Monday, August 15, 2011

Kindergarten

First of all, that is a weird word...

Anyway, Oliver starts kindergarten tomorrow. And I am literally crying right now.... have been crying off and on for 2 days. I am pathetic. So, I decided to whip up a Top 10 list...

Top 10 Things NOT to do when your kid is going to kindergarten!

1. Do NOT go in and lay in bed with them just to watch them sleep. Do Not rub their hair softly. Do NOT talk to them about how much you are going to miss them everyday even though they can't hear you speaking. Do NOT start sobbing and snotting everywhere and wipe you nose on their pillow.

2. Do NOT spend hours gazing and fawning over old scrapbooks and photo albums of them when they were babies. Do NOT explain to them what you thought the first time you laid eyes on them. Do NOT relive the day they were born and try to figure out how they are old enough to go to school all day.

3. Do NOT try to trick yourself into thinking that summer will last forever. Do NOT think that if you ignore the fact that school is around the corner, it won't actually rear it's ugly little head. Because it happens, quick.

4. Do NOT take them shoe shopping only to realize that you have been shamming their little feet into shoes that are not 1, but 2 sizes too small! Then, do NOT be completely mystified by the fact that your children have indeed managed to GROW. Do NOT immediately feel saddened by the fact that you missed out on getting them new shoes for an entire shoe size!

5. Do NOT continue your ride on the guilty mom express by agonizing over the lost opportunities to make memories, play games, and tickle that you squandered while cooking, folding laundry, or coughfacebook,pinterest,bloggercough doing other frivolous activities.

6. Do NOT think about the fact that you are going to miss all of those funny phrases that they say so randomly. Like out of nowhere in the van today Oliver tells me that an elephant should go to the city pool and drink it all up if he is thirsty. Or hearing them sing the wrong words to lyrics in a song. Or getting kisses for nothing. Or hiding in the house just to scare the crap out of them when I am bored. Or dancing in the living room. Or singing him to sleep at naptime... ugh, I am bawling. again.

7. Do NOT remember your first day of kindergarten. Do NOT remember the nervous anxiety that swallowed me whole when I realized that my mom was leaving. Do NOT remember that despite how nice Mrs. Hiatt was, I still felt so alone... and scared. Do NOT remember how minutes lasted for hours. Do NOT remember feeling so insignificant.

8. Do NOT go through their closet and pull out all of the old clothes that are too small and then be crushed by the fact that this will only happen again and again. Growing and growing. Baby. Toddler. Preschooler. Elementary... Do NOT wish that you could just freeze time right here, right now.

9. Do NOT go into their room to tuck them in goodnight. Do NOT let the following happen to you... I walk into the boys' room and sit down on Oliver's bed. I lean down and give him a kiss. "I love you buddy." "I love you too Momma." Then he gently picks up a few strands of my hair as I am leaning over his face; my hair spread around us like a little curtain. He begins to twirl my hair as he usually does. He looks up at me, with a slight smile, but still a little worry in his eyes. "Momma, are ya gunna miss me?" Tears instantly flood my eyes. I can't let him see me upset. I fight them. "yeah" I reply in small whisper. He knows that I am sad. "Me too Momma... me too." I give him a big hug. Tickle him. And bolt for the door.

10. Do NOT blink. This is the only first day of kindergarten that they are going to get. This is the first day of a new era. Make it big! Make it fun! Make it theirs! To hold onto and remember 24 years later when their kids are going to school... Do NOT blink, it will be here before we know it.

Best of luck to all the mommas out there. Drink a cup of coffee and try to really be happy. We are blessed. God is good.