Forms, Forms, Forms

It's that time of year again - tons of paperwork to fill out and registration deposits to make for summer camp for both kids, preschool next year for Rebecca, and now day care arrangements to think about for Caroline for when I go back to work in March, and even doggy day care for Clara!

Rebecca's situation is slightly aggravating because she misses the cut-off for starting Kindergarten in the fall by 25 days. So we assumed that she'd be able to register for Pre-K for next year, only to find out when the forms were sent home that the policy for Pre-K is that children must have completed a four-year-old preschool program. Although Rebecca turned 4 in September, due to the same cut-off issues, she's in a 3 year old preschool program this year. Joel spoke to our preschool's director and I filled out the application form for pre-K, but we're not optimistic that they will bend the rules to let her into that class. Joel and I would both strongly prefer that she be in the pre-K class next year and not the four year old class, since she'll be turning 5 in September and we wanted the extra year of preschool to have a more academic focus. We're paying 12 grand for it, we have that right don't we? It seems silly that she missed the cut-off to start Kindergarten by 25 days, and yet the preschool director says she is also too young to do pre-K? Grrrr.... anyway, we left it that the director will let her in if there's space available and if her current teachers agree she is ready for it. However she may have just said that so Joel would leave her alone :P We'll find out...

I have also visited a couple of day cares in the immediate vicinity, trying to decide where to put Caroline when I go back to work, since she won't be able to start at CJP until she is a year and a half old. The day care I sent Rebecca to as an infant has openings, but I was sort of lukewarm about them - nothing wrong with the place that I can put my finger on precisely, but a lot of staff turnover and some staff whose English is far less than fluent, etc.... Several people have recommended another day care, Lambs of Grace, to me, which I visited yesterday. It's run by Grace Lutheran Church across the street. It has the advantage of being cheaper than the other place, everyone I met spoke English :) and everyone I met had been there for at least a couple of years. I'm not sure what exactly is involved with the Lutheran connection, though I imagine when she switches to CJP at one and a half she won't have become too Jesus-loving yet by then ;) I have to put her on the wait-list for their infant room, and have not reviewed the application materials with Joel yet, but I think that is the direction we are leaning in.

Not to be left out of the action, Clara has an interview at a doggy day care on Saturday morning. It's a service that comes to the house and picks up your dog and takes them to a farm about an hour from here, then brings them back at the end of the day. Joel is driving her out there Saturday morning for this "interview". We are thinking of sending her maybe once a week, or once every other week. Before accepting her, they need to observe how she interacts with other dogs to make sure she is well-behaved.

In other non-day care related news, we have a realtor coming over tonight who specializes in selling homes in our development. I imagine her news will be that we cannot hope to sell our house for enough money to break even, but we'll see... will update later about that!

And now.... baby's crying.