Here Comes The Sun

"Beautiful and graceful, varied and enchanting, small but approachable, butterflies lead you to the sunny side of life.  And everyone deserves a little sunshine".  ~Jeffrey Glassberg

I remember the day I toured Monarch Academy...  I walked in after having a brief phone call with one of the directors and learning that their teaching styles and philosophy were on par with what I wanted for Anabelle.  I sat in on what was at that time the Mommy & Me Early Preschool Class for 2-year olds and I toured their indoor playground, bathroom area and kitchen.  I was not planning on just dropping Anabelle off and leaving if I enrolled her so I needed a preschool who would understand that.  I also needed a preschool to understand the importance of children developing at their own pace, that potty training is in fact a developmental milestone, (Anabelle was not potty trained at her time of enrollment - and did you know that there are actual preschools out there who CHARGE parents if their children have an accident or are not potty trained?! Despicable!) and that children need to learn through play.  I found it.  I couldn't believe it.  Everything they said and everything I read sounded so perfect.  If I didn't see it with my own eyes I would say it was all too good to be true.  I remember tears filling up in my eyes thinking that I actually found our 1st home away from home where I could trust my babies to be taken care of and supported.  I agonized over the decision to finish her last speech session without reenrolling her, however  finances were a large factor and it was a natural progression to move onto a social atmosphere. So, we enrolled Anabelle 2 days/week and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Lennon and I would drop her off and then sit in the back of the classroom and enjoy our view.  It was nice that I was able to bring him even though I had an abundance of help with babysitting from my family who lived close by.  That was a huge victory to cross off of what felt like a never ending list of important to do's.  Still so grateful till this day for my family at Monarch.  

So, there I was...  a self proclaimed recluse now committed to leaving my house twice a week with my babies to a place where other parents and children were.  The very thing I was trying to avoid.  The catch-22 of it all.  The good news is I was not the one in charge.  I got to let Anabelle be in a classroom with a teacher and other kids and I got to watch how she acted, reacted, played and learned.  I could also watch her without her knowing as the preschool has monitors set up in a room off the kitchen.  She separated from me easily, which made me happy and ok, maybe a little sad.  Just a little!  I was grateful she was so open to new things and that I could leave if Lennon needed me to.  

Anabelle turned 3 years old just a couple months after that and all I could think was that I couldn't wait for Lennon to turn 2 so I could enroll him also.  Just 10 months to go!  Or so I thought.