Preschool (Walter)

This just shows how far behind I am...Walter is halfway through Kindergarten now. But I couldn't let his year of preschool just blow past without recording some special memories.

To begin with, I do not know how we lucked out with our preschool group. For the two years before Walt started Kindergarten, we did a joy-school type co-op with a group of 5 other kids and their moms. It fluxuated a little bit (we swapped our good friend Charlee and her mom Katie for good friend Mili and her mom Emi), but this core group of kids stayed together through thick and thin and I am telling you - as long as I live I will love all of these moms. They have been my lifeline through so much. Lots of babies born, job changes, moving around the country, starting school, husbands finishing school, vacations, developmental milestones, and so much more. They are some of my best friends and the women who have helped parent my boy up to this point.

Walter and his friend Christian also cemented a friendship through the process that is invaluable to him. They are best friends and we even fought to get them in the same Kindergarten class. They rarely argue and will play for hours and hours (and hours and hours!) when they are able. Christian's mom, Alaina, is one of my all-time favorite people on the planet, and I can never thank her enough for pulling Christian out of a second year of paid preschool and sticking with the co-op. I know that was a lot more work and stress for her, but the impact it had on Walt's life was huge. He wouldn't be the same kid without Christian's friendship and I'm just eternally grateful.

Walt learned a ton in preschool, mostly about being a friend, listening to a teacher, and valuing himself and his unique talents. He entered Kindergarten with some challenges, but ahead in reading and math and light years ahead in imagination. We could not have provided a traditional preschool experience for him (financially out of reach for us), and this co-op experience was an answer to prayer for us in so many different ways.

I guess I just wanted to remember that through some tough times there was this amazing light for us among an incredible group of people who are more like family to us now than anything else. I hope we will all keep in touch over the years, and I can't wait to see where these kids go with all of that potential!!