Registering for Kindergarten

When I wrote in my last post that Little Miss would be starting Kindergarten this year, I had no idea that I needed to be registering her this week! One of her teachers asked me on Friday if we had started the enrollment process and I just had this blank, deer in the headlights look. We already had tours planned at two of the schools we are considering for this week and I was congratulating myself for being so organized and on top of things. Apparently I am just in the nick of time. Today I went by the school that is closest to our house. All I really thought I was going to do was drop off paperwork, but I actually felt a bit overwhelmed being there. I needed to decide right there whether we wanted A.M or P.M Kindergarten. In addition to that I was asked to consider the "Enrichment Program" which we need to evaluate and enroll in "as soon as possible, because it fills up fast" and runs the other half of the day that she isn't in actual Kindergarten. Honestly it sounds like more Kindergarten to me, only they charge us for it. It's something to consider because Little Miss has been in full day Pre-Kindergarten, so it seems strange to go backwards, but I digress. Then there is the whole issue of before and after care to consider and whether or not I'm going to quit working all together this fall (doubtful) or how to arrange my work schedule with the new school schedule. I really thought we had more time to consider all of this and I guess I thought the answer would become more clear with more time. Today when I left the school I felt sad and I was wishing very much that Little Miss was still a baby or toddler. Part of me is excited for this new milestone, but another part is sad that the earliest part of her years are behind us. I have so enjoyed these first few years and I inherently know that school will add an additional level of chaos, stress and yes, excitement also, to our lives. Tomorrow night we are going to meet with the teachers at the school that is run by our church and then on Thursday we are looking at one of the Charter Schools in the area.   I know lots of (maybe all?) parents face these issues and I also know that in the end it will work out. I just have to get to the other side of the anxiety and unknown of it all.