Vortextual

My aunt and uncle were in town last week for a balalaika/domra convention and they came to visit one night bearing gifts and Ukrainian food. My side of the family is English and Irish and my uncle, last I checked, is a Swede but apparently we all like stringed instruments and pickles and horseradish and we had a great time. I especially enjoyed catching up with my uncle who is an historian and a folklorist and the de facto repository of all matters genealogical for the family.

I picked up some new trivia about my grandmother's family that I think is common knowledge but I had somehow missed, like the fact that the two families emigrated together from County Antrim and settled together in Cherokee County and the two great-grandfathers fought in the same company during the Civil War (pick a side) and then the one's son married the other's daughter and they had four children: John, Nonie, Arizona and Dove. I am more grateful than I can say that I was never aware of G-G-Aunt Dove because I can guarantee you Steve would have been all over that name for Caroline. It was all I could do to pry him away from Arizona. I can just imagine the twins, Dove and Drake. Yibbity.

On Saturday the conventioneers gave a performance at the University concert hall and Patrick and I attended. It was a good concert and... actually, I had the weirdest thing happen and I am still perseverating over it so I might as well tell you about it and then you can tell me what you would have done and I can get over it. The concert was mostly sold out with general seating. Patrick likes to be close to the front so we were about six rows back and six seats in from the aisle. It was a long first half and after almost two hours Patrick whispered that he had to go to the bathroom. I asked if he could wait and he said no so I sighed and waited until the song was over and then muttered my embarrassed apologies as we climbed over the four people between us and the aisle. Patrick went to the bathroom, we returned to the theater doors and waited for the piece to be over so the usher could let us back in. Then we waited at the back of the theater for the next piece to be done. I didn't want to disturb the people in the row we had been sitting in before, so I looked to see if there were open seats available anywhere on the aisle. There were, in the front two rows. So in the next lull between pieces Patrick and I went to the front of the theater, only to discover that the front two rows had a sign saying No Seating, Reserved. So I looked around and saw four empty seats in the middle of the third row and I did the whispered grimace pointy thing to let the two women seated on the aisle know that we wanted to get past them to the empty seats. And they shook their heads NO. No! I'm still shocked. Who says no?

So Patrick and I were standing in the front of the theater as the next performance began and I was mortified (ha! right there embarrassment vs shame) and I looked frantically around the theater but couldn't find two seats together until finally this very nice man stood up so we could sit behind the women who refused to let us pass. I spent the rest of the act glaring at the back of their heads. My brother says I should have just smiled as brightly as possible and plowed over their feet into the empty seats. I think this is a pretty good idea but I was too surprised to think of it. What would you have done?

Then intermission came and the stage manager announced that they would not be letting us out of the theater into the lobby because we were safest where we were, thank you. And Patrick said, "WHAT? Do they mean tornadoes?" and I thought about it and said, yes, that is probably exactly what they do mean. And Patrick said, "And I am missing it? Do you know that I am eight years old and I still have never seen an actual tornado?"

Eventually they let us into the lobby and we watched the storm through the giant windows. I called Steve who checked the radar (in a future life Steve will be a meteorologist, probably called Drake Starr but that's just a guess. oh! maybe he'll come back as a woman! then he could be Dove Morning) and Steve assured me that although the storm was severe it was thin and passing. So we could wait ten minutes and it should be ok to drive home. Patrick and I waited fifteen, decided the rain was letting up and left.

As soon as I turned on to the interstate I knew I had made a giant mistake. It was raining so hard I couldn't see and there was lightning everywhere and the tires kept slipping every time I hit a new pocket of standing water. I probably should have just gotten off the damned highway but it felt safer to just keep going in a straight line so I drove 35 mph with white knuckles and the whole time Patrick regaled me with tornado facts, like how far they can toss a car or what the highest recorded wind speed is.

It wasn't the greatest date I ever had. 

+

Tomorrow I am having surgery to remove a Bartholin gland cyst. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that the Bartholin glands were first described by Danish anatomist Caspar Bartholin the Elder. In fact it was his grandson Caspar Bartholin the Younger. A common mistake.

I have had this cyst for the past seven years and I kept suggesting we get rid of it and my OB/Gyn kept saying it wasn't bothering me so we shouldn't bother it. Finally this past Spring at my annual exam she acknowledged that it probably needed to go since it was beginning to increase rapidly in size. I, naively, thought she could just... do something about it while I was there and she laughed and said it's the bloodiest procedure she does so it gets done at the hospital. 

She said it was a pity she didn't take it out while I was delivering Caroline and Edward and I said yeah I guess so. To this day I still shake my head over how I could have wound up so confused about my delivery options when I was seeing them practically every day. As you might recall, Caroline spent about two months head down and ready to go. Edward was sideways. As I got closer to having the babies I knew I was going to deliver in the OR because they wanted to be ready in case they had to do an emergency C-section. I thought we had two options: either baby B would flip head down after baby A had exited and we would have him vaginally; or baby B would do anything else and I would have a c-section.

I was shocked when baby B descended bottom first and my OB sat there looking at me expectantly, like, ok, go for it! Go for what? Who has ever heard of delivering a baby butt first? Well, you maybe, but I hadn't. I thought she was crazy but it didn't seem like a great time to discuss it. Nor did it seem like an appropriate moment to mention the old Bartholin cyst as she made the split-second decision to help things out with a massive episiotomy although in retrospect... anyway, tomorrow I am having a procedure.

+

Edward and Caroline were waiting for dinner and slamming their forks into the dining room table.

"Caroline! Edward! No!" I said. "No banging! I'm coming."

So Patrick - whose need for attention exists in inverse proportion to our ability to give it to him - started gouging the table with his fork too.

I said, not nicely, "PATRICK! FOR THE... STOP IT! STOP IT!"

Patrick said, "But Caroline and Edward were doing it... ."

And I snapped, "You're eight! They're two!"

Which is when Caroline slapped her hands on the table and bellowed, "I'm TWO AND A HALF!" and glared at me.

We laughed but I made a mental note to try to not sound so shrill. It's hard not to wince when you hear your shrieky shrieking echoing back at you.

+

Speaking of two and a half Edward starts most sentences with the word "no". We still do this:

Me: Edward may I have a...

Edward: No kissth! No haugh! No I lob you!

Recently I was on the phone with my mother as Edward was telling me about the things he saw in a book.

"A dog!" he said.

"Do you like dogs?" asked my mom.

"Yes," he whispered.

"Can you say 'yes I do'?" I asked and moved the phone closer to him.

"No yes I do," said Edward firmly.

+

It is possible I was gone from the room for longer than two minutes. Maybe it was five. But when I left Caroline and Edward were painting their usual pictures (Caroline pouring water over the entire page and then smacking it with her hands; Edward doing careful brush strokes in every color.) When I returned they had moved on to performance art

Caroline stretched out like a canvas and Edward painting her all over.

The plan has been for them to start at Patrick's old preschool in September. Technically they are not allowed until they are 33 months but the director had agreed to ask the county for an exception and I was very excited that they were going to start doing something pretty soon. Unfortunately the more I thought about it and the closer we got to Labor Day the more I realized they aren't quite ready yet. Not only is Edward potty averse, they are just.. young. I have a hard time visualizing them hanging out with the 3s and the 4s or even some 5s in a mixed age class. I think they'd be more trouble than they're worth, bumbling around like a couple of fireflies in a coffee can and looking blank when it was time to start gluing autumn leaves to construction paper. So I called the school today and said we're going to wait a bit. She said they had some families on the waiting list and I'm glad that will work out and we'll sign them up next year.

The problem is that I am now left with 14 months until Caroline and Edward can start preschool there and (see above and the home tattoo work) I think they are ready to do SOMETHING.

I just inadvertently re-discovered that our Y has a preschool and it has a two year old class and the class has vacancies for the Fall. It would be two days a week, from 9 until 2. They would eat lunch there and take a nap and the rest of the time they'd do... stuff. What do you think? It sounds like a lot to me - like a long day - but I tend to hover so I could use an outside opinion or several.

Comments

[Lisa B in Seattle]

I have no children and no expertise in them, but opinions? Oh I have a few. :) Preschool, yes! Stomping on feet at concerts, yes! (I tend toward non-passive aggression.) But not a good example for Patrick, I suppose. Oh come on, Julia, you and Steve have created a great child in Patrick, so go with your instincts on the twinkies. :)

[Susan]

Julia, do it. You can always pull them if it doesn't seem like it's working. It will actually help with toilet training-peer pressure! Plus, matter what....you need a break. It actually sounds perfect as far as the days and times to me. Go for it!

[Priscilla]

Good luck with the procedure! May you have a pleasant drug induced sleep. :)

Perhaps the preschool would allow you to pick the wee ones up at noon? I think 9 - 12 sounds like a perfect 2 year old day. If not, I imagine they will adjust well to 9 - 2. I'm all for school.

[bethany actually]

I think two five-hour days a week of preschool for two TWO-AND-A-HALF-YEAR-OLDS (hee!) sounds just about right. I bet they'll love it and so will you!

[Rebekah]

I'd say yes on the 2 year old class. I've been putting my almost two year old son in a home daycare with several other children his age two days a week from 9 to 1:30 for about 7 months now. He loves being there. There are new toys and new people and so many things to explore and do. It's not really that long of a day, as I'm sure you will realize when you feel like you've just sat down and well, look at the time, it's time to go pick them up. And if they're having troubles, then cut back. Nothing is set in stone.
As an aside, I just discovered I'm pregnant with twins, so I read back through your archives of your pregnancy with Caroline and Edward. Maybe it's the hormones, but it made me a little misty. They've grown so much since they were 13 a and b. And they're so dang cute.

[Jen]

My son started preschool, 2 days a week, 9-2, when he was 2 1/2. He loved it, and it worked out really well for us.

As for Arizona as a name...I shudder to even type it, but I have a friend considering it as a middle name for her daughter.

[Betsy]

Oh, absolutely on the preschool. Both my kids were in preschool for the same amount of time, two days per week at that age and honestly I'm a better mom for it. The kids will love it and it's still such a small part of the week that you won't feel like you're handing over your kids to be raised by strangers. I always found that when I dropped the kids off for a few blessed hours of peace I was much more involved and happy to play with them when I got them home. You seem like you relish playing with your kids so maybe it's not an issue for you; but it sure helped me! (I should add that I do like playing with my kids; but after many days and hours of nonstop crayons/playdoh/Legos/you name it, I was occasionally ready for a wee break.

As for the concert I completely sympathize with being too surprised to know what to do with the No Ladies. Because, really, who *does* say no? I'm kind of speechless about it sitting right here and I wasn't standing in front of an auditorium full of people. Anyway, I really like the idea of foot stomping my way down the row; but I don't think I'd have been brave enough to actually do it. Glaring at the backs of their heads is more my style, too.

Glad you made it home safely from the concert.

[Sharon]

Yes... It is only 2 days a week. They will have fun. You will have a break. It is also not permanent, so if something isn't working for one or both of them, you can just pull him/her/them out.

[Kelli]

Ditto on the preschool.. As a working mom, my kids are in day care 5 days a week during the school year, 7:30 to 4:30 and they manage. As long as there's a nap. Do they have lovies or blankies that they nap with? If so, make sure they go along to help them settle down at nap time. I bought my son special ones for school (he helped pick them out) so I didn't have to panic if I forgot to bring them home. Puppy and Lion were his favorites at home, Turtle and Froggie lived at day care. I concur with those who say that it will help them mature a bit. My son started using the potty at school long before he stopped refusing to use it at home. It also helped him with social skills like raising your hand to speak, walking in a line, being a line leader, doing what the teacher says rather than what your whim decrees - all those things that help get them kindergarten ready. Things that are hard to practice in groups of two.

As for the concert, as a musician who is really irked by poor concert behavior, it sounds like you did everything you could to be as non-disruptive as possible. Unless those ladies were saving seats for friends who had also used the facilities, their behavior was more disruptive than you and your son. Bah Humbug to them.

[Sam]

Do it! You can always change your mind if it doesn't work out for you (or for them).

[Heather g]

About 15 years ago 3 of us went to a small movie theatre which was only 5 seats across. When we arrived the entire place was full apart from the front row where two women were sitting together in the middle. We asked if they would move along so we could sit together and they said "no". No? I still can't believe it. People!

[Chi-An]

I'm with Kelli...my daughter has been in daycare 8.30-5.30 four days a week since she was a year old. I would bet the twinkles are ready to expand their world and you're ready for a bit of a break.

My daughter (now 3.5) says in all seriousness that she will be 7 at her next birthday. She firmly believes that this will be true, and that the universe will bend to her wishes. I say, good luck with that time machine baby, let me know when it works out for you...

Good luck with your procedure!

[GingerB]

Absolutely do the pre-school. It sounds perfect. My kids are in full time, beause I am the breadwinner and my husband would be a lousy stay at home Dad, and I do feel some guilt that they are away all day, but in my family, with steps, and my sister's family with stepkids, the day care kids are stronger academically, socially, in athletics, in every way, and so I feel less guilt.

And I would totally have stepped on those ladies. You paid the same for your tickets as they did, who says NO and isn't an asshat?

[Carla Hinkle]

Oh yes, go for the pre school. At ours the vast majority of 2 year olds go 8:30-2:45, with a nap, and they all seem to do great. It's only 2 days a week, after all.

[Alexis M]

I had the cyst - and the surgery - several years ago. My experience wasn't bad at all but the huge pad they put on you after the surgery is a bit awkward. They'll probably make you pee before you leave and it'll hurt like the dickens but after that it eases up. No getting freaky with the man for - 4 to 6 weeks if I remember correctly - and after 3 you should be good to go. The only other thing you need to know is to invest in some good lube - since you'll be down one gland - preferably silicone based (try pjur..amazon.com sells it). Sorry if TMI, but this is something you need to know. Good luck!

[Nony Mouse]

With regards to the concert, I've learned it's best to operate under the principle that it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission. So I would have tapped one on the shoulder, chirped, "Excuse me" and shepherded Patrick past them.

People are weird, no use trying to figure out what cracked-out reasoning they're operating under.

[Hetty Fauxvert]

The pre-K is only two days a week, and if they don't like it or you feel they aren't doing well, you can discontinue it.

I have to comment though that I feel our 3 y.o. twins (boy/boy, frat) are also a little "young" compared to their peers. They are verbal as heck these days and we have some terrific conversations ... but reasoning skills? Commens sense? Uh, no. I've been thinking about possible reasons for this. Observing my friends with "only" children, I think the onlies have only adults to emulate and in general seem more mature because of that. Younger singleton sibs have older brothers/sisters to emulate. But twins spend a lot more time with each other, in general, than with parents or older sibs ... and if you emulate someone who's your own age, what do you get? Yes, full-body fingerpainting on the table. (I don't dare show my twins that; they'd be all over it! LOL!)

[QoB]

Yeah, I would've been with your brother and just went for it. Patrick first:)

Apparently breech babies can be born quite normally a lot of the time. Bums are about the same circumference as heads.
Good luck with the procedure!

[Lisa]

Julia, my daughter has been in "school" (we've always called it that) since she was 3 months old from 8:00-5:30 four days a week (one day she goes to my parents) and I have to say that it has been wonderful for her. She just "graduated" to the next level class and she loves seeing her friends, playing on the playground and doing many art projects. And honestly I think it's made me a better mom--I have my own sanity time (work--is that irony or what) and she has many opportunities and variety that I would most likely fail to give her on a daily basis. In our case, she has no siblings, so the interaction with other kids her age has been invaluable. Just my two cents :)

[tuesy]

I remember once when I had a wiggly one year old and took her to the local Remembrance Day ceremony. It was quite full, but there was a lady sitting alone on the aisle, with many empty seats beside here. I asked her if she would mind moving over one, so that I could have the aisle (thinking to myself that that way if the baby got restless I could scarper her out of there without having to step over anyone and disrupting them.

She said no. And then berated me for not coming early enough to get an aisle seat as she had (it was a good half hour before the ceremony, so really, not like I was plodding in five minutes after the national anthem).

Those No Ladies really like their aisle seats.

[Christina]

That picture of Caroline and Edward doing their performance art is one of the greatest things I have ever seen. Thanks for the hilarious start to the day!

[Rachel]

Maybe the 'no ladies' were protecting the seats for someone else who had stepped out to the restroom? That is what I would have assumed....am I naive? That seems a more logical assumption than plain old crankiness.

[Sydnew]

I always like to make up long complicated stories to excuse other people's rudeness. So maybe those concert ladies were saving the seats for their friends who had gotten caught up in the tornado and they spent the entire concert wondering where the heck their friends were and wishing they hadn't said no to you, while meanwhile said friends were on their way to the Land of Oz.

[Meegan]

Well, to echo what everyone else has said, send 'em to the Y! What do you have to lose, really? They might love it. If they don't seem to be thriving, pull them. Or, as someone else suggested, pull them early, say before nap time. I have a 2 year old menace and oh, how I wish I could find an activity for him to do alone. He's ready! (And so is his mother...).

[Amy]

Do the Y class. If it seems like too much for them even after a chance to adjust, ask if you can pick them up earlier each day. My daughter was 27 months when she started preschool--2 afternoons a week (11:00-3:00, so only a little shorter than what you are considering)--and it was great.

[Karen]

My mother in law had eight children (seven survived) and my husband was her seventh baby. He was her only breech baby, and they had no idea he was breech until she was in labor. When she told me this, casually, mind you, I was all a-gape and asked, "Did they do a C section?!" and she blinked and said, "Well, no, I was already in labor, so he came out the usual way."

God bless that woman.

[Kristin]

I think the Y preschool sounds like a great idea. You can always pull them if it doesn't appear to be working out.

I truly laughed out loud when I read "You're eight! They're two!" In my house, it is "You're nine and he is four!"

Love, love, love the painting story. When I was a nanny, we did the let the kids paint each other on a rainy day. The kids had a blast and I got some great pics for their parents.

Also LOVE Edward's habit of starting every sentence with no.

[Johnnie]

Alexis M, there are so many pjur lube types, any advice on the best one? A touch of sjogren's syndrome, it seems, now makes that a requirement for me too.

[Amanda]

Definitely do the Y class - worst case, you pull them out later. Otherwise it sounds like a win-win (activities for them, free time for you).

"Edward: No kissth! No haugh! No I lob you!"

This reminds me of my 3.5yo who at bedtime, when I go in for a kiss often screeches "No kisses, I just love you."

We also got caught in Saturday's storm - but we had a babysitter home with the boys Plus, our house often loses power in storms. The stress of deciding whether it was better to stay at the restaurant or brave the streets home was awful, and only compounded by the fact that babysitter wasn't answering her cell phone. Everything turned out fine, we didn't lose power and the boys slept through the whole thing.

[Alex]

Definitely do the class -- as you said yourself, you tend to hover (and, may I add, worry!). They will rise to the occasion.

[Tommie]

My daughter was in a special-ed preschool last year FIVE days a week, she was three years old (she has 5p-, which, I have to say that I found this syndrome by reading the comments on your blog, so...thanks.) and it was way too much. We're 'homeschooling' preschool this year but I think if I could find a preschool (special or not) that offered just two days a week, I'd totally take it. Five were too many days, but two sounds just right.

I'm like you, I'd have been too shocked to do anything about the crones who actually said no to you and Patrick at the concert. And I'd also stew about it for weeks/months/years after.

[Jen]

It looks like the Y is unanimous (that looks so wrong to me today that I had to look up that I spelled it correctly. Still looks bad.)

I think the adding on the 12-2 part is genius, honestly. The extra time is just right for lunch and rest for them and should make it feel less like you drop them off just to pick them up. As everyone notes, IF there's a problem, work on whatever it is when it happens. Seems like with twins it's a little easier too -- sort of like they can each be the other's transitional object?!

[Cheryl]

I'm shocked that they actually said no!! If I was not too dumbfounded to speak, my response would have probably been either "SERIOUSLY?!?!" or "I'm sorry, did I make that sound like a question?" Wow.

I definitely think the preschool idea at the Y is a great idea and won't be too long. Plus you will love having that time to yourself. My very very very "attached" daughter did extremely well adjusting to school when I had to go back to work at 14 months. I'm on maternity leave again, but she is doing so well in the 2-year-old room, that I'm continuing to keep her on a half-day schedule (8:00-12:00). The difference between her schedule and the twins' is that she takes her nap at home. She's a few months younger than they are, but if her adjustment is any indication of what you can expect, it will be a good move. Plus, someone mentioned potty-training and that is such a bonus! The schools are trained to deal with it very consistently.

[Kris]

My twins went to preschool from 8-2 two days/week from the time they were about two years old. I love, love, love the long days. You can actually get stuff done. Long preschool days are AWESOME!

[Sam]

No comment on the No ladies. Who knows? But it was rude, for sure. Who says NO?

I do so hate having to squish between people to get to my seat for a concert or show. Usually my purse bangs them in the head, too, or the gigantic diaper bag, in the past.

Definitely go for the Y classes for the twinkles. At TWO AND A HALF! they can definitely handle it. My son does something similiar (here they call it Mom's Morning Out) and it's at a church. He starts real preschool next month and I am thinking he is going to be like a wild savage in a real class situation. Obviously they don't have them sitting in seats very much, but I hope he's ready. I think that he will love it, once he gets used to the gentle structure.

[Dara]

Just smile and wave, Julia! That's what I would of done with those cranky seat ladies. People!

Do the Y, C & E will love it!

[galyng]

I vote for preschool too. Two half-days a week isn't really a lot of time for you but will be really nice for them.

Also, my first thought about the lady in the concert hall was that perhaps she thought you were asking if someone was sitting there, rather than asking if YOU could sit there, and she was answering that "no one was sitting there". Or maybe not. I'm an eternal optimist and find it hard to believe that someone would deny you a seat on purpose. But of course some folks are like that.

[TeacherMommy]

Yes, yes, yes on the preschool. It may help Edward potty-train (that's what helped my potty-averse Widget: once he moved into the Preschool section of daycare and Everybody Else was using the potty, suddenly he thought perhaps it Might Be Fun After All [thank God]), and I think Caroline would thoroughly enjoy exerting dominance over some other children occasionally. I'm sure having such a small fiefdom becomes frustrating at times.

[Lawmommy]

I can't believe the ladies said no. Maybe they were saving the seats for someone else? That is the only logical explaination, beyond extreme rudeness.

I was born breech (in the early 70s) and the doctors were not aware of it until it was too late to do a c-section. The result was some pretty horrifying tearing to my mother and hip dysplasia for me, which necessitated that I wear bulky metal braces on my legs from age 2 to 6. (That was extremely unpleasant, as they were heavy and uncomfortable and lots of people asked my mother if I had had polio.)

[Tine]

Oh, definitely do the Y preschool. It's only 2 days a week. And with lunch and nap, the day is not actually that long. After you're in the swing of it, I'll bet my last M&M that you'll be smacking yourself in the head for ever wondering if it would be a good idea.

The pic of Edward painting Caroline made me guffaw right out loud into the empty house. Ha!

[elsimom]

yes to the Y. My older two children were in daycare/preschool full time. We just started having my husband home full time this week, so we are looking into preschool options for our "my TWO HALF" (her version of Caroline's exclamation). She had been in daycare until April, then we had a nanny, now we have Daddy - BUT - she is very accustomed to "seeing friends" and still visited her daycare friends when she and the nanny joined them for field trips and such. The socializing is good, the learning is good, the time for you is good. Go for it! (As noted, if it is not a right fit for either or both, you can pull them out, no big deal).

[Mandy]

Just for some perpective: Lots of kids (including mine--I work full-time) go to daycare all day, five days a week from infancy on and are just fine. 2 days a week seems like nothing to me! I'm sure the twinkies will do great.

[Val]

My kids are in daycare at our Y - each is in a class appropriate to his/her age. It's a long day for them as my husband and I work full time, but they both are doing well and enjoy the projects and books and naps and outdoor play, etc. I say go for it - I think they'll enjoy it, once they get used to it. Plus, the great thing about daycare, is that they help out with the potty training. :-)

[Sara]

Well that's just rude. It happened to my sisters and I recently. Our tickets had been split up and we offered to trade them with a couple so we could all sit together. Our seats were better, they refused. Some people ar just assholes.

[Jenn]

I was 5 months pregnant with Sam and I was in the window seat on a plane (not my choice, I travelled on an employee pass). I of course had to go to the bathroom (it was a 5 hour flight, 5 months pregnant!) and when I asked the (able bodied, 50ish) lady in the aisle if I could pass she said no. She said "it's the prerogative of the person in the aisle seat if they choose to allow access to the aisle." I laughed, then realized she was serious. So I intentionally clumsily climbed over her, making certain to step on both her feet and knock her row of knitting off the needles. Funny she got up when I came back from the bathroom.

p.s. Tess started full day preschool at 2 1/2 three days a week 8-5, it was more a child care/preschool combo, but there was never ever an issue with it being too much for her.

[Amanda]

OK - Jenn's airplane lady is WAY crazier than Julia's concert ladies. WTF is wrong with people!

[Alyce]

I work at a Montessori school. Students age 2-12. We no longer offer a 1/2 day option for our toddlers. A full day works better with their schedules. They do works, go to the playground, have storytime, eat lunch and then nap. It is weird, but sending them home at 12 was too hard on them. Not a consistent nap schedule, maybe?

Go for it.

Also, you may want to consider having them on the same schedule at home as at school for maximum benefit, otherwise you may struggle at home and they may struggle at school.

[heather in europe]

I'm glad to read from the comments that I'm not the only one makes up stories to excuse the surely unintentional rudeness of others.

My favorite for crankyness in traffic--I'm positive they're on the way to visit their mother dying from cancer in the hospital and overcome with grief and in a hurry (hey, it happened to me, why not?)

Perhaps not so applicable to concert seating though.

[LMM]

I think it sounds awesome and you should totally do it. It's not that long of a day...and honestly, probably kind of a daycare/pre-school hybrid. It's not like they're going to be drilling them on facts for 5 hours straight. They - and YOU - will love it.

[Ginger]

I just read the John Rosemond column in the paper today. It basically says preschool isn't necessary for kids. http://www.rosemond.com/Weekly-Column---92109.html
Interesting read.
Those ladies were totally rude! I would have done the same thing you did though. Good luck tomorrow.