Preschool Tales

Yesterday was the first day that new families could sign up at the preschool we have chosen for Asher. There were already very few spots left for the 2 1/2 year old class. I had always heard about how competitive the preschool scene is in places like L.A. and New York City. I had no idea it was also so competitive in Jacksonville, NC! I got there right at 9:00 am and we were lucky enough to get a spot in the class we wanted. I feel relieved now. I was worried he wouldn't get in and we'd be stuck with choices that weren't that appealing.

I know it's not necessary for him to even start preschool this young, but I felt like it was something he needed to do. I can already tell from his personality (that is pretty much identical to mine) that he's not going to learn well from me. I knew I was never cut out for homeschooling anyway, but he is confirming it every day. Add in the extra dose of stubbornness that he receives from Rob and he becomes unwilling to listen to practically anything I tell him. On the other hand, he listens and behaves extremely well when I'm not around. I'm not expecting him to learn algebra this year, but I think this will be really great for him to learn how to get along with other children his age and learn some social skills. It's hard for him since he's still an only child, although we are working on those skills at home too.

So, starting in August, Asher will be going to preschool Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:30 to 11:30. We've met his teachers and they seem really lovely. I'm excited for him and at the same time in disbelief that my baby is old enough for preschool.

Mass with a 2 year old

Taking Asher to church is one of the most stressful things in the world. It should not be so! Unfortunately, not many Catholic churches have nurseries for the little ones. I know it's important to bring children to church, but it's hard for a 2 year old to sit quietly for over an hour! It's especially hard for my 2 year old. It becomes more about me trying to keep him calm and quiet rather than getting anything out of the Mass. It doesn't help that I'm almost always alone since Rob doesn't usually come with us. I go in prepared for every contingency. We have multiple kinds of snacks, drinks, and books. Of course, he has the most fun jumping up and down on the kneelers and finding new friends.

 After our bad experiences with 2 different churches in 29 Palms, I was reluctant to take him to Mass here. I can say after two visits with Asher, everyone here at Infant of Prague is exceptionally welcoming. There are three cry-rooms, which is where we sit, so at least everyone with a toddler is not fighting over the same small space. Both priests are kind and loving towards people with children, which hasn't always been my experience. I still spend a lot of time trying to keep Asher quiet, but he is getting better. He was really well-behaved today, or at least well-behaved for him! I guess it's one of those "practice makes perfect" sort of things.

At least he has to come with me to church now. There's no complaining or whining about going to Mass. I need to remember this when he's 16!

Blog Revamp

I tried the blogging thing minimally when Asher was first born. I should have tried harder. I suck at scrapbooking and there was a complete baby book fail, so most of our memories are in photographs. That's a nice way to have them, but I wish I had taken the time to write down the important things. I'm going to give it a go again, even though I always feel incredibly self-conscious writing blog posts. First, who is even going to read this? Second, who cares what I think about random topics?

This blog is not strictly a blog about Asher. Nor is it strictly about being married to a Marine, being Catholic, being moderately conservative, being a SAHM, being a former teacher or any other thing. It's about all of those things and none of those things. It's really an attempt to capture what's going on in our world and in our life right now, because it's always changing so fast.