The Journey Begins...

Atley's preschool started today. Big Deal, you may say, but actually the beginning of preschool brings an end to a stressful few months in our life. Atley was placed on the waiting list of seven different preschools last February. Yes, February. Apparently, (as I as was told by one teacher) you really have to be on the ball to get your kids "accepted" into a preschool in these parts. Not only is there a qualifying period for many of the schools most of the schools also have waiting lists nearly 2 years long. In other words after you give birth your husband shouldn't stay with you at the hospital to make sure you are doing well and feeling comfortable. No, he should immediately leave the hospital and get that child signed up for a suitable preschool. It is what all good parents do! Just remind him before he goes that preschool in the D.C. area will cost him more than that child's mission and/or equivalent to at least a year of college tuition. But, hey Nash doesn't eat much and I can always try to grow my hair out and sell it to charity. After all preschool is imperative, right? In all seriousness we were resolved to just attempt to teach Atley at home during this preschool year but, since he already knows more than both of us combined we along with his pediatrician really felt he needed to be in a structured school setting with more intelligent teachers than us. Three weeks before school started we had lost all hope of him "getting in." But, then we received the call that miraculously a spot was open and that spot was Atley's if we wanted it. We jumped on the chance, took out a second mortgage and now he is officially enrolled in preschool or as we call it here, "Elementary Preparatory School!" His teacher seems great and his favorite part was the play washing machine and dryer. For those of you who know Atley this should come as no surprise. He has been obsessed with washing machines since birth. The first year of his life he referred to a washer as a "Tuka, Tuka," because of the sound that it made while washing. So, in the words of the KABOOM spokesman our goal for Atley is to learn how to "remove even the toughest stain," during this, his first educational experience.