There's nothing like the first day of school to bring on waves of nostalgia. Especially when everyone at the school makes such noise about how big your girls are getting to be! They love it, of course, because it validates that they are growing and getting big. I hate it and love it. I'm proud of my girls – I'm bursting with pride at their accomplishments and the fact that they are growing into such lovely ladies. I hate it, though, because it reminds me that they are growing up and that soon they won't need their mommy like they do now. I know it's my job – to help them become independent ladies – but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
So, this morning, Mary B decides I don't need to walk her in to school. She is big now and just wants to ride in the carpool lane. I am surprised and a little sad when she makes the announcement. I mean, I knew this would come one day, but I was really hoping to make it to, say, college, before this happened. Seriously, though, what a big girl she was… all puffed up with excitement and ready to bound out of the car and on to her newest adventure. As I watched her race into the building without even a backward glance, I had to think my baby bird has flown the nest.
Fast forward about 2 minutes and I'm walking Little Bit into school. Quite the different story. Suddenly, she has developed tentacles and I have this junior-sized Octopus hanging on my leg. She speaks politely to the administrators, telling them good morning and thanking them for their compliments on her new haircut. But, she does all of this with an iron grip on my leg.
We walk to her classroom and greet her friends and teachers. All the while, she's decided that she wants me to stay at school with her – ALL DAY. Uh, well, I don't think that'll work. So, in the space of less than 10 minutes I go from being wistful and longing for the days when MB needed me to walk her in to school to trying to extricate myself from a pint-sized octopus who has decided I need to repeat Pre-K! Isn't life ironic!
All in all, it was a great first day. I am not really sure who was the more excited. Me or the girls.
Now, we just have to make it through the next nine months!
So, this morning, Mary B decides I don't need to walk her in to school. She is big now and just wants to ride in the carpool lane. I am surprised and a little sad when she makes the announcement. I mean, I knew this would come one day, but I was really hoping to make it to, say, college, before this happened. Seriously, though, what a big girl she was… all puffed up with excitement and ready to bound out of the car and on to her newest adventure. As I watched her race into the building without even a backward glance, I had to think my baby bird has flown the nest.
Fast forward about 2 minutes and I'm walking Little Bit into school. Quite the different story. Suddenly, she has developed tentacles and I have this junior-sized Octopus hanging on my leg. She speaks politely to the administrators, telling them good morning and thanking them for their compliments on her new haircut. But, she does all of this with an iron grip on my leg.
We walk to her classroom and greet her friends and teachers. All the while, she's decided that she wants me to stay at school with her – ALL DAY. Uh, well, I don't think that'll work. So, in the space of less than 10 minutes I go from being wistful and longing for the days when MB needed me to walk her in to school to trying to extricate myself from a pint-sized octopus who has decided I need to repeat Pre-K! Isn't life ironic!
All in all, it was a great first day. I am not really sure who was the more excited. Me or the girls.
Now, we just have to make it through the next nine months!
Thoughts Along Life's Highway 