Conversation with the Clueless

Let me just say that the preschool decision this year was very long, drawn out, and complex. This year, we have one boy in the 4 year-old program and one in the 3s. Two very different boys. It was a lot more difficult this year, since it involved figuring out what was best for each one, as well as easier on me, too.

I agonized over different preschools: play-based, academic-based, or co-op. Teachers: strict, sweet, familiar. Schedules: 2 or 3 days, mornings, afternoons, overlapping, same pick-up times, different pick-up times, interupting Cub's nap schedule or not. Travel time: so close we'd always walk even if there was snow, close enough to walk in nice weather/drive in bad, or always have to drive. Cost: this definitely varied from school to school. Also: Do I send them to the same school? Different schools? Keep them with what they knew from last year?

In the end, I think I've made the best decision for both of them...and if they or I am not happy with the decision, there's an option to switch them.

Anyway, I know that throughout all of this, I definitely did not discuss all of this at length with Hubs because he response to all of this would be to tell me that I'm crazy, that it's just preschool, so send them to the cheapest/most convenient, and that it's ridiculous to stress over all this. Comments that would all make me want to throw something at his head. So, I refrained from asking his opinion about all this.

But, I know that I told him the final decision about where they will be going, what our schedule will be like, and how much it will cost. I also told him about running into the boys' teacher in town last week and about parent night this coming week. I've also talked to him about how I'm worried about Bear being in preschool, since he's still difficult to understand sometimes and I'm not sure how he will handle the structure of a class. There was also the great potty-training rush at the beginning of August, so that Bear would be allowed to attend preschool.

Does he listen to anything I say? I wonder.

Here's our conversation from last night, as I was cleaning things up in the living room and was putting away Bear's backpack.

Me: Isn't Bear's backpack cute?
Hubs: Aw. (Pause) What does he need a backpack for?
Me: (Pause as I stare at him to see if he is being serious) For preschool.
Hubs: He's going to preschool?
Me: Yeeeeeeeeesssssss. Both of the big boys start next week.
Hubs: Really? Bear is going, too?
Me: Yeeeeeeeeesssssss.
Hubs: But, he's so little.
Me: He's 3. That's when Monkey started, too.
Hubs: No, he didn't.
Me: Really? And how old was he last year when he started preschool?
Hubs: 4
Me: No, he was 3.
Hubs: No, he wasn't. 3 is too young. He was 4.
Me: Okay, so how old is Monkey now?
Hubs:(pause while he has to think about the fact that Monkey is 4) Oh.
Pause in conversation while I continue to clean up toys and Hubs plays on the computer
Hubs: Is Bear really starting preschool next week?
Me: YES.
Hubs: Wow, our little man is getting so big.
Me: (too annoyed to even respond)

Clueless. Absolutely clueless.
And here I thought that my husband actually listens to me.
Maybe I'm the clueless one.

Do your husbands listen to you? Or do you have similiar conversations in your house?