Anyway this Wednesday the topic is Back to School. Say what?! This time of year for me usually means, I pass school supplies in the aisles of Target and have a huge urge to buy a box of crayons and a beautiful blank notebook. It means that I can start taking the kids back to places like the Children's Museum without fighting lines of every other mother and child doing the same thing. And it means I bring out my long sleeve running gear (Hello my beautiful sunny yellow long sleeve Swirlgear shirt!!!) to start enjoying the perfect 45 degree crisp morning runs. I never have to worry about making lunches and signing papers. I don't need to know the bus schedule or whether it is an early release day or not....
except this year....
This year I am a kindergarten mom. Yes that is right. My baby, my precious first born who is pretty much my exact mini in attitude and looks is off on the big yellow bus heading straight for her all day kindergarten classroom. For the first time in forever (come on you know you sang that, I can't be the only one
No longer will those morning runs have her along in the double stroller talking to me about everything and anything. No more will we have dance parties while we fold laundry, or push back lunch while we do science experiments. No more nail painting and designing while her younger siblings nap.
Now we will have long days of me missing her. Me counting the minutes until I can park the van in the pick up lane or do an afternoon run instead of my morning one, making sure I end at the school for pick up where we can walk home and chat about her day. We will have lunch packing and homework time, early bedtimes and school schedules to work around (Ummmmm this schedule thing is going to be my biggest challenge since her second Friday of school I already am pulling her for my Reach the Beach relay race, whoops!) I have a feeling my weekends are now going to be so much more special yet go by so much faster.
My baby is off to school. My 6 pound baby girl is growing up and I can't stop it. But what is my plan of attack for that first day?Well I will probably wake up, ha! If I sleep at all I will wake up. Put on my running clothes and a smile. A huge HUGE smile. I will chat through breakfast and as we wait for the bus, making sure she has everything she needs a billion and two times. Once that bus pulls away I will run. I will RUN until the tears slow and I can't run anymore. And I will repeat that sequence as many times as I need too. Making sure that when I go to pick that beautiful, smart, creative, imaginative girl up at the end of the day that smile is right back on my face. Then I will run late into the night and get ready to do it all over again the following week when my middle has his first day of preschool.
All I can say is thank goodness for running. It is what saves me from all of these crazy parenting emotions that no one warned me about!
What is are some tips for surviving your kids first day? What are some traditions you do? Any tips for this kindergartner mom?
