Preschool Visit

Oh my! Since I'm off work until Monday the early intervention coordinator thought it would be good to try to schedule Zoya's visit when I'm not working so we could take our time....so with 2 days notice we scheduled a visit for today. I'm glad I only had 2 days to get worked up about it!!! I woke up around 6:30 and then fell back to sleep and had a dream about her visit.  In my dream, I dropped her off but I was watching through the windows. She was so much smaller than all the other kids....like a quarter of their size and they were all running so fast and one girl was pulling her along.  She seemed to like it ok, so I left for a little bit and then came back and nobody could find her.  I panicked before finding her folded up in a folding auditorium chair and nobody even noticed!!!!!  Think I was nervous about today's visit and the whole preschool thing? UHHH I'd say so!

Zoya squealed with joy when we pulled into the school parking lot (she likes it there because that's where I work and she has fun visiting me there at the end of the day).  She walked down the hall like she had been doing it for years and turned into the area where my classroom is. She realized we weren't going to my classroom and whined a little but eventually walked into the preschool classroom.  Zoya did very well and even sat on the carpet with the kids for a short time before moving her seat next to this one little boy she really liked! Then she decided to lay down on the floor and kiss his feet.... LOL!!! but ummm she's not even 3 yet and most of those kids are 4 and 5 by this time in the year! (It is a 3, 4, and 5 year old mixed age class). The director and special ed. coordinator thought she was doing great for her first visit.  She was very curious and seemed to like being there but I think she was confused as to why we were there. She found a green crayon and pretended it was lipstick (her new favorite thing to do).  She had a little juice with the kids and wanted to put her chair next to her new little boy friend for snack time. The kids were very kind to her and giggled at her antics! It was nice to see her parallel playing with some of the kids. I really think this is a good place for her and she will learn lots! All of the "people in charge" seem really caring and flexible and want what is best for Zoya.  I am enjoying this while it lasts because I know once she is school age things will likely not work so pleasantly!  The special ed. coordinator asked if we believed her birth date was when Ukraine told us because she thought she seemed taller and older than she is LOL. She definitely is tall and is in the 90th percentile for height (on the DS charts) but we are very certain that her age is accurate! And she was only a little smaller than the other kids....not a quarter their size like in my dream! LOL. She will go two days a month over the summer to get acquainted and to get her therapies and then at the end of August she will start MWF from 9-12. It is so nice that they are preparing for her so far in advance! So nice because I know a lot of thought will be put into her IEP and because it will give me time to process that my baby will be going to preschool!!! Oh man I can't even imagine kindergarten!!! I admit before I was a mom, I used to think, paaahhhh-leeeezzze people, cut the cord already and stop worrying so much.....ahhh those were the easy days!

Zoya has singed "school" about 10 times since we got home from the visit! I think she liked it :) But of course if you ask Zoya if she liked school she says "no" (no is the phrase of the moment with Zoya) then signs "school" a minute later! LOL. Oh is my baby really three months away from turning 3???? She has overcome so much already and has such a bright future ahead! Now if I can just step back and worry less we will both be ready for preschool :)