First Day of School

Healthy breakfast - check.
New dress Hazel picked out all by herself at Target - check.
Old shoes and socks because the other moms told me the sand on the playground stains orange - check.
Teeth and hair brushed - check.
Cutest backpack ever, stocked with pull-ups, emergency change of clothes for her cubby, and her toy du jour, a blue winged horse - check.Me crying and not totally sure why - check.

It must be Hazel's first day of preschool!
It was an amazing feat for us but we did get out the door on time, snapped a few quick shots outside, and hustled on over to her school. You thought my Barcroft Community House was cute? Well check out:We seem unable to escape charming historical buildings around here, but we will suffer through.
Hazel has two teachers, Mrs. Peetz and Ms. Love, seen here at the open house last week.
Every day there are two teachers and a co-op parent. The preschool has a parents' organization and the secretary makes the co-op schedule, a job I'm glad I don't have. How often you aide depends on total enrollment, how many kids you have in the school, and how often they come (2, 3 or 5 days a week.) Hazel goes MWF so I will be in there about once every 6 weeks. At the open house I met another mom with a boy in Hazel's class and a little girl Ginger's age so we are just going to trade babysitting for our co-op days. The parents don't have to teach exactly, but help with things like set-up, clean-up, transitions, crowd control, bathroom trips, etc. Also you can bring a book from home to read to the class during circle time, and they often try to have you co-op on your kid's birthday. The enrollment in Hazel's class right now is 16 so it's a pretty nice ratio.

There's also a treasurer who mentioned on parent night a couple of fundraisers, including See's candy at Christmastime, so I expect you all to step up and place an order - you have been warned. Fundraisers fund field trips, special teachers (like music and science), and buy extra classroom supplies or equipment.

Here's the adorable playground with the hateful staining sand that will cramp my fashion plans for Hazels' school wardrobe:Ginger and I celebrated our new ratio by going to the public health office to have my TB test checked (had to get it to be able to co-op) and then grocery shopping. I was in an exuberantly good mood being able to shop with just one kid, and her strapped in the cart. I splurged on a special treat for all of us to share at lunch - strawberry milk - but which none of us liked and that's what I get for trying so hard. We brought the groceries home, put them away, took clothes to the cleaners, and went back to pick up Hazel. Three hours goes fast.

She was flushed, sweating, a little sandy and paint-stained, and looking so happy! She gave me a big hug and pulled me over to the drying rack to show me her painting. Then she informed me that she liked the crackers and raisins but "the cheese smelled like pee." Note to self: teach her other ways to describe things she doesn't like. Everyone informed me she had a great first day, made some friends, and did a good job taking turns. On the drive home I tried to ask open-ended questions to find out more about her day but it was almost impossible to get a straight answer, so I just have to go on what I know of the weekly theme ("Getting to Know Preschool") and the daily schedule (free time/activities, circle time, snack, play outside) and fill in the rest with my own imagination.

My big one-kid plans for Wednesday: get the car inspected and registered at the DMV - woohoo!