Friday, May 14, 2010
Bryn is reaching 4 years of age; the time when we start thinking of what to do with him next year. The Olders went to preschool with Teacher Michelle, through the Parks & Rec program at that age. It was wonderful. I love Teacher Michelle! It was within walking distance, too, which made it even better! I was so excited to think of Bryn attending her preschool classes--all the fun he'd have in class, and the field trips... and I couldn't wait to see Teacher Michelle again, either. We're friends on FaceBook, but does it really count when we haven't actually seen eachother in two years? (well, other than bumping into her at Zeller's that one day, but that doesn't count!) So I decided to pop into the Park & Rec office this week to look into preschool. I knew signing up was this month, but didn't know when. I grabbed the info sheet and was informed that registration was the very next morning at 8:30am! Gleeps! How was I going to do that? My mind starts wandering and well...you know how bad I get when that happens! *smile* I was thinking maybe my Hunny could take the day off work so I could register Bryn online. Or maybe even drop the Olders off at school for me. Somehow I needed to be in two places at once!
Then I looked at the information sheet. It listed the three different locations you could register your child (for an age 3 group and a pre-K/age 4...not that any other location was a factor, we knew where we wanted to be and we knew we wanted Teacher Michelle! Can you tell I'm a fan of hers?) And then I saw the price. And choked. $150/month??? Am I reading that correct? Seriously? I remember when it only cost $63/month for Kai. And that was only two years prior! I thought and thought and shook my head and decided that my memory did serve me correctly. It was a heck of a lot cheaper then! So I call up Hunny and let him know the "good news". 'Oh, registration is tomorrow in the morning, and it's going to cost us almost triple the amount!' Even he recalls it being cheaper with Kai, and even cheaper with Abi (at only $56/month) a year earlier. (I had him in the age 3 class when Abi was in Kindergarten since he was speech delayed. It was the intention that it would help his speaking, but I don't think it did. But it was fun. We both enjoyed it!) So now we're in a pickle. (I like using that expression.) Do we send him to the preschool with our beloved Teacher Michelle? Or look elsewhere?
Hunny was convinced that the cost to send him to preschool here is the same as sending him to the preschool at the Older's school. So that was an option. And then we remembered Wind & Tide, a preschool program that we've heard a lot of good things about; there is one in our neighbourhood as well. So I did some searching online, but found Wind & Tide is booked up already. Dang! And it turns out that the LCS Building Blocks preschool program is actually cheaper than the Park & Rec one. (by $10 for the 3-day-a-week class, and $20 for the 2-day-a-week one) H'mmm....the only thing is that the money we will be "saving" by sending him to the school, we'll be using in gas. I'll be traveling to the other side of Langley three times a day now. (it's a good 25-minute drive to my kids' school. We could use the bus system, but we're too cheap! And I was too frightened and sentimental to send my young children on a bus...without me!) Hunny is all for it, and a part of me is excited about it, but he's not the one driving to and fro all day long!
So the question is Why are we sending him to preschool? I could keep him at home and we could work on his numbers, colours and alphabet through the year (he's got most of them already). That's an option. It's not like he has to go to preschool. However, I keep thinking ahead to Kindergarten. It's full days and that's a big step, going from being at home to being away for 7 hours a day for a little guy. If he's in preschool, at least he's on his own for two hours. It's a start. That is my main thought for that.
But I still can't wrap my head around the idea of driving that distance three times a day! What am I supposed to do with myself for the two hours? I can't possibly shop every other day! Well, I suppose I could, but it wouldn't be good for our income!
I hate it when you have these choices to make and the Pros and Cons lists are equal. Sometimes you just have to Do It. Make that decision and stick with it. No looking back.
We're really leaning towards sending Bryn to the Building Blocks preschool (especially since we missed registration day for the Parks & Rec, and the classes tend to fill up within 10 minutes. Seriously. I missed getting Kai into his pre-K class by 5 mintues, and I got through at 8:35am. It was so bad that Teacher Michelle decided to start another class just for us missed-out Moms! She's good like that! Plus it made her paycheque look nicer!) I took Bryn to see the class and he was really excited! He talks about "his school" and how he'll play in the sand box and with playdoh! I remind him of Story Time and Singing Time and the field trips we'll take. I love the enthousiasm that almost-four year olds have! We just need to work on his potty training...still. He'll get it this summer. I'm sure of it! He has to!
Then I looked at the information sheet. It listed the three different locations you could register your child (for an age 3 group and a pre-K/age 4...not that any other location was a factor, we knew where we wanted to be and we knew we wanted Teacher Michelle! Can you tell I'm a fan of hers?) And then I saw the price. And choked. $150/month??? Am I reading that correct? Seriously? I remember when it only cost $63/month for Kai. And that was only two years prior! I thought and thought and shook my head and decided that my memory did serve me correctly. It was a heck of a lot cheaper then! So I call up Hunny and let him know the "good news". 'Oh, registration is tomorrow in the morning, and it's going to cost us almost triple the amount!' Even he recalls it being cheaper with Kai, and even cheaper with Abi (at only $56/month) a year earlier. (I had him in the age 3 class when Abi was in Kindergarten since he was speech delayed. It was the intention that it would help his speaking, but I don't think it did. But it was fun. We both enjoyed it!) So now we're in a pickle. (I like using that expression.) Do we send him to the preschool with our beloved Teacher Michelle? Or look elsewhere?
Hunny was convinced that the cost to send him to preschool here is the same as sending him to the preschool at the Older's school. So that was an option. And then we remembered Wind & Tide, a preschool program that we've heard a lot of good things about; there is one in our neighbourhood as well. So I did some searching online, but found Wind & Tide is booked up already. Dang! And it turns out that the LCS Building Blocks preschool program is actually cheaper than the Park & Rec one. (by $10 for the 3-day-a-week class, and $20 for the 2-day-a-week one) H'mmm....the only thing is that the money we will be "saving" by sending him to the school, we'll be using in gas. I'll be traveling to the other side of Langley three times a day now. (it's a good 25-minute drive to my kids' school. We could use the bus system, but we're too cheap! And I was too frightened and sentimental to send my young children on a bus...without me!) Hunny is all for it, and a part of me is excited about it, but he's not the one driving to and fro all day long!
So the question is Why are we sending him to preschool? I could keep him at home and we could work on his numbers, colours and alphabet through the year (he's got most of them already). That's an option. It's not like he has to go to preschool. However, I keep thinking ahead to Kindergarten. It's full days and that's a big step, going from being at home to being away for 7 hours a day for a little guy. If he's in preschool, at least he's on his own for two hours. It's a start. That is my main thought for that.
But I still can't wrap my head around the idea of driving that distance three times a day! What am I supposed to do with myself for the two hours? I can't possibly shop every other day! Well, I suppose I could, but it wouldn't be good for our income!
I hate it when you have these choices to make and the Pros and Cons lists are equal. Sometimes you just have to Do It. Make that decision and stick with it. No looking back.
We're really leaning towards sending Bryn to the Building Blocks preschool (especially since we missed registration day for the Parks & Rec, and the classes tend to fill up within 10 minutes. Seriously. I missed getting Kai into his pre-K class by 5 mintues, and I got through at 8:35am. It was so bad that Teacher Michelle decided to start another class just for us missed-out Moms! She's good like that! Plus it made her paycheque look nicer!) I took Bryn to see the class and he was really excited! He talks about "his school" and how he'll play in the sand box and with playdoh! I remind him of Story Time and Singing Time and the field trips we'll take. I love the enthousiasm that almost-four year olds have! We just need to work on his potty training...still. He'll get it this summer. I'm sure of it! He has to!
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