And that means that it's time for school. Oh what a pain this process has been...picking a kindergarten that is. A year ago we decided that it was best for Jack to wait till he was 6 to go to school. Either way, he'll be the youngest or the oldest. That was a hard decision at the time since he has some friends who will now be in first grade but, we felt confident that it was best and would give him a leg up when he's older (I'd rather him be a little more mature in high school when he's making important decisions!). Putting off school also gave me a little more time to explore my (our) options which seemed daunting. And, it has been. Daunting that is.
I started out in the fall of last year, September, looking into my options. Our neighborhood school is located practically in the middle of a super busy street, I see the kids out at recess playing in clouds of exhaust and it makes my stomach turn. So, that was out. Which means we had to apply for 'open enrollment' for anything else. I set out on a quest to find out my options and found a couple of good ones not far from our house. One is a charter school and the other is just a regular public elementary school that I've heard good things about. The charter school had an open house in October where I signed up for the lottery. It seemed SO EARLY at the time! Anyway, then I applied for open enrollement as early as I could down at the district office the first of December. Man you can't waste any time! Then, we waited. For four months. Yes, we can't waste time but they sure to wait a long time to give you answers!
Then in March we got the answers. I was hoping that we would be turned down by one of them and thus the decision would be easy. I guess being there early paid off though and we were accepted to both schools. Argh!!!! Why the frustration you say? Well, this has made my life sooooo difficult for 6 months now! Both are good options with lots of potential....and I have had a heck of a time making up my mind.
A few weeks ago, we thought we had it figured out and had chosen the regular school. The basis for the decision was that we are wanting to invest in our neighborhood while we are here and keep us close to home. It's also on the way to the preschool that Noah goes to so that makes pick up and drop off easy. Yes, we had made up our minds. Then while at VBS at church, I talked with one of my friends who told me if she had the opportunity she would probably try to go to the charter school....hmmm...that got me thinking again. Maybe we had a good opportunity and were just throwing it in the garbage?? Back to the drawing board. Within 2 days my mind had shifted and we were going to the charter school.
Then came the backyard party at my friend's house. She sends her kids to the charter school so I wanted to pick her brain about it. She said she LOVED the kindergarten teacher that they had last year, but the school was pretty normal otherwise. Ugh. If that's the case, I thought, maybe we should opt for convenience and go with the closer 'normal' school. Afterall, a good friend of mine is the president of the PTA there...I know I'll be plugged in socially and that will help Jack to plug in as well right? Yes, that's what we should do. Our minds were made up, we were going to the other school.
Then, about a week later, my friend came over for coffee (the one who goes to the regular school). She told me about some possible changes coming down the pike this year for them (not for sure yet) and it was enough for me to think, yes, this is the confirmation that I needed. God is finally closing a door and telling us that the charter school is right. When Mark got home that day I told him, we had our minds made up, we're going to the charter school.
Later that day, our neighbor came over and was chatting with us while the kids played on the front lawn. He mentioned that the kids on our street are going to school in all different places...and it turned out that there are two boys moving onto the street who are going to the 'regular' school we were thinking of going to....my how handy it would be to carpool...and have neighbor friends who go there as well...no. We had our minds made up.
Then came a letter in the mail from the charter school. It turned out that they had assigned us to the fabulous teacher my friend had recommended...however in the AFTERNOON! Argh!!! We can't possibly do that! Was my initial reaction. This was a clear sign from God. I talked it over with Mark who agreed, we had to change our minds once again and go with the 'regular' school in our neighborhood. The next day I got a phone call from my friend who sends her kids to the charter school. She was so excited that we had been assigned to her favorite teacher and was suprised to hear we had changed our minds. Oh well, she said, Jack would have had a wonderful experience with this particular teacher, but the schedule thing is hard.
Alright. We were getting used to the idea of the regular school and gearing up for the kindergarted assessments this week. All the while, I'm not able to let go of the other option. Selfishly I have been hanging onto both options, knowing that there are other kids out there who would likely jump in as soon as our spot opened up.
Yesterday I took Jasper to the doctor for his 9 month checkup. I decided to ask our wonderful doctor to weigh in on my school choice. He sited this article and said there really is something to be said about a good kindergarten experience. A good teacher is pretty important. Yes, he's right, I thought. I promptly came home and called a good friend for advice. She graciously spent time on the phone with me deliberating over the small details of this decision. Bringing a few new details to light and reminding me of my priorities. I felt much more peace after getting off the phone with her. I then went on a walk and talked with some of my neighbors (we have several young families on our street, 5 boys who are either in kindergarten or 1st grade this year). They had some good things to say as well. After all this I think we have come to a conclusion. There are so many factors that come into play on this decision. One of the ones I've been ignoring all along is the fact that I don't think I'm ready to send him to school! I think I'm having a hard time accepting that we are moving on to the next phase of life, whether I like it or not. This also explains why I got choked up when he lost his first tooth this summer!
I have learned so much about us during this process. I have so much more respect for parents who have their kids in school. I know God has been growing us through this experience and preparing us for the future somehow. Although it was grueling I think by next week we will be glad to be starting school and moving forward. Am I the only one in the world who has been so fickle? Maybe, but it's for the sake of my kids. I want the best for them and can't stand the thought of making a mistake. I am so thankful to be able to trust God with them and know that He is in control. Thank you to all who have provided a listening ear for me these past few months!
