Preschool to Kindergarten, here's the good news!

Dash has been at the same childcare center since he was a tiny infant, and look at him now, in the pre-K room! He is pictured with his very favorite teacher, Miss Erin.

Despite this long history (beginning in 2004 with Rosie at 2 years old), we've been meaning to move Dash to a daycare closer to home for a couple of years now. It's not only because it's an easier commute and cheaper, but a major benefit is that he'll be in preschool with other children who will be moving with him to his elementary school. Rosie lost her school and all of her school friends when she moved to Kindergarten; I'd like to make it easier for Dash. The current center is far enough away that none of the students are in our school district.

He didn't get moved in years earlier because there weren't any places for Rosie, and who wants to make two daycare drop-offs? Last year we couldn't move him because there was a waitlist. So, what's different now? I called and there was a space open! He'll be transferring at the beginning of 2010.

December will be a month of goodbyes to staff and friends at daycare. We've had either Rosie and/or Dash at this center since 2004, so I'll be writing lots of thank you notes and preparing many gifts. Dash has friends at his school, but he rarely asks for playdates with them — I'm not sure how much he will miss them.

So what's the bad news? The county might be cutting all Kindergarten to half-days in 2010. Budget cuts, you know. The waitlist for school-based after-care is already 100+ people long. What to do? Things will work out by then, right?