Wednesday, September 12, 2007

First Day of Preschool

It was Monday, actually. I am running several paces behind schedule.

This was no more apparent than on Monday. All summer I had wondered, and sometimes worried, how I would manage the pick-up and drop-off of two kids in two different schools with concurrent school hours. Both start school at 9 and end at 11:30. Sean's school is a few blocks away; Allie's is a 10-minute drive.

Dropping off in the morning works out okay; Sean goes first, then Allie. With luck Allie will just make it to school by 9:00. Dropping off is more complicated. And given Monday's debacle, I'll need to refine my original plan.

Here's how it went: Sean was dismissed promptly at 11:30. He and I ran to the car, then battled traffic and a torrential downpour to get Allie. We arrived at her classroom, sopping wet from our sprint from the car to the building, at 11:45. Allie was the only child in the classroom. And the building, I think. She seemed content enough putting together a puzzle, but I felt just awful that on her first day of school she had to wait so long for me. Once I arrived, her teacher had to bustle out the door to pick up her son from his kindergarten (she wasn't late, but it just made me feel worse somehow).

Today we're trying something different. I'm going to pick up Allie first; she'll have to leave a bit early, but at least it will be during her playground time and she won't be missing too much. If the traffic gods are pleased with me, I'll then be able to arrive at Sean's school at 11:30. In my favor is the fact that traffic going home from Allie's school is always lighter than in the opposite direction.

In a few weeks this timing conflict won't be an issue because Allie will be starting what her school calls "Lunch Bunch," a program in which she can stay at school for lunch and additional playtime.

Oh, and the first day itself? "I forget," was the report I received from Allie.

At least I know she looked cute.