Our Li'l Squirt

Back in the fall when M started school at the new charter school, for various reasons Li'l J had to wait to start preshool.   Miss K, the gal with whom Li'l J did preschool with last year, would be working at the new charter school this year so that wasn't an option, and the opening for preschool at the charter school was postponed.  So, what were we to do? Li'l J and did some 'homeschool' here and there while we waited, and waited, and waited hoping the charter school would open their preschool program which never did open and now won't until the nextschool year. 

By the middle of the fall all the other preschool programs in the area were no longer options because either they were full, cost too much, were too far, or they hadn't received impressive reviews from other parents we know.  Again, what to do?  Both Li'l J and mom were in dire need of finding a creative and social outlet for Li'l J's energy as well as his desire to learn and be with others his age (though mainly, his ENGERY!)

Well, around the end of November I was coming to MY wits end and began considering organizing a co-op with other moms in our ward with 3, 4, and 5 year olds not currently in a preschool program but didn't really feel that was the direction I wanted to go in.  By early December our local recreation center mailed out it's winter brochure filled with all it's upcoming programs.  Listed in the brochure was the info for their Li'l Squirts Preschool program.  Wait, what?  WHAT??  We've lived here 3 years, have had our kids participate in a number of programs through the rec center, AND our ward building is located right. across. the. street. from the rec center so we are literally steps away from it AT LEAST twice a week...how exactly after all this time did I MISS that they have a preschool program?? Seriously??

I immediately looked into it, priced it against other possible options, hemmed and hawed over it with J-rod, and finally decided this was a good fit for us.  The price was totally reasonable considering it's 3 1/2 hours M-Th...4 days people, the same number of days as M! Ahh, Nnn-ICE!  I was SOLD!

With a decision finally made, the second week of December we made our way over with Li'l J, checked it out, signed him up, and he started the following week.  Yes, he only had one week to attend before the Christmas Break, but it was a good week, a nice taste for us all, and now, we LOVE it!  Again, how did we not know about this before?  Shortly after Li'l J began there, I ran into a gal at the post-office and was singing the praises of this program to her.  When I asked her WHY I hadn't heard about it before, she answered simply, "because you didn't need it before now."  Hmm, wise words.

So here for your viewing pleasure are the traditional 'first day of school' pics of our li'l squirt Li'l J SO happy to be going back to school. : )