Preschool

Ever since the twins were born, I have known where I wanted them to go to preschool. I had thought about splitting them up, so as to not hinder Jackson’s learning by him helping his brother and also to not hinder Joseph’s learning by his brother doing things for him (which he does naturally). But splitting them up seems wrong to me, they are twins after all and I want that normal twin thing for them. Why? I don’t know but I do. I know it should not be a biggie for me but it IS.

Now, this past week, I picked up registration forms for them at HLC. Got the papers home and started to fill them out and read this:

2 year old class Tuesday & Thursday 9:00 -11:30 a.m.

3 year old class Tuesday & Thursday 12:00 – 3:00 p.m.

4′s & 5′s class M, W, F 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

My heart sank….3 year olds? noon? three? what? I immediately I thought that cannot be right. Can it? Surely not. It must be a miss print. My boys cannot. CANNOT go to preschool during those hours. My heart sank deeper and I started to get choked up. I tried to talk about it but all I could do was cry.

We are going to work on Joseph’s IEP soon and I was prepared to fight for him to go to HLC (our school tends to bully families and send kids to BVP). I. DO. NOT. WANT. JOSEPH. AT. BVP. EVER. My world was closing in, it seemed as if Joseph would go to BVP and I would have to send Jackson with him. I was preparing myself to compromise their educations to meet their personal needs. Personal needs?

Yes, see, Joseph takes Trileptal for his seizures and it knocks him in the dirt after he takes it and sleeps it off. He takes it mid-morning and at bedtime. Jackson still needs a nap….he is a TOTAL B-E-A-R without a nap (Chicago and dinnertime will not be fun). We get up at 7 or so each morning, go about our day, take meds, have lunch at noon or so and then in bed between 1 and 1:30 for naps til 4.

But, I “could” have Joseph placed in the 2′s class if I get a note from his doctor stating he must have a morning class due to stamina issues caused by hypotonia AND medication. Ok, my boy can go to HLC assuming the school system agrees. BUT I cannot put Jackson in the 2′s class. He is too far ahead of a 2 year old for that. He know all of his shapes, all of his colors, and can count (some). Joseph? Not so much, so a 2′s class would be ideal because he can do three years of preschool with no repeats before going to Kindy at age 6.

So, what to do with Jackie? Well, I will send him to Miss Lenora’s school across town from 9-noon on Tuesday & Thursday. Miss Lenora taught Jared and I really, REALLY like her.

But once again, my boys will not be going to preschool together. My heart is sad. Not broken, but definitely sad.

Anyhow, now for the good thoughts and prayers, etc. Please pray the school system does not bunk me too hard on this. I know HLC is the BEST for Joseph and just need the school to agree. Also, pray this is not too hard on Joseph and Jackson as they begin their educations as separate siblings in separate buildings at separate schools. Yes, I knew at some point in time, it was likely to happen–the fact that I would need to hold Joseph back and let Jackson forge forward. I just really did not want to do it at age 3. It hurt my heart to have to do it at 5 or 6 or 10 or 11. I imagine this will lead to Jackson going to Kindy at age 5 and Joseph waiting til he is 6.

There are benefits, I will be able to attend each graduation with no problem. They will learn to be independent young men, separate from one another but tied forever by their twinness. But still, through my misty eyes, I don’t want to accept it.