Preschool, maybe

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Fork update: The fork pieces came out of Trey on Tuesday, in somewhat dramatic fashion. Poor thing, his bowels were messed up all weekend. But it's over now. Just in case you needed to know.

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We live in the middle of nowhere, but there happens to be a locally renowned preschool about 15 minutes from our house. It has great teachers, a faith-based curriculum, and has been around forever.

In October I called to put Trey's name on the waiting list for this coming fall. I talked with the lead teacher about Trey's food allergies, which she said they dealt with all the time, and would pose no problems. On rare occasions I may need to send a dairy-free version of whatever theme-based treat the kids might have on a special day. That was great to hear, and very comforting that it wouldn't be a new type of situation for the teachers.

Well, amid all that has happened since October, preschool sort of got buried under a bunch of other stuff in my mind. Every once in a while it would occur to me that there was supposed to be an open house in the spring, but I didn't know when, and never thought about it at a time I could call and find out. And I certainly didn't think enough to come up with any kind of backup plan should Trey not be accepted.

Then about two weeks ago we got the call that there was a spot open for Trey at the preschool if we still wanted it. Woo hoo! And thanks for the reminder!

Today was the open house, and Trey and I went to meet his teachers, see the classroom and playground, and plunk down a nice deposit. Trey was timid at first, as expected. But it was a toddler's dream land. Everywhere you looked were books, toys of all kinds, art supplies, and a great playground outside. He was hooked by the end, and cried when we had to leave.

School doesn't start until September, and it's likely he will forget much of what he saw today by then. But that gives us five more months of growing and developing for Trey. I'm pretty sure it will freak him out beyond imagination the first few times I leave him there for his class. But I have a feeling the kid is going to love him some school. He may be his Daddy made over, but there is still some Mommy-nerdishness in there.

Trey loves to learn, and does so quickly. He already knows some of the things that will be introduced in preschool, but there is so much more that it hasn't occurred to us to teach him. The structure and constant stimulation will be great, and something we will not be able to give him at home after Baby Dolphin arrives, at least for a little while.

Our biggest hope is for his social development. Living so far out, plus with me working, it is hard to have play dates. Trey tends to be a loner at play, even in the nursery at church surrounded by his familiar "friends". Yes, this will be so good for him.

But there is a maybe. A big, fat, whopping maybe.

If by September Trey is not potty trained, we forfeit our deposit and Trey is not allowed to attend. Nothing like pressure. Sigh.

I talked to some of the other moms today, and found a few more facing the same issue. Which might have made me feel a little better, but the mountain is still there.

Consistency is the problem. I know what I need to do. Guess I'm scared. Or lazy. Lazy-scared. But I do know what I need to do. Chuck the diapers permanently and go all naked bottom for a week or two. It might be a little easier if we were home more. Or if the kid didn't drink so dern much. Or if there were an incentive we could offer for learning the potty that he doesn't already get all the time.

Yeah, he's rotten and so am I. Ugh. Help.