Today, we rode our bikes down to the neighborhood school to pick up a registration packet for Kindergarten. After months of being pretty sure that this would be the perfect year to try Homeschooling on for size for our family, we decided that it wasn't the right fit, after all. Not now. Not right when Jez will be heading to pre-school and offering Mike his days back in the studio. Not when we find ourselves blessed enough to live in the only neighborhood in town with FULL DAY kindergarten with a Kinder teaching team that have a rock star reputation to go with it... Most families in town put their names in the school choice lottery for a chance at this school. It's a 1/2 mile downhill (both ways) bike ride for us. 


And the kicker: Winona is beside herself with excitement about School and Kindergarten. Today, picking up the reg packet, she exclaimed, "This is the most MAGICAL place in the WORLD."


We hadn't left the bike rack, yet.


So I picked up my Yellow Folder from the very sweet School Secretary who exclaimed that in her 26 years at that desk, she had never met another Winona-- which made said uniquely-named child beam and say, "THANK you!" as her eyes flitted around the offices and out into the hallways so she could see something... anything.


To top it off, we saw my boss's wife (a teacher at the school) as she brought her class in from recess. "Winnie! You're coming to THIS school??? I'm SOOOOO excited!!!!" 


I really thought Winona would pop. She spent the entire bike ride home extolling the virtues of school and education to Jezebel, who kept interrupting with "WEEEEE! MAMA!" trying to get me to find every speed bump and pot hole on our path so as to provide the most entertainment for my wee thrill seeker. 


Tonight, as I put Winnie to bed and gave her the option to go to pre-school tomorrow (Fridays are usually optional for her) she says, "No, I'm sort of done with the Friends Room, mama. I'll just go to Kindergarten tomorrow. Did you finish the packet?"


No, sweetie, not yet, and here's why: one of the questions is "What are your child's strengths?" and I just don't even know where to begin.