Wow! The summer is over! Our summer has been very busy – travels – Rose and Dean went to Oregon to see the eclipse (sun plays peek- a- boo), home improvements – a new fence in the backyard – and daily duties.
Most importantly: Rose has started a wonderful preschool (in the US, kindergarten is between preschool and first grade).
After my Mom left in June, I finally found a great place very close to our home. The calm and cordial owner immediately wanted to make my life easier. Later it turned out that the daughter of our pediatrician had also been her student. I loved Rose’s classoom set-up. It was very organized, cosy, yet stimulative. There is space for individual activities, but also for group activities and lunch. I wanted to stay there myself. No wonder our preschool has a Montessori license.
I had thought that Rose would not start preschool until next year, but she was ready for making more solid friendships and undertaking more duties (clean clean up ready to go!). In the USA, daycares, nannies, preschools are everyday life for kids from very early age.
Rose finished a trial at the end of the school year in July. She seemed like a fish in water.
The few hours in the morning allow me to catch my breath. I can drink my coffee, be a less busy doing everyday tasks. Maya gets to feel a bit like an only child.
Since August, Rose has been going to preschool four half days a week.
She enjoyes her attentive and warm caregivers and various activities. There are two groups – for the younger kids, Los Ositos (Little Bears), and for the older children, Learning Center. In the younger group there are approximately 10 children, and at least two teachers. Teachers are able to speak Spanish, but English is the main language.
During the day, younger children get an opportunity to play with the older children in the playground. Once a week they participate in music classes.
We can already see the positive consequences: Rose began to speak more, also in Polish. I wanted her to practice her concentration. We hear that she has no problem participating in the class. She works on her puzzles, until they are finished. She has fun with other children, helps her teachers, who say simply that “she had another busy and happy day”!
Maya and I pick her up past noon. I exchange a few words with the teachers, then we receive Rose’s potty report, which is always great. We now mostly have to deal with just Maya’s diapers.
On the way back we check that the lunchbox, prepared by Dean, was emptied, and quickly come home to synchronize girls’ naps.
It is not the cheapest place around, but the quality is very high. From what I’ve heard, we could even find a place for a similar price, but full-time. Yet, the close location is very important for us now (Dean drops Rose off before work), and our cheerful afternoon (me, Rose and Maya) seem to make the girls happy.
The only downside are the viruses. I’m not 100 percent sure if other preschoolers are to blame, but in the last two months Rose was twice quite sick. We managed without antibiotics, but not without nerves. Those sick days derail us from our routine. Nights are even more uneasy, and the days seem endless. Luckily, we are much better now.
Meanwhile we are packing our suitcases and preparing to visit Poland for a month.
I signed up Rose for two-year old activity classes in the center of Krakow. My only worry is now the jet-lag and getting back into our preschool routine after such a long break.
Thanks for checking my blog. I plan various posts, but now even reading a book for a half hour is a luxury. Stay tuned! Until the next!
Our wonderful preschooler!
Dream of play:)