Rivendell

Today I took Eliza to Rivendell for a group playdate that is part of the admissions process. I can't believe I've been a mom for nearly 6 years in NYC and found this to be my first personal exposure to the crazy preschool admissions process. With Max, we applied to preschool after they'd already filled their class, but because they were moving to a larger space they had room. He went for his playdate the day we called and it was just a few teachers and me and Max in the classroom looking at snails and getting out the montessori mats. Very relaxing and even kind of fun.

Today, while we were waiting with the other kids and their moms, there was a mom who was combing her child's hair and telling him, "I just know you are going to be great." I got so nervous being in the same room with her that I felt it projecting onto Eliza. We were clinging to each other, as I tried to get her to eat ham since all she'd had at school that morning were donut holes and cupcakes because it was Brett's birthday this week, and she was celebrating. She ended up with so much ham in her mouth that she needed to spit it out and I was fumbling for a tissue in the bathroom keeping one door open so we wouldn't miss the elevator that was coming for the rest of the group. How many years until Eliza is puking in the bathroom before high stakes audition-type situations on her own? Note to self: sign her up for ballet...

Once we got into the room, the other children started to play with the snails, the trains, the phones. Eliza discovers the anatomically correct dolls and begins lovingly fingering a white baby's penis. Linda, the education director looked at her doing this. "Her first anatomically correct dolls." I said. And then because I was like, Hey, if they don't like that she's penis obsessed, she shouldn't go here, I said, "Eliza, who do you know who has a penis?" and Eliza said, "Max!" And I said, "What do you have?" and she said, "A vagina!"

Other than that the playdate was relaxed and mellow though you could sense the mom tension in the room, and as I found when Max went to Rivendell, it's one thing to spend that much money on preschool, but something else to be surrounded by other people who are also doing it.

Also weird to think that Eliza was such a little baby when he started and now she's as old as he was then.