Just when we thought the dust had settled. Baxter started school, settled in easily, his teacher and classmates were great, and our routine had begun to feel normal.

THEN...yesterday we got a letter from the school district, letting us know that our long-shot plan of getting Baxter into our fabulous neighborhood school by placing him on the waiting list actually worked! A month ago, this would have been our dream come true! 1) It's listed among the top few schools in the city (strong academics, great enrichment programs, plenty of funding from outside sources), 2) It's 2 blocks from our house, so he can walk to school, and 3) It doesn't start so damned early in the morning (8:40-2:40 instead of 7:50-1:50).

So it does seem like a no-brainer: switch him. But what a cruel thing to do to a kid who has thrown himself so whole-heartedly into his new school! He has already become so identified as a "Grattan kid". He loves his teacher and has made friends. And I think you can't underestimate the importance of starting a new experience like kindergarten when everyone else is new, too. Walking into a class whose classroom culture has already begun to form is a bit harder. Also, for Matt and me, there's something exciting about being part of an "up and coming" school, where our participation and energy really makes a difference, and you can see the changes year after year. We have also appreciated the true diversity of the students at Grattan; Jefferson is much more heavily Asian (reflecting our neighborhood) with a smattering of Caucasian kids.

After much difficult deliberation, we are leaning towards switching him. Jefferson, at this point, has more to offer him, and the location and schedule can't be ignored. We'll go to Back to School Night at Grattan tomorrow night, visit Jefferson's kindergarten classrooms on Tuesday morning and then make our final decision. We have to enroll him by Wednesday if we want to move him to Jefferson.

I guess in the end, we got what we wanted from the district. But it is a shame that this process is so long and arduous and that the final round of the waiting list occurs after a child has made a home for himself in a different school.

Tune in for the final decision on Tuesday!