a super casual one, hehe.)

God has TRULY and completely given me peace of mind in this new chapter of our lives, and honestly, I'm now just 95% excited about next week, and only 5% meltdown/emotional.

Praise the heavens for these blessings when other things (like Chicklet's sleep trajectory) have gone to hell in a hand basket.

So stay tuned for the fun next week!

Over and out.