We had Olivia's orientation at her new preschool yesterday for the 4 year old program. I have mixed feelings about it. Olivia didn't help with the fact that she had a complete meltdown yesterday when we were leaving to go meet her new teacher and friends and tour the school. She absolutely did not want to go at all. It broke my heart and it didn't comfort her knowing that I was going to stay there with her. It's strange because Olivia was taken care of by my aunt until she was 2 years old and then she went to daycare at Eileen's house and the first day I dropped her off there, she didn't blink or anything and just took right to Eileen and the other kids. She absolutely loved it there and felt safe and never cried once. Olivia was with Eileen for a year and when she turned 3 we put her into St. Joe's in Danbury at the Readiness Center. She was there full time M-F and on Tuesdays and Thursdays she was taken over to the big school for her preschool class. She loved going, never got upset and sometimes didn't want to leave. She begged to go to school even on the weekends.
This year we had struggles on what to do about daycare for Scott and school for Olivia. I was initially going to leave Olivia at St. Joe's in Danbury and my cousin Michelle would watch Scott full time. Financially it worked out better for us to have Michelle watch the two of them full time and put Olivia into St. Joe's in Brookfield for the 4 year old preschool program. This way she would be with kids from her own town whom she would be going to kindergarten with next year. Michelle will be able to bring her and pick her up M, W, and Fridays for the classes. This was a well thought out plan and we were happy about this decision.
With Olivia's apprehension about going yesteday really made me want to kick myself for not leaving her at St. Joe's in Danbury this summer full time for the summer camp b/c she is now out of the groove and routine of school and has been spoiled by being able to spend the entire summer with my mom and play with her friends, etc.
Yesterday at the orientation I was absolutely disgusted with the other moms that were there and their all holier than thou "stay at home mom" attitudes. I am sorry to even say that since I do have friends that are stay at home moms and I give them all the props in the world, but these moms were just ridiculous. They click together and make the working parents feel inadequate and horrible for working. Even if I didn't have to work, I would choose to work because I am not the type of person that could be a stay at home mom, I just am not. Again, as I mentioned, I think it is fantastic for those that can and love it, I just would go out of my mind, that's just me. I felt frowned upon being that I was not going to be the person dropping off and picking up my child from her class and it just felt awkward and horrible. We were also pressured into putting the kids into the extended day class rather than a half day "because the majority of kids will be going extended day and if your child was in half day, they would feel left out". Are you even kidding me? Can you believe that's what they said! Granted, it's a Catholic school, so I am sure it was for the money! LOL, me being Catholic and a member of this same parish in Brookfield, I can say that, ok? Olivia was in Catholic school last year for her 3 year old preschool program and we were badgered with the fund raisers, etc, but I don't know, I just absolutely loved that place and the open, warm hearts of the teachers and even the parents were amazing. I felt so out of place yesterday, even in my own home town where I grew up, I just felt sick leaving there. It's a nice school and comes so highly recommended and I know many people who's children have gone here and rave about it. I guess I was just anxious and overwhelmed by the way Olivia was feeling, it just came over me as well. I am sure it will all work out and in the end, we will be having to drag her out of there because she will get used to it and love it. By the time we left, she had warmed up and was talking to the kids. Actually, one of the little girls in her class went to St. Joe's in Danbury last year and was in Olivia's 3 year old, so at least she knows someone.
There is so much more I could complain about this place and things that were said yesterday and the actions of the parents that made me want to lash out and just scream, but I won't because later in life when Olivia reads this, I don't want her to think I put her in some place that made me feel so angry!
Sorry about this entry being me venting, but I just have had this pent up in me for an entire day now and getting it out has helped a little bit. All I have to say is to stay at home parents that have ever thought they were better than a working parent should understand that some parents choose to work over staying at home or if they can't choose, then be grateful that you have an opportunity to stay at home.
Scott had his 9 month check up yesterday. He is 19 lbs 8 oz and is 28 inches long. He is in the 
