Early tomorrow, www.prekscholars.com will go live, bringing to a close a lengthy planning process and marking the start of a new business. I am very excited for it’s launch and my day has been very reflective and timely.

I have four daughters, ages 10, 8 and identical twins that turned 4 today. When one of my twins woke up today, I expected pure elation from her once she was reminded that it was her birthday.

Quite to the contrary—she was sad! Her words exactly: “I don’t want to be 4. I want to stay 3 forever.”

I was taken back and had to think about this for a moment. Then it became quite clear to me…why would she want to change her age and enter an unknown arena with new experiences? To her, she has mastered being three and, quite frankly, she was a very successful three year old!

It reminded me of a quote that I’ve always liked: “A ship is safe in a harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.”

Pre K Scholars has been a passion of mine for many years. I love the natural curiosity children possess and I am fascinated by each stage of development. I’m also a strong believer that children are capable of grasping most concepts if they are presented in a motivating way. I’ve had the good fortune of witnessing firsthand how this program has prepared fifty or more children for kindergarten. How lucky I am to have a business-minded father willing to believe in me and my curriculum and help to make it possible for others to benefit from this amazing program!

This past year required developing the program to our highest expectations while trying to be an active parent to four daughters, and has been both exhausting and invigorating. If you’re a mother, I know you can imagine the chaos of tending to “deadlines” which have not been in my vocabulary for many years—while driving to singing lessons, theater, basketball, making dinner, washing the laundry, folding the laundry, putting the laundry away, tending to the 103 fevers, helping in the classrooms, attending school performances and “show and tells” and yes, the unexpected visits to the emergency room for broken bones or off to the orthodontist to fix the braces…

Back to my daughter, Kate, and her not wanting to turn 4. We didn’t pay much attention to her sadness as we got ready for church this morning. As we ran to the car and opened the door, there she saw her brand new booster seat that is only an option once you turn four. A big grin lit up her face and she decided she was happy to be 4 and got all buckled into her new booster seat and embraced for the new adventures that awaited her.

I, too, have a big grin on my face, as tomorrow will be the birth of Pre K Scholars. I look forward to initial feedback, as I know it will take so many moms on a passionate journey as we teach young children how fun learning can be!