Why Chickie doesn't attend preschool

Chickie starts kindergarten in three and a half months. The time is passing quickly! These days I often get the question, "Did she go to preschool?" or, "So she's in Pre-K now?" But other than Sunday School and gymnastics, Chickie's first day of kindergarten will be her first day of school.

Why?

Let me start by saying, I'm not anti-preschool! But I didn't go to preschool, so I didn't automatically assume my children would. At various times I've thought about sending Chickie, and, while Zoodle may eventually go, Chickie never did.

There are many reasons to send a child to preschool, but in my mind there are several big ones.

1. Often someone is needed to watch children while their parents work. I don't work anywhere close to full-time, and as a real estate agent I don't have a regular schedule, so I haven't needed regular childcare.
2. Many children benefit from socialization with other kids. Chickie would have loved the socialization of preschool, but she gets a lot of other socialization. We're active at church and do plenty of play dates with other kids--plus, she has a playmate at home. In other words, she gets a lot of free socialization, and I didn't want to pay for extra!
3. Preschool can prepare children academically for kindergarten. Chickie enjoys learning, and I think she's quite well-prepared for kindergarten. While she would have gotten extra education at preschool, we didn't think she needed it in order to do well in school.
4. Mommy needs a break! I can understand this one! When we were expecting Zoodle, I thought I might send Chickie to preschool if I needed a few hours a week with only one kid. But, while I certainly have had many overwhelming moments as a mom of two, Zoodle's generally not a high-maintenance kid, and the transition to two kids was in most ways easier than I expected.
5. It's nice for young kids to learn classroom skills like standing in line, raising their hands, etc. I know that Chickie will be a little behind in some of these areas compared to preschooled kids, but she gets some experience in her (structured) Sunday School class and gymnastics class, and I don't think it will take her long to "learn the ropes."
   

We live in a state without free universal Pre-K. In the end, we never wanted to add the cost of preschool into our budget, when we didn't feel that Chickie needed it for any reason. She'd have enjoyed it...but she'll enjoy kindergarten soon enough!

Chocolate Chunk Coconut Milk Ice Cream

My wonderful friend Ann eats mostly vegan foods, so while she likes ice cream, it's not something she indulges in very often. But recently I got an ice cream maker, and our play date today was the perfect opportunity for me to try my hand at making vegan ice cream!

And you know what? I'm not vegan, but this stuff tastes good! It's great whether you're vegan, lactose-free, or just want a flavor different than normal ice cream. The texture is fantastic--very creamy!



Best of all, it's very easy to make. The recipe is below. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chunk Coconut Milk Ice Cream
Vegan & lactose-free

Ingredients:
Approx. 750 mL/25 fl. oz. canned coconut milk
2/3 c. sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla
4 oz. vegan chocolate of your choice (I use Baker's Semisweet Baking Squares, which contain no milk. Be sure to read labels carefully.)

Instructions:
1. Pour coconut milk, sugar, & vanilla into a bowl, and whisk the sugar in until it's all dissolved. I used the whisk attachment on my stand mixer.
2. Pour into ice cream maker bowl and start ice cream maker, according to the manufacturer's directions. (Mine requires that the maker be started before ingredients are added through the top.)
3. While the ice cream maker is working its magic, cut chocolate into nice lil' chunks. It's okay if some of it kinda gets shredded because your knife is too dull. It's all good....
4. When ice cream looks like it's done, add chocolate and let it all get mixed in. Turn off the ice cream maker, and enjoy! (If you don't like the soft-serve consistency, let it freeze in a separate container for a couple of hours before eating.)

Muddled thoughts on the big news

I'm trying to find balance today.

I want to rejoice because in some inadequate way justice was served. I want to rejoice because a dangerous person can't make dangerous plans anymore.

I don't want to rejoice specifically in a human's death.

But it's all connected, and it's hard to sort it all out in my head.

I'll just say--I want a more peaceful world, and I hope that this action has taken us in that direction.

I think I can celebrate the courage of troops and acknowledge that very occasionally, killing is justified, without actually glorifying the death.

I want to seek justice, not revenge. And I'll admit, it's hard to seek the first without desiring the second.