Milestones

I don't know what amazes me more - that hubby and I will be celebrating our tenth anniversary this year, that my son will be in FOURTH grade next year (how did that happen?), or that my daughter will be starting elementary school in August.

Everyone knows that time goes by so quickly - flies by, really - and that your kids grow up way too fast.  If you are a relatively normal adult and a parent, then those two facts are not a surprise in any way, shape or form.  I think it really emphasizes how much time has gone by when you celebrate a milestone of some sort.  The other night at J's baseball game (before the ball to the face trauma) I was chatting with one of the other moms and she asked how long J has been playing baseball.  I had to stop and think, because frankly I couldn't believe that this is his fifth season.  Wow.  Wasn't he just born five years ago?  Oh no, wait, that was K.  Which brings me to another milestone:  K will turn five at the end of this month.  Five means the end of the preschooler years and an entrance into the world of public education. 

This afternoon we have to go to the elementary school for "Kindergarten Round-up".  My daughter is more than ready for school, at least academically.  She is smart and creative and loves to learn.  Unfortunately she is also very sensitive and attached to her Mama.  I wouldn't say she is immature at all... it's more of a "clingy" thing.  I can just picture us next year - I'll be the mom dragging her crying child into school and then I'll be the mom crying as I leave my child in tears.  Ok, hopefully that's a slight exaggeration.  She loves to go places and even has started looking forward to going to school, but it took her FOUR YEARS of preschool to get to that point.  She has been at her current preschool since she was a year old, and even up until a few months ago she would cry when I left her.  She's familiar with the school, she has friends in her class and she has fun being there, so I can only chalk it up to missing her mommy.  She has slowly gotten better and I know (I hope) being at kindergarten will be different.  I wish she would get the same teacher that J had but with twelve (yes, twelve) classes, the odds aren't great.  All I can do is hope & pray for a good, kind, and fun kindergarten teacher for her - otherwise it will be a LONG year!