KMCC
This last week was a busy one. Monday we had a followup interview at Annika's prospective preschool. The teacher tested her on several different subjects: colors, letters, phonics, shapes and three-letter words. I sat a room away and listened and couldn't help smiling, hearing this conversation:
Teacher: OK Annika, now what is this word?
Annika: (sounding it out) PIN! If you put a "g" instead of an "n" on the end, it would be PIG!
Needless to say, she passed with flying colors except that she didn't happen to know that vowels are called vowels and consonants consonants.
Later that day, I got an e-mail from the principal, saying that they would love to have Annika and giving me the tuition rates...which were more than a little different than what was posted on their website. The tuition that was listed on the website was something we were comfortable with...the tuition the principal gave me, not so much. Plus they wanted 170 Euro in "registration and book fees". For a preschooler? Really?
Don't get me wrong, it is a nice little school. The three teachers were very pleasant and informative. But it is a tiny little fledging school with barely 15 students total, no playground, no computers...I'm just a little surprised at the amount of tuition they were asking.
OK, to round up the preschool story: I had been told that on-post preschools were all full for three-year-olds, but when I called to check again on Thursday afternoon, I was told that Annika could, on her 4th birthday, get into the 4-year-old preschool, which is five days per week! The best part is that it's right here on post, about three blocks away and she can go to the afternoon class, which is from 11:45-2:45. I absolutely hate rushing in the morning, so the thought of having to have her at school at 8:30 was giving me hives. So to say that I'm tickled is an understatement! Annika will start on February 15th.
Tuesday, Annika and I tried a new dance class. Yeah, it was a bit of a bummer. I've been so anxious to get her into some sort of "activity" lately and every time a ballet class comes out, you'd better be waiting outside the door of registration to get into it, because they fill up within minutes. Seriously. So I was excited to get her into a "Music & Movement" class on Tuesday mornings at 10:00...except that when we arrived, we were the only ones there. No one else signed up for the class. The teacher still taught it, but needless to say, Annika was only attentive for about half an hour of the 1.15 of class time...it just wasn't very much fun with only the instructor (and OK, ME too) dancing around like goofballs, playing with scarves and doing "Where is Thumkin?". I've since been informed that the class was completely cancelled due to lack of interest and we've been registered in a "Mommy & Me" class instead. So I'll report back how that goes.
Wednesday meant a visit to the dentist for Josiah and Annika. After the debacle with my root canal, you can bet I'm going to be a little more serious about dental health! No cavities for either of them. The only concern from the dentist was that he's not seeing Annika's adult teeth coming up "behind" her baby teeth, whereas on Josiah's x-rays, they were very visible. The dentist even wobbled one of Josiah's teeth. Eeeek...I've got one who is starting to lose teeth and one who is getting his very first (which incidentally has not made very much progress).
Friday Annika got her teeth cleaned which went well. Of course, the hygenist was stressed out that I'm not brushing her teeth for her AND flossing three times a day. The hygenist claims that I should be brushing for my kids until they're at least seven years old. And flossing for them too. I told Annika later that even if I had been doing that, the hygenist would have found something to be unhappy about--they're never happy even if you've been following the Dental Rules to the T!
Anyway, now that's done for the year.
Our friend Jodi arrived on Friday, so we have company in the house, which is always pleasant. Yesterday we decided on a whim to drive up to see the huge new mall (the KMCC) at Ramstein Air Base. It's about a two hour drive, but it's the largest (and newest) military shopping mall in the world. Yeah, it's pretty nice, huge and with a bunch of smaller stores, a big food court and a multiplex movie theater, just like at home. We ate at Chili's...which is a treat because we don't get to eat at American-style restuarants like that (McDonald's does NOT count) very often. It's been over a year since I ate a restaurant similar to Chili's. So that was a big treat.
Yeah, didn't buy anything too exciting...I was in the market for a Jumperoo for Will, but they didn't have any and not really any Exersaucers, either.
I did buy some dental floss picks because of the overwhelming guilt from the hygenist...flossing Annika should be about as nerve-wracking as flossing a piranha...
So...really long and generally dull. But at least you know everything that's happening!
Teacher: OK Annika, now what is this word?
Annika: (sounding it out) PIN! If you put a "g" instead of an "n" on the end, it would be PIG!
Needless to say, she passed with flying colors except that she didn't happen to know that vowels are called vowels and consonants consonants.
Later that day, I got an e-mail from the principal, saying that they would love to have Annika and giving me the tuition rates...which were more than a little different than what was posted on their website. The tuition that was listed on the website was something we were comfortable with...the tuition the principal gave me, not so much. Plus they wanted 170 Euro in "registration and book fees". For a preschooler? Really?
Don't get me wrong, it is a nice little school. The three teachers were very pleasant and informative. But it is a tiny little fledging school with barely 15 students total, no playground, no computers...I'm just a little surprised at the amount of tuition they were asking.
OK, to round up the preschool story: I had been told that on-post preschools were all full for three-year-olds, but when I called to check again on Thursday afternoon, I was told that Annika could, on her 4th birthday, get into the 4-year-old preschool, which is five days per week! The best part is that it's right here on post, about three blocks away and she can go to the afternoon class, which is from 11:45-2:45. I absolutely hate rushing in the morning, so the thought of having to have her at school at 8:30 was giving me hives. So to say that I'm tickled is an understatement! Annika will start on February 15th.
Tuesday, Annika and I tried a new dance class. Yeah, it was a bit of a bummer. I've been so anxious to get her into some sort of "activity" lately and every time a ballet class comes out, you'd better be waiting outside the door of registration to get into it, because they fill up within minutes. Seriously. So I was excited to get her into a "Music & Movement" class on Tuesday mornings at 10:00...except that when we arrived, we were the only ones there. No one else signed up for the class. The teacher still taught it, but needless to say, Annika was only attentive for about half an hour of the 1.15 of class time...it just wasn't very much fun with only the instructor (and OK, ME too) dancing around like goofballs, playing with scarves and doing "Where is Thumkin?". I've since been informed that the class was completely cancelled due to lack of interest and we've been registered in a "Mommy & Me" class instead. So I'll report back how that goes.
Wednesday meant a visit to the dentist for Josiah and Annika. After the debacle with my root canal, you can bet I'm going to be a little more serious about dental health! No cavities for either of them. The only concern from the dentist was that he's not seeing Annika's adult teeth coming up "behind" her baby teeth, whereas on Josiah's x-rays, they were very visible. The dentist even wobbled one of Josiah's teeth. Eeeek...I've got one who is starting to lose teeth and one who is getting his very first (which incidentally has not made very much progress).
Friday Annika got her teeth cleaned which went well. Of course, the hygenist was stressed out that I'm not brushing her teeth for her AND flossing three times a day. The hygenist claims that I should be brushing for my kids until they're at least seven years old. And flossing for them too. I told Annika later that even if I had been doing that, the hygenist would have found something to be unhappy about--they're never happy even if you've been following the Dental Rules to the T!
Anyway, now that's done for the year.
Our friend Jodi arrived on Friday, so we have company in the house, which is always pleasant. Yesterday we decided on a whim to drive up to see the huge new mall (the KMCC) at Ramstein Air Base. It's about a two hour drive, but it's the largest (and newest) military shopping mall in the world. Yeah, it's pretty nice, huge and with a bunch of smaller stores, a big food court and a multiplex movie theater, just like at home. We ate at Chili's...which is a treat because we don't get to eat at American-style restuarants like that (McDonald's does NOT count) very often. It's been over a year since I ate a restaurant similar to Chili's. So that was a big treat.
Yeah, didn't buy anything too exciting...I was in the market for a Jumperoo for Will, but they didn't have any and not really any Exersaucers, either.
I did buy some dental floss picks because of the overwhelming guilt from the hygenist...flossing Annika should be about as nerve-wracking as flossing a piranha...
So...really long and generally dull. But at least you know everything that's happening!
Comments
Don't be so hard on yourself about the teeth and the dentist. Obviously the kids have been brushing good of they would have had cavities.
The new mall at Ramstein Air Base sounds fantastic! I'm glad you were able to eat out at Chili's.
We take turns brushing with Relia, but our pediatrician guilted us into that. We brush, then she brushes. She's getting better and does a better job if we are brushing ours at the same time. I think doing it for them until 7 isn't at all practical too.
She likes to have her teeth flossed, but that is probably because I only do it if she asks. I keep meaning to pick up some of those pic thingys too.
I miss Chili's. Ours closed out here. Yumm!