When we put Simone on the waiting list this past January for the child care center near Michael's work, the staff told us we might have to wait 2 years.  Despite this, I called almost every month to see how Simone was moving up on the waiting list.  About 2 months ago, the staff told me bad news:  that Simone would be lucky if she got accepted in January.  Well ... I guess our little girl is lucky because she started this past Monday, Nov. 23rd!

We got the news via email.  Michael happened to be home reading his work email.  He let out an "Oh my god."  It sounded so terrible because he only utters those words in mockery of my valley girl dialect.  He had said it in all seriousness and proceeded to tell me that Simone was accepted and could start as soon as one week. 

We accepted of course because the timing was so perfect.  We wanted her to be used to "school" long before Max came.  Now she'll have about 2 months to get adjusted and will hopefully not associate her going to school as an exile to make room for the new addition to the family. 

There was a lot of paperwork to fill out.  One sheet had to be notarized and another had to be filled out by Simone's pediatrician.  There was a lot of running around to do!  I never knew all the hoops Grace had to jump through to get her kids to daycare!  Now I do.  And a la typical sentimental mom, I fast forwarded in my mind the day we'd be preparing to take Simone to her college dorm!  Simone has already started, but I still have lingering issues with the paperwork, e.g. her immunization records coming from two different doctors. 

I also had to prepare her supplies for her first day.  It's nothing big.  Just a crib sheet, a blanket, a change of clothes, toothbrush, toothpaste, diapers, diaper wipes and ..... this was the toughest ..... a family photo!  I realized there were no recent photos of Michael, Simone and me in one shot.  We tried to take one when we went out for my birthday, but Simone is looking away and Michael is now being too stubborn to retake one.  I gave the teacher one of Simone and Michael, but I'm already getting resistance from Michael to do the retake this weekend.  You'd think he believed in the superstition that photos rob your soul!

Before she started, we decided to start her off slowly with half days.  The first day, we decided to check in on her at 11am.  The aides said she had been doing fine.  And I believed it because when we left her, she didn't cry.  She whimpered and held onto us very tightly, but she didn't shed a tear when we walked out the door.  But as soon as I looked through the window, she happened to have started crying.  It completely broke my heart.  I was then a mental mess.  I wasn't bawling, but my heartstrings were being pulled so strongly that I couldn't think straight.  Do I keep her in school to let her get used to it?  Or do I pull her out to comfort her?  Luckily, I was able to run to Michael's office to talk to him. He reminded me of our original plan and proposed that I go back and check on her.  If she was crying, then I'd take her home.  If not, then I'd pick her up after their naptime.  Thank goodness for his clarity when I have lost mine. 

I went back and she was still crying.  Looking back, I figure she had had enough of this change of environment.  When I went in, the kids were sitting down to have their lunch.  I stayed through that and helped Simone eat.  She didn't need much help and gobbled up her rice and chicken stew!  I was shocked and so pleased at her healthy appetite! She brushed her teeth and then we left while the other kids went down for the nap.  Simone was so chatty on the way home!  She told me about her day, about going outside and writing, and eating breakfast.  Apparently she ate bananas because she kept mentioning, "Banas." 

The second day was so much better than expected.  This time, I arrived with Michael at 11:30.  We were totally expecting that she would have had enough by this time and we would thus take her home.  But when we peeked in the room, we saw her brushing her teeth and happily looking around at her classmates!  We thought, "OH!  Maybe we should leave her until after naptime?!"  And we did!  And she slept and played and even peed in the toilet!  It was a great day! 

She didn't nap very long (only 1 hour) and all that activity took a toll on her physically.  How can I tell?  Well, tonight at 8am, I said, "Time for bed." And she walked straight into the bedroom without protest! 

This pre-preschool is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Simone only had about 6 pieces of candy from Halloween, but one lollipop from See's had interesting effects on her...

 Looking good so far ...

 MMM ....

 Candy, good ....

It was a mistake to give her Ube- Macapuno (Purple Yam with Coconut) ice cream the next evening.  Observe ...

 Again, looking good so far ...

What is this jittery feeling coming over me?!

(indescribable)

I swear there were no drugs in the ice cream.

Ice Cream makes us all happy.