And Now For Something Completely Different

Somebody hold me.  My big girl is starting preschool on Monday.

I know.  'Sudden' doesn't even begin to describe it.

My little solitary artist...and her beloved heart shaped mirror

I have been DRAGGING. MY. FEET. on this issue since before we even moved....not to mention the myriad of conflicting emotions we've gone through on the topic, there were several things we had to consider about schooling for the girls in a foreign country.

Austrian preschools have been out of the question from the beginning, so we've been looking into bilingual and English-speaking preschools.  There are quite a few to choose from, but most of them only take full time positions, meaning Monday through Friday from 8am to 3-ish.  I wanted to cry just thinking about it.  I actually like hanging out with my kids all day.  This is the best job I've ever had and I don't actually feel the need to take a break from it. So, having someone else take care of them all day, nearly every day just seems coo-coo-banana-crackers to me. 

But here's the problem; I am not capable of homeschooling them.  Not only is Audrey as stubborn as a mule when her Mama tries to teach her new things, but I have no ability to stay on task.  I transition far too quickly from lessons in phonetics to 'why don't we make popcorn!'.  And the absolute clincher for us is that Audrey needs and loves interaction with other kids.  She is incredibly shy and introverted, but she truly enjoys being around others--to observe them and mimic what they do.  She also learns very quickly when her mother is not involved in her instruction.

Wearing her new backpack...cool kid shades required

So, over the course of observing all this, we decided, ultimately, the decision was up to God--when and where Audrey would be accepted into preschool.  And He dropped it on our laps this week.  We were fortunate enough to find an English-speaking school near John's work that offers half day positions.  And not only are they half days, but they are ridiculously flexible.  As long as we have Audrey there on time in the morning, I can basically come pick her up whenever I want.  They also said if it's a nice day and we'd rather go to the beach than preschool, a lot of parents pull their kids out for that too.  So, since it was well established that we would be able to live with and adapt to the amount of time Audrey will be spending there, we just had to make sure that we liked the facilities and their curriculum...which we do.  Outside of the actual curriculum, what I was most impressed by is that the kids spend time outside every day.  Rain, or shine. (There is an indoor gym and a covered play area that serve for rainy days.) They even have you bring snow suits during really cold weather so the kids can play in the snow.   They often take trips to the nearby Donau Park and have field trips to different venues around Vienna. One thing is for sure: Audrey is going to have a lot of fun.  And that's pretty much the only reason I'm ok with this sudden transition. 

I'm sure Bailey and I will have some anxiety the first week or two, but this is good for us too.  B has been having some difficulties with communication lately that I really think will benefit from my undivided attention and once she gets a bit older, we'll probably send her to the same preschool.

Papa gives the girls a lift

Although, truth be told, that makes me start hyperventilating a bit...I have no idea what I would do without both of my babies in the mornings.  I wished I could have free time when they were itty bitties and I was sleep deprived, but now I would just feel robbed of my sense of purpose.

As it is, we're looking forward to the coming week--to seeing how we all adapt to this new development.  And our weekend?  Has been spent loving on each other.  There's a sense that we're  moving into a new season of life with this transition.  Not good or bad--just different.  And that makes us want to cling to the familiarity of each other a bit more than usual.  There have been lots of snuggles, hugs and kisses, hand holding and the like.  We are battening down the hatches for the newness that something so seemingly simple as preschool can bring into our lives.