Reese goes to school

After being a bum for a few months, it was time to get Reese back in a more structured learning environment.  She seemed to moving on a fast track to being a burnout at age 3.  "Mom, no I can't sing the ABCs one more time."  "Writing letters is overrated."   "Counting to 10 is plenty."  "What's wrong with staying in my pajamas all day?"  OK, that last one might have been me.

So, upon arriving in Zagreb, I started researching places for Reese to go during the day, which here they call "kindergartens".  Look at that, an English word!  Kindergartens seem to be for all children over the age of 2.  Croatians are on to something - ship the kids out as soon as they show the first signs of potty training.  Amidst the population of kindergartens are what they call "International Kindergartens", which mean that they speak all or mostly all in English.  This seemed kind of important, so that helped me narrow down my choices.  In no particular order of desirability, the first two I contacted were full.  The third was too far away.  The fourth was called The Learning Tree and that's where she ended up.  The director is from Venezuela and her husband is Croatian and they met in Kansas.  Go figure.  The school is cute - it's in a house that has been adapted to look and feel like a school and it has a great playground in the backyard.  It's about 2 miles from our house, so the location is great.  They put her in the 4-6 year old classroom right off the bat (she turns 4 on January 10th), so she is the youngest one in the room.  There are 2 full time teachers who manage the 12 or so kids in the class.  Right now she is attending every day from 8:30 - 12:30.  Next year, I think I will put her in full time.

It seems she is enjoying it.  Having been in daycare back home, it was a fairly easy adjustment for her.  And I think it was especially exciting to have some new toys and friends to play with.  She started on December 1st, so it was still before we had received either of our air or boat shipments.  By Week 3, her teachers said she really seemed like a part of the group.  Her best friend is a little Italian girl who speaks very little English.  I don't think Reese minds, she can still yap at her all morning long.

Her last day of school before Christmas break was on the 21st.  Ava's last day was the 14th.  One or both has been home for over 2 weeks...and we still have 2 weeks to go!  Ava goes back to school on the 7th and Reese goes back on the 14th.  That is a LONG "break" for Mom.  :-)