First Day of Preschool Report Card

You might be happy to know that Milo, Huck, the other kids in their class, and I all survived the first day of preschool. In the words of their teachers, "they did great."

Play with sand and funnel - A

Pee in toilet - A

Not bite, hit, scream at, or otherwise frighten other children into needing therapy later in life or now - A

And now for my Million Little Pieces James Frey moment. In my list last week I mentioned that an angry mother had called the school to find out if "those twins" were coming. To be truthful, she called because she was behind us on the waiting list and the teacher had told her that if my boys decided not to come then there would be room for her child. However, there were a pair of moms at gymnastics class who used to refer to them in whispered tones as "those twins" because of a biting incident that my lawyers have asked me not to refer to on this blog.

Meowing Behind the Toilet

Unless you came here looking for pictures of monkeys jumping for your 8th grade science project or unless you're my own parents who read this because you have to, then at some point in your life you've probably gone online to connect with others so you don't feel so alone.

Brain, Child is one of my favorite paper magazines and each issue they put a few articles online. Donna  Eis' Online, Off Kilter is a fascinating look at online communities for moms. It's a great read for anyone who's ever belonged to an online mom's group and it happens to contain one of the best metaphors about a deaf cat that I've read in a long time.

New Year, New Design

I want to thank Mrs. Flinger and Karen at Swank Web Style for all the great work they did on my new site design. Let me know what you think.

Harper's Index: First Day of Preschool Edition

4 - Number of days until Milo and Huck start preschool.

3 - Number of children I'll have enrolled in that preschool.

0 - Percent discount the school gives me for enrolling 3 children.

60 - Number of dollars per month that they offered me off the monthly tuition to be a "co-op parent."

120 - Number of dollars per month I would have to pay a babysitter to watch my children while completing my "co-op parent" duties.

3 - Number of times Annabella's teacher has tried to reassure me that Milo and Huck are ready for preschool by saying, "If they're anything like Annabella, they'll be fine."

0 - Number of times this has reassured me.

4,587 - Number of times I've used "You're not going to get to start preschool in January" as a threat to stop Milo and Huck from doing something.

0 - Percent chance that I will follow through on that threat.

1- Number of angry mothers who have called the preschool to find out if "those twins" are enrolling.

4 - Number of real hammers the school has out for the children to use to hammer real nails into a tree stump.

30 - Number of seconds Huck was holding the hammer before he decided to try to hit Milo with it.

0 - Number of hours all three of my children will be in preschool at the same time.

24 - Number of trips I'll have to take (there and back) to preschool to pick up and drop off per week.

3 - Number of days per week that each child will be in preschool.

3 - Number of hours per school day that each child will be in preschool.

100 - Percent chance that I will cry after I drop them off the first time.