Friday, February 10, 2006
On the Marco condo. Trying to work with it; it's less than we really want. Why do these things tend to happen on Fridays? We will be talking about it all weekend! While we are knee-deep in boxes...
SUPPLY & DEMAND
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
"This whole nasty mess could have been avoided, if only he had gone to preschool."
In the past 2 weeks, we have
- obtained an apartment
- arranged for rental furniture
- booked a moving company
- made a move plan
- started school registrations
But the most menacing task by far has been finding a preschool. Of the dozens available within reasonable driving distance of our apartment, only 3 that we could afford had current openings. And 2 of them had only 1 spot!
Some of the preschools I called were $1,000 a month or more! For this sum, you might think that the kids are there 12 hours a day and eating prime rib. Not so. That was a price for a 3 morning a week program! I actually laughed at one lady and said, no really. What's it cost?
There is an ad campaign running in this city that promotes that statistically speaking, a preschool educated child is less likely to be homeless, do drugs, and become a criminal. Of course, this is the oldest ad trick in the book because it uses converse logic. The real statistics are these: of the drug addicts, criminals and homeless people reviewed by the State, only a small percentage had gone to preschool (or recall going, at any rate!). The logic trap set for the viewer is that you naturally assume the converse is true... if criminals weren't preschoolers, then preschoolers won't become criminals.
Apparently, this campaign is working gangbusters. Demand is hammering supply. One place had a wait list 92 kids deep. How can this be? (And, I would like to know where these 92 children are waiting, so that I may avoid that place.) Most schools require parents to take a tour before they will even wait-list a child. Yet none of these schools have current openings... parents must be on a tour merry-go-round all the time, placing multiple applications and hedging their bets.
I snagged Becca a spot at a new preschool that had just opened so word isn't quite out on them yet. But the school got 5 new applications the day before I turned in Becca's!
I am now beginning to dread finding a summer camp for Sarah... I pray that there will not be a public awareness campaign linking prostitution to summer camp deprivation before I start looking...
WEEKEND MOMMY
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Tonight at dinner, Sarah set only 3 places. When I reminded her that I would be there for dinner too, she absently said, "Oh, sorry, Mommy. I guess I am just used to setting 3."
She is playing songs on the piano I have never heard her play, learning math I haven't seen before, and having little moments I'm not in on.
We had to get Becca new pajamas this weekend because her nightgowns have turned into microminis. Becca's legs grew, but the rest of her stayed the same. Could she really have sprouted that much since I started commuting in November?
Only 12 more days till I return to Chicago for our move trip. And then I can go back to being Everyday Mommy. I won't notice the growth spurts anymore, and will know all their thoughts again as intimately as if they were my own. And you could not pay me any amount of money to wait just one more day.
WATERSHEDS
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
I bought 4 moving boxes today. And Don is giving notice today. Isn't that great?!