Preschool: The first two weeks

Here's a news flash: waking up at 6:30 AM every day is hard! But except for having to drag myself out of bed in the dead of night, preschool is going pretty well. The girls cooperate in getting themselves ready to go every day, and complain every afternoon when I pick them up that, "it's too soon, I'm not ready, no you go away mommy and come back later."

I kind of cleared out the entire month of January thinking it would take at least that long for all of us to adjust to our new schedule, and that it would probably take Monkey another month after that to stop crying when I dropped her off or for her sleep to get back on track. But - shockingly - I think we are already used to our new routine. The other day Monkey was complaining because she didn't want to stay home on Saturday - she wanted to go to school! Now that's a girl after my own heart. I loved going to school, hated to stay home, and dreaded summer vacation.

Since preschool is all peaches and roses, I'll tell you about something slightly more interesting. During the Christmas break, Turtle and Monkey finally watched their first movie! Don't get too excited. It was at home, recorded off the television, and watched over three nights with me controlling the remote. But I'm happy to say that some portion of The Sound of Music is currently showing in our home every single day, is in the CD player in the car, and at least one movie scene is being performed nightly by the girls. Tonight, we acted out the scenes where the kids put a frog in Maria's pocket (Turtle shoved her Lovey in my waistband), and where Maria sits on a pine cone (Monkey put her Yoda doll in a chair for me to sit on). They most like to play Leisl, telling everyone who will listen that they are 16 and singing "I'd like to stay and taste my first champagne." The Sound of Music is one of my absolute favorite movies of all time, so watching it every single day and memorizing all the songs and dialog is a real treat.

I have to say, I totally love acting out the scenes with them. It reminds me of my tween years, when I basically did exactly the same thing: memorize movies and act them out. But having a couple of always-willing actresses/sidekicks to direct is even more fun. I can't wait to introduce them to my other favorite pastime of my tweens: choreographing dances to 80s music. They'll be rocking down to Electric Avenue before you know it.

Chapter 2

This morning Turtle and Monkey started their new preschool: a Montessori school about 15 minutes from our house where they will go every day, 8:30-2:30. They were very excited, and they both left their Lovies in the car with a cheerful "See you after school Lovey." In the past, Monkey has literally had to be peeled off me, screaming, every other time we've left her somewhere for the first time, and clung to her Lovey for dear life. Today she gave me a hug and kiss and waved good-bye, then went about her work. Turtle was just as quick to say good-bye. Twin Daddy and I were surprised and absolutely thrilled. We went out for a taco and then came home to tackle the piles that have been accumulating on the office desk for the last three years. I just took artwork from the daycare the girls went to for a short time in 2008 to the recycling bin.

I thought I might have more mixed feelings today, but I've been preparing for this since early October and I think I've already shed the few tears I had. I tried to make myself really pay attention to my feelings, so I wouldn't just gloss over this transition, and this is what happened:

I stopped by a stay-at-home mom friend's house today around noon to drop something off. In her front yard was a double stroller not quite unpacked from a morning walk, a soccer net in the driveway, and a few toys strewn throughout the yard. I shuddered at the thought of what she'd been up to all morning and thought, "Well, I guess I really am ready for them to be at school every day."

So right now I'm happy they are happy, and I'm ready to face the next stage in all of our lives, whatever that may hold. For me it will involve getting some sort of part-time paid employment relatively soon, and trying to sort through our house in the meantime. Of course, I reserve the absolute right to bemoan this change in a few months or a year or two years, and to do a complete 180 and say how much I miss having them at home and to long for the days when my every morning was filled with toys and strollers. But for now, we're all good.