I stressed over finding daycare for Abby.

Had to stress over finding daycare TWICE because of the move from Maryland to Colorado when she was 16 months old.

Now, the search for elementary school has been in full swing. It's fortunate that Colorado has Open Enrollment, allowing kids to attend any school they desire, not forced to accept their neighborhood school, but it's also unfortunate because it expands my research boundary a lot. As we dig into the Kindergarten/First grade curriculum at schools I'm getting really, really frustrated.

I have an embarrassing reaction to anger. I cry. Normally, not prone to being overly emotional, but when I get angry enough, I lose control and the tears are inevitable.

This morning, I came across this song in a Kindergarten parents' handbook of one of the top-rated elementary schools in THE top-rated school district in Colorado.....and I lost it.

Beginnings

I'm learning how to spell today;
I'm doing very well!
I know that exit starts with "X",
and elephant with "L".

(You can't seriously think that this is a GOOD song to teach kids about spelling! Can no one see that this could maybe do more harm than good?! Or has the texting generation changed the world of spelling so that "xit" and "lphant" are just as acceptable now?)

There's "K" for cape, came and cake,
and "Q" for cucumber,
Forest starts with "4", I think,
Oops, "4" is a number!

(On the bright side, this song can help kids develop a skill for going into business as vanity plate designers - "4est", "QcumbR"....I can see them slapped on to the front and back of my car.)

Birthday ends with letter "A",
and easy ends with "Z",
"O" comes last in scarecrow,
and baby ends with "B".

(I thought this was a song about Beginnings. I'm a bit confused about what this song is trying to accomplish.)

It gets harder, I suppose,
As you go along.
But spelling seems quite simple now,
Perhaps....I could be rong!

(No, I did not mistype the last word. Copied exactly from the handbook.)

[Sniff.]