Sunday, August 26, 2007

I don't need you anymore

So I was enjoying this new found free time that I get two times a week now that my kids are back in school... Really nice. You know almost to the point that I am reciting to myself " Absense makes the heart grow fonder"... Then reality hits.



After school we decided to go out and play in the front yard. I figure.. hey... why the kids are playing, I will get the yard work done, right?

Well I did. No big story there.

So my daughter gets thirsty as she always does when we are playing outside. It is like the little girls who instantly have to go potty when they see a public restroom...when my daughter sees the outside fridge (dubbed the "beer fridge" - funny because 95% of the time is has NO beer in it - I digress) she gets thirsty. There are lots of fun things in there like bottled water, soda and juice boxes. YUMMY.

So she chooses a Sunny Delight.

Seeing that this was her drink of choice, I stop what I am doing to watch her tackle the lid. As I have been stopped many times already, I choose not to continue what I am doing, merely to be stopped again, so I wait... and wait... and wait. I finally ask... "Do you need mommy to help you open that?"

I am met with a resounding "No!. I don't need you anymore."

Now, she didn't mean it as hateful or quite to the extent in which I took it of course, but it did hurt... not the "Wow that was rude - Did I teach her that?" hurt.. more the " well if she doesn't need me for that anymore... what am I going to do...."

Fortunately, she answered my unasked question fairly quickly...

"Well, I still need you to tie my shoes - I can't make the loops."

At least I am still useful for something...

Twas the Night before Kindergarten...

Twas the night before Kindergarten and all through the house, not a creature was stirring... except for Mom who has checked daughter's backpack eight times... has verified her bus number three times, has checked the clothes that she is wearing tomorrow five times and just keeps pacing back and forth in front of the door...

How did this happen? When did she get so big? I know that I have to relinquish some control... I will no longer know everything that she is doing every part of the day... sure I know that her recess is at a certain time, her lunch is at a certain time and other times she is in her classroom... but what is she doing? Is she behaving? I hope so. I guess this is the first true test of the foundation that we have tried to build in her.

I am really going to miss her.. but how excited I am for her... She is just going to THRIVE! It would be like me holding onto a butterfly's cocoon and not letting it hatch to not send her this year. And really.. what would I do with the child this year... I could barely entertain her over the summer months. I really can't wait for her to sit with me and try to read on her own.. how DO they learn that??? I can't wait to hear about her new friends... I am scared that she will be made fun of, but I guess we all have been through that and we all survived... and maybe learned a thing or two in the process.

I have three more years with my son at home. Fortunately (or un- depending on the day) I have almost an extra year with him that I didn't have with my daughter because of their birthdays... I think my son will need a little extra time.. he is pushing three and still thinks that the potty is his enemy...

Once again the words you always hear are ringing in my ears... "Cherish these days.. they grow up so fast". Man I hated hearing that.. not that I thought that it was true.. just that I heard them from everyone it seemed. Looking back with my daughter I believe it. With my son, I still can't picture it. Funny how that is.

I am looking forward to parenting older children... I do love my kids at this age.. they are so fun.. but I can just see it getting better and better as they grow older. I can't wait to become their friend...all in due time I suppose.

Until then, I will just sit here pacing until exhaustion takes over and I crash. I still have to get my son ready for preschool, so I have lots to do tomorrow... thank goodness... I will bring my tissues to the bus stop.