School

Our plan was always for Maisy to begin preschool at age three, but serendipity intervened in the form of our dear friend Grace stumbling upon a brand-new dream program for two-year-olds at Mount Sutro School. And so: Maisy is a preschooler!

Maisy's first "transition day" -- a half-half-day (90 minutes instead of 3 hours) with half the kids (3 instead of 6) was last week. Although we had a few playdates at the school, and although the teachers visited us here at home to get to know Maisy better in her own environment, I was still apprehensive about the change. Before preschool, I had not really ever dropped her off in anyone else's care. She had always been with me or Dave, or for several hours each week with our regular caregiver Nathalie here at home. Yet I felt sure that she was ready to spend some time away from me, with guidance and care from other adults, and companionship from other kids her age. Well, I could not have been more pleasantly surprised. On the first transition day she happily gave me a hug and said she'd see me later. When I returned to bring her home, she didn't want to leave. So far, this has been the pattern. Of course the fact that "mama always comes back" is very important, not only in our goodbyes at the school but in our other conversations. And of course I've read and heard that separation issues can pop up at various points as children spend more time away from their parents. But so far, I think that I'm the one with separation issues, not Maisy!

I look forward to sharing more about Maisy's adventures at Mount Sutro School this year. Meanwhile, here's a photo of Maisy outside our apartment on her first morning of school: