Thursday, May 24, 2012

My Baby - the Kindergartner

This was Emily on her first day of preschool this year.
Note to self: Take better pictures!

This was Emily today - her last day of preschool ever.

I knew this day was coming, but grasping it in reality is not so easy.  For me, today is extremely bittersweet.  I am honestly looking forward to next school year.  It will be the one year all 3 of my girls are in the same school; under one roof.  I anticipate that the time I spend in my minivan will decrease by at least half.  Right now, I volunteer at preschool and elementary school and church.  Without preschool, one of those will be taken off my plate and (theoretically), I will have more "free" time.  Plus, I know it's time.  Emily is ready to move on and we, as a family, are, too.

However, we have been at the same preschool since my oldest was two - that was almost 8 years ago.  Not going will seem a little strange.   I will greatly miss the camaraderie I have with other preschool moms, too.  They are church members, familiar faces, and friends.  Some of them have been at the preschool as long as I have.  Some I will still see at Bible Study and Church, although less frequently than I do now.  Some of them, I honestly may not see again.  Sadly, I simply don't have the type of relationship with other parents at the elementary school that I have at the preschool and I will miss it.

The deeper sadness comes from this, though - It also means any small shred of lingering babyhood is now gone in our house.  I cannot even say I have a preschooler anymore.  All three of my girls are big kids now.  I have no desire to go back to babyland and have another one, but it is the end of an era and that is always a little sad.

Such a big girl now!
Have to throw this in, too - Hands down my favorite page from the scrapbook Emily's preschool teacher put together for us!


5 comments:

Martha said...

So bittersweet! I had the same situation two years ago, when Josie left preschool. I had ONE year of all three of them being in the same school and it will never happen again. I had a good chuckle when you said you would have more "free time." I bet you laughed yourself when you typed that!

Tara said...

My son just finished his first year of preschool and that alone was bittersweet for me. Amazing how much your kiddos can grow in just one year! And the word "kindergarten" is starting to pop up more and more in conversation. I stop and wonder, how on Earth did that all happen so fast? My daughter is only 15 months though, so we're still definitely in baby land...and teething, around here!

Lisa Witherspoon said...

You mean you didn't have gobs of free time when all of yours were in elementary school together??? I definitely chuckled when I wrote that!

Sweet Carolina Grace said...

Aw, sweet! Just keep thinking of how much better the commute will be! :) I can't even pretend that signing up Waylon for preschool in the fall hasn't made me a little sad. :)

Robin Kramer said...

Ahhhh... totally bittersweet! You'll have to coach me through this in three more years when my youngest is finishing up preschool and headed to kindergarten!

Thinking of you, Lisa!

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