Aside from their certificates the kids were each given a preschool keepsake. A little framed photo of themselves holding a sign that says "class of 2030". 2030! Can you even imagine!! That seems like light years away...I'm smart enough to realize it's practically tomorrow, but really! 2030...
After the certificates were handed out it was time for ice cream. The kids had fun choosing their toppings and eating dessert for breakfast (practically, it was only 10:45a.m.) and then we all headed outside so the kids could play together one last time.
It was a tough year for my Kota and I'm not sure this was the best idea given how long it took her to adjust but it's too late to second guess things now. If it weren't for her incredibly patient teacher we probably would have stopped going back in January. Dakota just had so much anxiety and fear about school that I was feeling hopeless and worried and ready to quit. Her teacher assured me that she was happy while she was at school (she texted me pictures all the time to prove it!) and Dakota confirmed it every day when I picked her up, so we trudged on.
For some reason, around the beginning of April, she stopped crying. She asked when we were going to school and said she wished she could go more often. Just like that. A switch flipped and she was okay. As painful as those months of crying were, it was nearly just as painful to see her jump so happily out of the van and run into school. I know that's plain silly and I should just be glad she was happy, but I couldn't help but wonder if I'd just worn her down. Had I forced her into school so many times (crying, begging me to stay, pleading to just take her with me) that she'd given up asking me to not make her go? Or, did she realize that my word was good and I'd ALWAYS come back for her, no matter what? I hope the answer is the latter, but I fear it wasn't.
Next year is up in the air as of right now. I've signed her up for the 4 AM class at CNS, but I've also registered her with two county preschools. The county schools are free, 5 days a week (part-time) and she would receive help with speech on a regular basis while her current preschool is $165.00 a month and only 3 days a week for 2 1/2 hours, no speech. So, the county has a lot of pro's but CNS has my heart. I've invested a lot of time and love into that school so it isn't just an easy thing to walk away from. I probably won't decide 100% until I absolutely have to. (We may not be selected for the county anyway because they have a tiered system in which homeless/low income are offered the first spots, IEP/Special Ed students are second tier and everyone else is last. Dakota has an IEP for speech so we make the second tier, but still. IEP- Individualized Education Program.)
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