It's been an interesting summer around here. I had the unexpected opportunity to spend much of it home with the girls, and we did some really awesome stuff together. Trips to the beach, impromptu picnics, playdates, and a visit home to Montreal were among some of the fun we had, but in just two more weeks, it's back to school. Except this year, Alex is heading off to kindergarten.
My feelings are pretty typical; where did the time go, how can my newborn baby be going to elementary school, what will she encounter there, blahblahblah. But her feelings, which she has really started to show me, are making me freak even more. This morning when I brought it up, she started to cry.
I don't blame her. This little girl has had some stark reality checks over the last few months. And now after a summer of (mostly) fun in the sun, it's off to a new school with new teachers and a new class, all on the heels of a less than fabulous new camp experience.
I think I had a good moment in parenting this morning when the tears came. I remembered a couple of books we had bought about going to kindergarten, so I ran up to her room and found them in seconds (!!PANIC, ALARMS, BOOKS DON'T FAIL ME NOW!!) and read them to her. She sniffled a little, giggled at my (obviously hilariously funny) jokes, and asked if I could take her to the library this afternoon to find more books about kindergarten.
The life of a kid isn't easy, that's a fact. And these tears she sheds for the unknown make me so sad, especially since I'm certain she's going to do great in elementary school.
Just hope I do.
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