Almost Springtime Fun!

We had a great weekend and the weather was fabulous compared to the cold and dreariness we have been dealing with.  Saturday morning we went on a nature hike at Bowie to look for signs of Spring.  The kids loved it - we had a list of things to look for like budding trees or onion grass - and they got to check off when we found something.  We had a picnic in the park after that and it was a bit cold, but manageable.  Sunday was even prettier and we spent the day painting and making stepping stones in the backyard and then we rode our bikes to the park and spent a few hours there enjoying the sunshine.  While we were having "arts and crafts" time the kids were singing some songs - the Rainbow song made sense since we were painting rainbows.  The "Ho Ho Ho" at the end was a little out of place but was better than the "Santa Claus Came in one Big Sack" ditty that they sing all the time (they made it up and think it is the best song ever) and segued into when the rainbow was done!

In other news, one way or another the school debate will be over in a few weeks.  And when I say debate, it now truly is.  The school system decided to "test" children whose birthdays fall in the new cut-off date (the new date is August 31st and their birthday is September 2nd) to see if those who will be 5 in September are ready for school and decide on entrance for them based on the test results.  Now, though, Lance has decided that he would rather give them another year.  I understand where he is coming from, they are small and will probably continue to be and they may hit puberty later and will certainly drive later and enter college younger than most of their peers.  I see that side of it and agree, but that doesn't change that I truly think they are ready for school (not to mention the cost savings) and that I fear we will start them out on a dangerous path if they start Kindergarten when they are 6 and are repeating things they have been learning  for two years and then think school is boring.  The kindergarten readiness guidelines the schools put out there to help decide if testing is right for you, really opened my eyes that they have long since mastered all of the skills they are supposed to have when entering Kindergarten.  I was beginning to think that  since they are not truly reading yet (they are both doing great with sight words and really curious about how things are spelled and how they sound out but they aren't quite reading) another year might be OK, but the readiness guidelines talked more about shape, number and letter identification than the true reading skills that they are working on currently.  I also still have the concern that when they get in school if it is at 6 years old, they will decide that moving on to 1st grade is appropriate for only one of them - and we can't do that!  Either way, we have to register them next week and have them tested, or they are not eligible.  Ugh - I hate decisions like this!  Lance seems to think we will have more regrets if we put them in school young than if we leave them in the great program they are at now.  I think whichever way it works out will be fine, and while I am not as adamant that holding them back is the right decision I am also not completely certain that going ahead and enrolling them is the best one either!  I will say that juggling the school schedule and summer and intersessions will be more difficult and that is a real benefit of one more year in Pre-K - at least summer care, non-major holidays, and the time from 3:00 - 5:00 is taken care of!  I am kind of glad that by March 8th we will know one way or another and I can just accept whichever decision and move on!