all about school

When I became a mother, I found this feeling of comraderie with all mothers, about which I have many deep thoughts to reflect on soon; but I do need to do some less deep reflecting when I talk about Annie's school. These thoughts are interrelated with my thoughts on motherhood.

This is Annie's second school. When she was 14 months, she started at Childtime, and we liked it. It was far and away the best daycare we looked at. At 17 months, she was moving from 2 days/week to 3, and, at over $500/month, we went looking for a new place for her. I happened to see a sign at a church much closer to home that announced, "now accepting 1's." Fate! Annie goes to Christ Methodist Preschool, 3 days/week for a mere $346 (this, non-daycare peeps, is the DEAL of the century). Because it was a preschool that added care for 1's, and, recently, infants, it is way more school than daycare. She goes to chapel on Tuesdays and Spanish class on Wednesdays. I think Thursday is music class, but she doesn't go on Thursdays.

Anyway..... the point I want to make is that childcare/daycare/school is not what you think it is. Annie's school is warm, caring, fun, clean, bright. She loves going and has a bunch of friends and the best teachers. Everyone who visits Annie's school (OK, Mom and Nana) loves it. I brag about Annie's school because I had some major preconceived notions about childcare. Major. How tragic it was for Annie to go to daycare. How horribly devastating that I couldn't be with her all the time or afford a private nanny. How family care is clearly the best. How daycare is so expensive but so crappy at the same time. It's just not true. There are hundreds of choices that families make about working and childcare that are made for thousands of different reasons, and this is the right choice for us.

I add that last part because all children are different. What if I had a child with special needs? A child who was medically fragile? What if I simply had a child who was less adaptable than Annie? Or, even more simply, what if Annie cried every time we pulled into the parking lot of her school? If we had a different child, we would make different choices.

Based on our schedule, Annie usually goes to school from 9ish-4ish, and her best friends are Emma and Isabella. If you have talked to Annie in the past year, I know you have heard of Emma. Funny side Emma story: I had a business meeting about a month ago and it turns out the guy's son is in Annie's class. The kid goes W-F and Annie goes M-W, so they don't really know each other, but the guy asked me, "do you know Emma? Mason loves Emma." Do WE know Emma? Um, we talk about her 10 times a day in the Prevatt household. :)

And some school pics:

2010-2011 school pictures (not the cutest but OK):

This is the Native American parade they did for Thanksgiving. Annie was awesome, banging her drum and marching:

And this is the Christmas program. Annie did SO GREAT (middle in the Grinch shirt), singing and ringing her bell. She is a little shy so I was very impressed: