school.

[Insert cliche, bittersweet, parental statement (e.g., 'where does the time go?) here...]

Last night, Chris and I went to an open house for the preschool Ben's going to be attending. He's been on the waiting list for over two years - not because I wanted to start him there two years ago (they take children starting at 18 months), but because I knew the waiting list would be a bear. It looks like he'll be able to start going 3 days a week this summer. We could not be more excited for Ben.


It's called Moonstone, and I found a blog entry that someone wrote about the school that captures it better than I'm able to.

I can't even express how much fun Ben will have there. Their focus is on education through the arts. Kids' artwork is everywhere, books are everywhere, plants are everywhere, and even animals (they have a guinea pig and a rabbit that are given free reign throughout the place, and a tarantula that's kept in his tank) are everywhere. The educators are vibrant and excited and educated and really cool people. The staff is 1/2 male! They have music time every day, and the kids are read chapter books every day. There is an awesome park nearby that the kids are taken to in the summer, every day. The preschool is in the Italian Market, so their snacks come right from the local vendors there. The older kids (age 3-5) go on about 4 field trips a month, to places like the PMA, Longwood Gardens, and the ballet.

It's a free-spirited school, and/but I think it will be really good for him. He loves to be with other people (once he's warmed up) and I think he will just love it. Because I'm a sap, and maybe because I'm hormonal, I welled up a little bit when they played a slideshow for the parents last night. In it were pictures of kids making clay sculptures, dressed in costumes, smiling, laughing, running around and being kids - and it was all set to "Come Sail Away" by Styx. An unusual choice but not surprising at all, and totally appropriate given the vibe of the place. It was so cool.

Updates to come. Chris and I took a tour awhile back of the school and were excited then - and being there last night makes me giddy to think of all the fun he's going to have.