Schools shmools

I feel like I've gotten a little behind. Maybe I'll go back and discuss the fact that the twins turned two. Or go back to the time when Ryan left for Haiti and three minutes after we dropped him off at the airport Cash puked all over the car. And then the other kids got it. (Why does he get to miss all the fun?) And it was the same weekend I had already scheduled the twins birthday party, which we got to, got all unloaded at the park, and it started raining. And then on the way to an alternate location, a box fell over in the back and squashed the orange creamsicle cupcakes I had spent 6 hours making. (If you saw my version, you'd laugh knowing that was actually trying to imitate those. My dual frosting needs some serious help.) And then the part where I was unloading from that party and locked myself out of the building....

But that all nauseates me, so maybe I'll talk about something else. Like the fact that I think I may have found a pre-kindergarten program for Cash next year. I know it seems like about every other post is about this topic, but, hey, what can I say? It's been stumping me for months now. So while my mom was here I drove and drove around and looked at any and every program I could find around here.  The first one I went to, I didn't hear a lick of English. (Sadly, there were so few options I found, this is our backup school). I'm totally fine with him learning Spanish, I just don't want him feeling more confused and isolated from the other kids than he already will have his natural tendency to be. And he would be the only non-Hispanic. And I had a hard time communicating with the teachers. The next one didn't work out for multiple reasons (it also being one where you have to keep your kid there all day, you can't just do three hours), and there was some kid giving a teacher a shoulder/neck massage out on the playground right in front of me.  Uh, that's a little um, inappropriate?  Yeah, nix that one.

The next one also told me I had to keep the kid there all day and sounded confused by my request to just do three hours.  She even told me it "wouldn't be very good business sense" to just have kids for three hours when you could get the money for making them stay there all day.  Oh. Silly me, I thought it was about what's best for the kids.  She also said she "disagreed" with me when I said I wanted to keep him home with me longer rather than just leaving him in day care all day "because kids teach each other lots of stuff."  Right. Brilliant stuff, I'm sure.  Like how to call each other poo-poo-head.  I mean, come on. I know people are so worried about kids learning social skills, but they don't need it for 8 hours a day. And please, the one thing kids could actually use more of in this world is their parents, not more time with other kids.

The next one had graffiti all over the building and a cop car busting somebody out front. I really debated even getting out of the car, but it was sort of worth it to walk in and see a sea of cute little black faces all turn to look at me wide-eyed when I walked in.  The teacher couldn't speak a sentence with an ounce of proper grammar and I'm actually not even sure she had teeth.  Hmm, Spanish, ebonics, Spanish, ebonics....

The next one I also debated getting out. It was one of those neighborhoods with few cars, but lots of adult guys walking around during the middle of the day (meaning nobody has a job). Another no.  The one we're zoned for - tried that one too (the one whose demographic reports in the last 10 years list 0 white kids), and that one I didn't even dare get out of the car.

Then I stopped by this private school.  Wow, those people were so warm and friendly I'd want to go to school there.  Lovely. Nice grounds. Super friendly teachers. Actually diverse (not diverse meaning anything but white kids). The four year-old class was learning to tell time in Chinese when I went in.  (Ok, I'll actually admit, that's a bit much for me. How about something more basic, like coloring?) But they were another all-day program.  Oh, and they were $13,000 a year.  (Yes, that's right, I didn't add too many zeros.)

That day I went home super frustrated to say the least.

But later I did go check out a nice school that is opening a new branch closer to me.  And it may be my only chance to get him in a good place like that because usually the good ones just have kids moving up from birth to each next level. So a new school, good option, and hopefully they will let me just do three hours a day like they say.  If not, looks like Cash and I better start learning some Espanol.

Ugh. I guess this topic nauseates me too realizing I'll have to do this all over again next year when it's time for elementary school.