Back to school blues

Hannah and Luke start preschool again on Monday. And I am feeling mixed emotions about their return to school.

On one hand, I am excited because they've had a nice, activity-filled summer with grandma and grandpa and I think they are ready for more structured days and play-based academic learning again.

On the other hand, I feel nervous.

Why?

Because, based on the recommendation of their last preschool teacher and the director of the school, we are putting them in different classes for the first time. With different teachers. And at some point they will be making different friends alltogether.

And I guess it's okay, since of course, as twins, it is inevitable that they would eventually split up as a "unit"...but at 3 years old? I've only known them together, doing almost everything together.

But, the obvious rationale here is that they need to develop independently -- socially, academically, physically. And better to get that established sooner rather than later.

Still, I am anxious about our decision. Hannah is the independent, the pensive and methodical one...the thinker. She is also Luke's caretaker -- she loves to mother Luke. She is also painfully shy and relies on her very gregarious brother. Luke on the other hand, is the social butterfly, the life of the party, the physically active one as well as the problem solver. He is also very sensitive and needs his twin sister.

They are two unique individuals with their own demeanors who will eventually choose their own path...I know, but still, I wasn't ready for this yet.

We've prepped them the last 2 weeks that they would not be together at school, except for a few times in the 4-year old playground, and they seem to be OK with it.

Despite this, I feel angst. And I also feel a little sad. Going back to school means that the summer is pretty much over. And going back to school also means that my babies are growing up.

Overextended

I royally messed up the planning of my twins' end-of-preschool-year class party this weekend.

Why?

Because I'm overextended, and as a result I was disorganized.
And I have so much going on right now that I don't know my head from my ass.

Dave reminded me that this screw-up is a sign I am taking on too much right now. Between the demanding nature of my job, being a mom, taking a parenting class, training for a half marathon, extra-curriculars and non-profit work, our busy summer social calendar, preschool class party-planning, and oh yes, blogging, way too much. Oy. With all of this juggling, I was bound to mess something up at some point.

And the sad thing is that I had planned this way in advance.

I put the sign-up sheet for potluck and RSVP on the parent's board up um, a month ago.

And I had carefully planned the potluck sign-up menu so that we had a good balance of the food pyramid for both preschoolers (protein, bread products, fruit, veggies, dairy and juice boxes) and parents (same food as preschoolers + beer).

Then I took down the sign-up sheet so I could create another fun poster on the board to remind the parents of the party. I was feeling oh, so momsy and involved and proud that I could be such the pre-school party planner given my full plate.
I really felt like I could do it all, dammit.

And then, in my state of busy-ness and chaos last week, I lost the damn sign-up sheet.
But all was not lost - I asked their teachers to put up a reminder sign. Problem solved (or so I thought).

It gets worse. I guess on the original sign up sheet (that no one seemed to have a copy of, except the one I lost), I wrote down the right day (Saturday), but the wrong date (Sunday's date). And of course, the teachers wrote down the wrong date on the reminder, my wrong date, but the right one as far as they were concerned.

So guess who got to call every one of the parents today tell them about the screw-up, my screw-up with the dates? Yup, me.

The good news is that I caught about 2/3 of the class and told them about the date of the party, and that most of them can come.

Oy.