Safety (pre)School

I got "the call" on Friday afternoon. Lucy and Harper made it off the waiting list for a Toddler Twos Mom's Day Out at a church very nearby, a program I've heard great things about. It would be 2 days a week from 9-1, and I think that next Fall, when they will be almost 2 year olds, they will love it.

For those of you who don't know, getting into a preschool program around here is akin to getting accepted to the Ivy League, except that getting in isn't based on SAT and GPA, but the analness and connections of Mom. People get on multiple waiting lists in utero. Siblings of current students get moved to the top. Church members get priority. I am actually thinking about joining one particular church to get into our stretch preschool for the Fall of '09.

Different programs and their waitlists are a recurring topic of conversation in Mommy and Me classes and playgroups. I started a spreadsheet named "preschool" with contact information, deposits I made and when, costs, ages they take, etc. I thought I had been on top of things when I realized most of the programs take 2 year olds as of 9/1, our birthday is 9/10. Wait a minute. I have to wait until they are 9 days away from three???!!! Create additional "MDO" worksheet in "preschool" spreadsheet.

Dumb luck kicks in. When I signed up for preschool a year ago, one program also entered me on the list for MDO. I found this out when I went 6 months later to talk about the MDO program. Maybe pity helped move me up a few spots. I'll take it.