...preschool...

Jude started school this week.  ::sigh::  He only goes 3 days a week for a few hours... but it's still hard to believe that my lil guy, with his PBK backpack and his Buzz Lightyear water bottle has a teacher...and brings home lunch menus (not that he is there for lunch)...and sends home fliers about PTSA events.  ::wah::  I think this has been especially difficult for me b/c I KNOW that this stage is the next BIG thing for him... and that once it starts...it won't end until eventually- he'll be wanting to go off to college somewhere far far away or ::gasp:: move out!  And seeing how my 3 babies are so close in age... this means that ALL my babies are growing up too fast... and that I'm just.not.ready.for.it.

The decision to send Jude to preschool came pretty quickly... with his birthday being in May... we basically had the summer to do the evaluations- see if he qualifies- have an IEP meeting...and then BOOM.  Even though this was something that I had been thinking about... I guess I just didn't think we'd ever ACTUALLY send him to school... I mean... he JUST turned 3!  But... I know that going to school right now is best for him (although- momma def. didn't sign up for getting up at 6:30am again to get ready for school!!!!- I mean- it's one thing to be up at 6:30am to feed a newborn and then go back to bed or scrub out... but to have to be up and running and out of the house is quite stressful!)  Jude will hopefully improve his speech- while making friends and learning how to function in social settings.  This is all positive stuff for him... and ultimately- regardless of what I feel about public education... this needs to be done... and it doesn't have to be permanent!  :)

The crazy part about it all... is that he is at the school where I had my VERY first teaching job... AND... it's in the classroom next door to where mine was!!!  It has been VERY surreal being back on the campus (after 9 years!!!)- even though most of the teachers that I worked with have moved on- it still brings back MANY memories!  :)

Jude's 1st week of preschool was great... he learned all about the color yellow (which happens to be his favorite!!!) and the circle... they sang songs and played with flubber and puzzles and blocks... Jude (who, yes, is THE tallest in his class)- was so cute telling me about his day... and ALWAYS says- "I wan' go school, talk my fwends!"... ADORABLE!  It's also just super sweet seeing how excited he is to see his sisters...and I've brought his Mickey with me each day to pick him up... and without fail- he gives Mick THE biggest hug and says "Oh Mickey... I yuuuuh you!!!!" (love)  The kid freakin' melts my heart!  :)

The first day was crazy for momma... Although the school is only 3 mins away- I thought I'd leave 30... um.  30 mins is JUST enough time! b/c the parking lot is CRAZY busy- parking SUCKS (is it ALL schools that have architectural problems with their parking lot- or just our district?!)- and people...  hm.  and.people.  People are just not very smart, are they now?  ::sigh::  So.  In true Logan fashion... we were LATE to our first day of school!  Oh my!  In my our defense... I parked on the street by the near the classroom... but by the time we walked up to the school from the car- the gate was LOCKED!  So... we had to walk ALL the way around the ENTIRE school and back to get to the room!  Mom was a hot.sweaty.mess. ...but Jude walked in the classroom and was ready to go!  After watching him learn where to put his stuff...snapping a few pictures... and then BEGGING him to hug me goodbye (b/c once he was in the room- he didn't even notice me!)... I was off.  And... I will have you know... that I did not cry.  Well.  I had already done that the week before... but I did cry once I got home... when after like 5 mins in the house- Derrick asked "Why are you yelling at me?!"  ::WAHHH!::  Momma was just a lil overwhelmed is all!  ;)

Here's my big (and handsome) guy on his first day: