Off to Preschool!

My babies are somehow off to preschool!  It baffles me where the past almost 5 years have gone but here we are.  They were so excited to go to Orientation on Monday afternoon.  They are going to Hosanna! Preschool, which is at a church that is practically in our backyard.  It's a two-minute drive or a 10-minute walk to get there, so location played a big role in our decision of where to send them this year.  Monday was a nice day so we decided to walk to preschool for our orientation.  Daddy even took the day off to come with too!

 

I should add that both children selected their own first day outfits.  Ava chose a dress and jeans.  Carter went with his favorite wolf shirt (I think it is actually a Halloween-theme shirt!) and his trusty yellow shorts.  Both wore their rocking new Nikes!

 

Ava and Carter are in the same class in the Star room.   They will go twice a week on Monday and Wednesday afternoons.  I'm super excited for two afternoons a week being free since Hannah will nap during the time they are gone!  Being that they are boy/girl twins, we will probably keep them in the same classroom for a few years in elementary school too.  I'm not worried about them being too reliant on each other since they are different genders and have different interests.  I think being together gives each of them a comfort spot in the room and a back-up buddy if they can't find a friend for that day.

 

One of the biggest perks to Hosanna! aside from the close distance to our house is the drop-off system they have in place.  Each class receives a specific color bag.  Parents pull up to the curb outside and teachers help unload the kids.  Since the classrooms and bags are color-coordinated, the teachers know which classroom to send the children towards.  No having to park the car, unload, get into the school, drop-off, and load back into the car with Hannah.  We just drop them off and go!  We do have to go in to pick them up but I don't mind that as we can see what they did in class that day.  But the drop-off system... Magic!

They are currently off enjoying their first full afternoon of preschool.  I won't say that my eyes didn't well up just a little bit when dropping them off today.  They just hopped out of the van and marched into the church like they've been doing it for months!  I think what got me was that neither Ava nor Carter looked back once at me.  They are such big kids now and need me for so little!  I will say that I'm not sure what to do with myself with this 2.5 hour span of quiet time though.  Hannah fell asleep in the car, which I imagine she will do almost every time.  So here I sit wondering how to pass my afternoon alone.  What a dilemma!