School Daze

Tomorrow is Bug's first day of preschool. He could have started in September (2 1/2 is the minimum age) but we decided he would start in January. He started the school year at the little school and we intended he would be there until the end of the calendar year. (It's a free neighborhood school through the Dept of Parks & Rec where the parents/babysitters stay with the kids and the teacher--a former kindergarten teacher--makes everyone feel special.)


Bug loved the little school...he came home each day with an art project, sang songs to us and taught us to play Alphabet Soup. We loved the school, too, and were considering keeping Bug there until the end of the school year but it closed on October 30. We found out on October 31 when the teacher called to tell us she had just been notified that the school was closed. Just another round of budget cuts in the city.

Now it's two months later and Bug's big day is just a few hours away. I don't know what I expected...I guess I thought it would feel like a bigger day (or maybe I just wanted it to feel that way), a new beginning of sorts but it's a typical Sunday night (oh, but the tantrum tonight was extra special because Donnie put Bug in the wrong jammies and the world fell apart...sigh).

Maybe I want this to feel like a big thing for Bug because this is solo time with other kids in a structured/somewhat structured environment. Maybe I want to have this really feel like a new step in his development. Maybe I want Bug to be as excited about school tonight as he was last week. Maybe I'm feeling abnormal/bad because I don't think I'll cry when I drop him off at school tomorrow morning. (Aren't moms supposed to cry on first days anywhere?) Maybe I'm thinking I should have dropped off his forms earlier instead of carrying them with me on day 1. Maybe I'm nervous because Bug isn't potty trained (we were told it's okay, but um, y'know). Maybe I should just have a glass of wine and go to bed--tomorrow's a big day...