Twice Blessed Gore Four: Back to School-PreK Style!

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Back to School-PreK Style!

It's hard to believe Jackson & Colton started attending Hillside UMC when they were 6 months old and now starting their Pre-K year & loving it! I remember being pregnant with the twins and just knew that Hillside UMC was where my babies needed to be for their preschool experience. After all, my husband's family attended church there, my brother & sister in law got married there, we were attending church there, and it has been #1 Preschool in our area for several years. However, I knew there was a waiting list and I had TWO babies to get in at once, instead of one!

I remember holding my pregnant tummy in my fun maternity outfit, having Braxton Hicks, filling out all the paper work, watching the precious little preschool children walking in from Carpool with their personalized bags and I knew right then and there it would be the perfect place, both educationally and spiritually for our soon to be baby boys.

I wanted them to start as early as possible attending 1 half day a week at 3 months old, because we had not yet met our babysitter from Lifetime Fitness & my Mom lived 7 hours away in Virginia, & my hubby was working 8am-11pm 5-6 days a week when the twins were born. Yikes! Unfortunately, they only had 1 spot open for the baby Mom's Morning Out program and I obviously needed two spots for twins!

I was so happy when the director called me a few months later to tell me that J & C could begin when they were 6 months old as an additional spot would be opening up! So, that January, I packed up 4 bottles, twin boys in each of their car seats, attached them in the double stroller, with two sets of additional clothes each, 4 diapers, and lots of burp cloths due to their acid reflux (gotta love preemies times two!) and the boys went every Tuesday from 9am-1pm.

Actually, let me rephrase that....by the time I got the double stroller through the hallway, dropped two babies off with all of their essentials, and got the double stroller packed back into my car, it was 9:35AM. Then, I needed to arrive early before the children started lining the halls for carpool, so I had to come back to get them at 12:40, but also, even earlier, 12:30 to unpack the double stroller and get it to their classroom. So, 3 hours of peace at Publix & maybe a jog around the park!

The boys started 6 months-1 year with Ms. Lori, then started the next year attending 1 day a week again with Ms. Jackie & Ms. Katie, when they were 2 years old, they went 2 days a week with Ms. Jeannine & Ms. Fran, when they were 3 years old, they went 3 days a week with Ms. Ellen & Ms. Lauren, & now at 4 years old, they go 4 days a week, 9:00am-1:00pm with Ms. Lexi & Ms. Sateana. I am all about them going the number of days to match how old they are.

They have had a wonderful experience at Hillside & so have I! This year, they are enjoying the playground with their buddies, Science class, Spanish class, Music class, & my favorite-The new Bible Room class. They go to Chapel once a month where they go to a service in the sanctuary where Larry the Puppet goes the extra mile to teach them all about Jesus, God, & having love in their hearts as an extension of what they are already learning in their classroom.

I have been on the Preschool Board for the past 3 years with a great group of people including the Pastor and it has been rewarding to know we are helping shape the lives of the young ones in the community by making decisions that effect the Preschool Program as a whole. I have met lifelong friends who I like to think of as my Mommy sorority friends (-;

The bonds that each of my boys have with their peers is adorable! It is so fun to attend all of their birthday parties, have playdates, Mommy nights out, and family get togethers with other preschool families who have become like family to us!

This year, besides Tee Ball, the boys have started getting involved in the Cherubs Church Choir. They go sing once a week at choir practice with several of their friends from Preschool and are having the best time. I had a proud Mama moment when Ms. Alicia awarded Colton the first prize for being the best in Choir last night. He was so proud to win his little matchbox car for good behavior, singing, & hand bells! I can't wait to see their first performance in front of the church!

Overall, the most important thing I know my boys will take away from Hillside, beside the friendships they have gained, the love from the amazing teachers, & the sense of community is the amount of love they know God has for them through the lessons that have been instilled in their big hearts each day. I learn from them everyday and I have been attending church all my life. They still teach me new things everyday because I am learning about the Bible through their eyes.

We are so thankful to be able to send our boys to a place where they feel loved, secure, & have gained such a love for learning which is so important at this early age of a tender hearted 4 year old. I am so proud of them for learning to read this past month-one of my proudest Mama moments to date!