SCHOOL!!!!!!

This is not the happiest looking picture, but that's because it was something like picture number 10 in a row.  I posted it mostly because I got all three boys to look at the camera. 
Our big news this week is SCHOOL!  We got a call on Monday afternoon from the Tomaree Primary School saying that Joe and Tom had been approved in enroll and could start anytime.  Of course, I hadn't purchased uniforms yet and the shop is only open on Tuesday afternoons and Thursday mornings.  So, we dropped all our paperwork off on Tuesday afternoon and went to the uniform shop.  The boys wear the standard uniform on Monday through Friday.  The standard is a white logo polo shirt with gray slacks or gray shorts.  They have to wear gray socks (very difficult to find!) and black shoes.  The boys also both needed a school hat.  The hat is required for any outside play.  If the child forgets his or her hat, they must stay under the shade covers or inside during lunch, recess or sport.  Any jackets or sweatshirts must also have the school logo in order to be worn at school.  On Fridays, students wear the "sport" uniform of a yellow logo polo shirt and blue bottoms.  So, I bought each boy 4 white shirts, 2 gray pants, 2 gray shorts, 1 yellow shirt, 1 blue shorts, 1 blue pants, 1 blue sweatshirt jacket, 1 blue rain jacket, and 1 blue hat.  The grand total at the shop was $437.  The lady who works the shop said that we spent more money than anyone else at one time in the 10 years she's been working there.  Eeek!  Another $60 for two pair of black tennis shoes and $30 for gray socks.  It was tricky to find gray socks as children's gray socks are sold in pack with 1 pair of gray and 3 pair of white.  I ended up at some special store that sold single pair of socks and we bought all 6 pair of gray socks that they had.  With uniforms purchased, they were able to start school on Wednesday.
Tommy's teacher is Mrs. H.  She seems very nice and Tom is settling in well.  He says that she is the BEST teacher EVER!  He was excited on the first day and is doing really good.  Joe's teacher is Mr. C.  He is a younger teacher, but is trying hard to get Joe some friends.  Joe was really nervous on the first day and very introverted.  Joe had a field trip to plant trees on Thursday at a local park as part of the National Tree Day planting.  Joe planted 13 little trees in the regeneration area.  Joe is making friends with the girls in his class (as usual).  He told me today after that he prefers to be friends with the girls rather than the boys.  When I asked why (fearing that he would complain of being picked on, etc) he said "girls look better than boys, they're prettier."  Oh crap, is he going through puberty already?!?  He then went on to say all kinds of slightly mushy things about girls and how they are nicer looking than boys.  Very cute! 
This week's goal was also to find a school for Sam.  I started calling pre-schools on Monday.  I learned a couple of things:  1) Pre-school as I know it doesn't exist in Australia.  No church run, inexpensive, few hours-a-week sort of things.  Full time child care and pre-school are exactly the same here.  You just pick how many days a week you want to send your child.  Everything labeled as pre-school is just child care with some learning thrown in.  2) It's very hard to get into any of the programs!  I called the 8 closest pre-schools and child care centres to our house.  Only 1 had any openings for this year or next year.  The other 7 were wait listed 10+ people deep for this year and next year.  These 8 schools were within a 10 minute drive of the boys' school.  We made an appointment to visit the 1 and saw it on Wednesday.  For $55 a day, we had to supply all food for morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack.  They had very strict rules about what could be brought for food.  No problem with that, but the centre itself left a lot to be desired.  We were able to walk right into the classroom with no locked doors or anything.  Sam could soooo break out of there easily!   There were 19 students (Sam would have made 20) and two teachers.  For the entire 15 mintues we were there, 1 teacher was cleaning up from morning snack and the other was talking to us and showing us around.  The children were instructed to sit on the carpet with a book.  For 15 minutes, they kept being reminded to sit and wait.  I felt like that was long time to sit and wait.  The centre is small and the outside area was a bit dismal.  There was a sand pit, but nothing else.  No toys to play with, no slides, no houses, no nothing...  I took an enrollment pack with the fear that maybe all of the centres were like this. 
After some thinking, I decided we'd keep looking.  I called two pre-schools that were located on the RAAF base where Jay works, but they were both full.  I then called Blinky Bills.  We've driven past Blinky Bills several times.  It is located about half way between Jay's work and our house.  We went for a tour on Thursday.  It is more expensive at $68 a day.  They had immediate openings in the 2-3 year old room, but the receptionist thought (after meeting Sam) that he would be happier in a 3-5 year old room.  They have a spot opening up on the 9th of August.  We are slated to take that spot.  BB supplies all food for the entire day.  In fact, children are not allowed to bring in food.  This is to protect any children with food allergies.  Sam's class will have 20 students with two teachers.   The school is on a little bit of a busy road, but that (and the price) are the only downsides.  To get into the school, an adult has to open the gate (high latch that no kid could reach) and then parent and child must wash hands at the outdoor hand station (for allergies and germs).  Visitors then have to be buzzed in the door.  Parents of students get a key card to get them through.  Once inside, there is a small area with a office and then another gate.  The receptionist has to buzz visitors through the gate.  Once inside the gate, there is a reception area.  Niki's whole job is to answer phones, office manager stuff, etc.  She also gives entrance interviews and tours so that the teachers are never distracted.  There are four classrooms, two 2-3 year olds and two 3-5 year olds.  Each classroom has it's own bathroom.  To get into a classroom, you have to swipe a key card.  To get out of the classrom, you have to flip a switch that is at adult height.  Each of the four classrooms opens to a very large shared outdoor space.  There is a large covered area and an equally large sunny area.  In the covered area, there are see saws, play houses, slides, sand pits, lots of toys, etc.  The sunny area has lots of grass and a small petting zoo (goats and bunnies) for the kids to visit with.  Sam will have to wear a hat to be outside as well.  The whole centre was just so clean, nice and secure.  Sam will be going to school two days a week for now.  We may add another day next year after we sell our house.  He is very excited to go to school.