Back to School Planning

Summer can be a time of fun and relaxation, but there is the ever present impending doom of going back to school that can shroud many a child. Luckily, our kids aren't old enough to feel that gloom yet. But this year is particularly special for us because come September, we have not one, not two, but three people scheduled to attend places of learning. No, Johnny is not that advanced. MonsterMom herself will be taking up the call to arms (or books, whatever) and returning to college. We are all very proud of her decision, which has been brooding for some time. The real deterrent until now has been my crazy work schedule and the resulting need for child care in the event that my schedule changes and conflicts with her class schedule. Thanks to a friend of ours going back to College (cheers to him, too), we found out that a local community college offers all of their General Education classes and a great number of other classes online. Having attended an online college myself, I can attest to how wonderful that freedom of scheduling can be if you are organized enough. I have no doubt MonsterMom will do fabulously. Katy is eagerly anticipating 1st Grade with a zeal that can only be attributed to a 1st grader. She is under the impression that her class will include basically everybody she ever met from kindergarten, which would be an interesting class to try to teach. Matt got in at the local Parent Co-Op preschool. He is doing really well learning his letters and he can't stand that Katy is learning to read before him. His drive is so amazing. I have no doubt after how well he did in his Colorado preschool that he will be ready for kindergarten in 2009, but he really needs the socialization that only something like preschool can bring. Which leaves poor Johnny as the only non-scholarly Monster. He has a long year of being a lonely boy without his siblings around, but I am sure we can find something to do to pass the time. Then it is off to preschool for him, too, and a nice quiet house for us =)