School’s out for Summer! Look out Kindergarten, 4th and 7th grades!

Josey started the year with a big transition from elementary to middle school. But she’s the only one who will be staying next year. Fourth grade will be in another building across town for Adler. And Davy starts Kindergarten in a third elementary school (my fave, which Adler never attended, due to construction on the new school she’s leaving).

We’re blessed to have help with the kids from our awesome nanny, my parents and ~50K summer camps/activities, which means today’s also Davy’s last day of daycare! It’s a day I’ve been looking forward to for years, since observing my co-workers cross this milestone and dreaming of how we’d spend the $ saved. And just like the 1st day I dropped him off unexpecting to be so emotional doing so — given he’s No. 3 — I found myself feeling similarly this week. 

With Davy it was different…. he’s been at the same childcare center/preschool since he was 8 weeks old. We had to send him a month earlier than the girls, when he was still pretty fussy (though NOTHING like Jo, of course!), to help pay for his out-of-hospital birth. And because the center didn’t offer PT options/we were paying for him to attend FT as well as him being No. 3/me being busy, I’ve had major mama guilt about also not spending Mondays with him like I did with the girls. Though it was a far cry from the weekly playdates, zoo/library/Costco/etc. trips, etc. with the girls, I’m so glad I kept him home with me on Mondays the past month at his request.

Though Trent’s done most of the drop off/pick up the past several years, I’ll miss the sound of kids playing, the smell of “school” lunch being prepared, the brightly colored artwork adorning the walls and, of course, the amazing child development professionals who have become like a second family to us.

Aside from some recent middle school drama/hormones, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the kids getting older and getting to do more with them. But, as I feel when packing up their old toys and clothes (some of which I keep as rags because I’m so attached), it’s bittersweet. 

 I’ll miss trips to pick out cheerful children’s books–some I even remember enjoying as a kid–at the library being a huge deal to them. 

 I’ll miss reading stories and snuggling before nap and gazing upon their sweet, little sleeping faces with awe & wonder of the gift of them being mine. 

 And I’ll miss them running to me at full speed with big smiles & open arms when seeing me after school/daycare like I’m some kind of rockstar just for being their mom.

It’s true that many days seem long but the years are short. 

#letthembelittle