PCDC

For over 5 1/2 years we have been driving to Principal Child Development Center, scanning our badges multiple times to get into the building, walking down the hallway or up the stairs, to drop off our daughter in her classroom.  She has moved from room to room with each birthday:  From Infant Investors to Tiny Traders, to Little Lenders and Junior Bankers, and finally to Senior Brokers.  With each transition we've met new teachers and parents, and Alena has met new friends.  There are a few friends she has been with since the very beginning. They all started in that infant room; the room that was so very hard to leave many, many mornings.

Her first day at daycare and her first drawing

First teacher

She's had a ton of opportunities at this daycare; more than I could have provided had I stayed home with her.  Jump Bunch, Music in Harmony, field trips. water play, daily art projects, and summer camp.  Her lessons each day have focused on reading, math, science, and art.  To say we have been happy with our daycare selection would be an understatement.  The convenience of her daycare being downtown made it easy for Justin or I to drop in and attend any of these activities or take her out to lunch.

(Pics from a recent school trip to the zoo.  This is Alena's BFF Gavin.  Rumor has it they got married a couple weeks ago at school.  This included rings made by another friend and a first dance)!

When we first started touring daycare centers, this was the first one we went through.  Obviously, we compared all other centers to this one.  In the end we couldn't picture sending our first born anywhere else.  So we took a chance and put Baby Schaack on the waiting list.  We've never once regretted that decision.

Besides the numerous activities that are available at the center, throughout the years we have frequently received communication from her teachers.  At first, this would entail a photo from something fun she had done that day or pictures of her sleeping on a cot for the first time.  Reassurance that while we are away at work, she is being well taken care of and having a wonderful time.  Over the last couple years, that communication has expanded to something called Teaching Strategies where the teachers send 2-3 emails a week with pictures and explanations of what the child is learning.  Most of the time when I ask Alena what she has been doing in school, I get zero response back.  At least this proves she actually IS doing something.

We've always had our routine when dropping off Alena.  In her current classroom, she signs herself in and then we walk into the room to greet her teachers.  After hugs goodbye, we wave to her from a window that looks into her classroom.  Justin and I each grab something random to wave at Alena:  A plastic dinosaur, an x-ray of a hand, safety goggles.  It's a cute routine that leaves us all smiling as we separate for the day.

Tomorrow will be our last day doing this.  Our last time signing her into the center.  Our last hugs goodbye.  Our last silly wave.  

Leaving your child in the hands of someone else every work day is very challenging. Those who have never done this, cannot understand the difficulty surrounding this.  There are many who criticize this decision.  There are times when I struggle with my decision to be a full time working mother, especially when I see pictures of stay at home mothers doing fun outings during the week with their little ones, meeting up with other mothers, or lounging around in pajamas all day long.

Being a working mom means I have missed some milestones.  But in my eyes, I did witness those first steps, the first roll over, the first time drinking from a cup.  Daycare has always been good about NOT telling us when a milestone has been completed, allowing us to see it for our own eyes, believing this is a new trick.  I've learned to be OK with this.  I miss lounging together with my kids in the morning, wondering what the day will bring.  Instead we hustle every morning so we can be out the door in a timely matter to get to work, and get the little ones to breakfast.  My opportunities to meet other mothers is pretty much non-existent. This is probably the most challenging for me.  Although I have plenty of adult interaction during the day, I miss these connections. Most play groups are during weekdays in the middle of the day.  In fact, most activities for moms with little ones are at these times.

But, I know being a stay at home mom is a very challenging job as well, and stay at home moms long for adult interaction and breaks from their children.  All types of parenting is difficulty, whether you are a stay at home mom/dad, or working parents.  It's not the quantity of time we spend with our children that matters, it's the quality.

Change is always difficult, and knowing that we will no longer be bringing Alena to PCDC is hard to grasp.  This school has more than prepared her for kindergarten and she has made many friends.  Unfortunately, as each child moves on to kindergartens in different towns, she may not see many of these friends again.  I think saying goodbye will be hard for all of us.

Thank you PCDC for helping shape the daughter that has grown up before our eyes.  She is well behaved, well mannered, smart and confident.  She is a respectful friend and a caring sister.  Bring on Kindergarten!

Pics from Graduation today: