Munchkin's Last Day of School

Ok, so I know that I've made a huge deal out of KP being in 'school' (it's actually the MDO program at our church, but hey....we call it school because they do school stuff there).

I was thinking back on her first day....I was an absolute and total wreck.  Hubby and I took her into the classroom, they took her from my arms, and shooed me out of the door.  Bye-bye!  Get out!  Don't linger!  See ya' at 1PM, sucka!

I was proud of the fact that I waited long enough to get outside and to the sidewalk before I started crying.  Then, Amie came out after MP was dropped off.  We stood together, hugging and crying, as Matt looked on.....our babies were with other people and we were having a hard time dealing with that.  Would they care for them as we would?  Would they ask them if they were hungry or thirsty?  Would they hold and cuddle them if they needed comfort?  Would they replace us?

I'm certain that these are all questions that moms (and dads) have, at one time or another, asked themselves when leaving their little ones in the care of someone else for the first time.  We're weren't the first, and I'm certain that we won't be the last ones to do so.  But, we left them with Ms. Sandy (who is an amazing woman) and we lived through that first day....there were tears and Taco Bell involved, and I think that we showed up back at school an hour early to pick them up, but we made it.  They lived, and so did we.

And now, it's their last day.  I look back at their pictures from the beginning of the year, and then look at them now.....my, my, my....how our babies have grown!  My Katie-Pie has enough hair for barrettes now.  She's almost a 3T, she's given up paci, she runs, jumps, sings, glues, colors, and loves school.  So much so, that she sometimes gets upset when it's time to go home.  And I'm ok with that.  I'm ok with that because I know that when she's there, they are loving on her in exactly the way that she needs.  I know that she loves them, and her teachers, who happen to be an AMAZING group of women, take excellent care of her.  They know her, and she knows them....that's important.  I'm so happy that she's learned that she can trust others; that others care about her and care for her, that there are people in this world that she can turn to.  It's a good thing....and easier to accept than I thought it would be.

And I look back at me.  The first time mommy, scared to entrust the care of her sweet baby to ANYONE else.  The standing-on-the-sidewalk-sobbing-until-she-can't-breathe-going-to-pass-out-bring-me-back-my-baby-completely-irrational-what-am-I-going-to-do-for-the-next-four-hours mommy....yeah, that was me.  And I've grown.... figuratively and literally.  Now, I'm the "TAG!!  You're it!!  See, ya after music, Baby, Mommy loves you."  After some time, and adjustment, I turned into the: I-must-get-to-the-grocery-store-make-it-to-four-other-stores-to-return-items-get-to-Sam's-start-dinner-in-the-crockpot-put-all-of-the-groceries-away-start-some-laundry-fold-some-laundry-get-the-oil-changed-and-pee-by-myself Mommy.  Not that I don't still miss my baby when she's away, but I have seen with my own eyes how much we have both blossomed since she has been in school.  She'll do summer school at our church, and in the fall, she'll return.  Also, this summer she has activities everyday:  swimming, summer school, Little Gym, Children's Museum, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston Zoo, and Story Time at the library.  Our summer is going to be loads of fun, as JellyBean is due to arrive in mid-July (we hope s/he waits that long).  I really can hardly wait...I mean, I can...but you get it.

So, I'm now off to pick my sweet girl up from her last day at school.  It's going to be hard for both of us when there's no school tomorrow, but we'll manage.  Swimming starts soon...then summer school....then all of the other stuff that we've planned....and we're going to have an insane amount of fun!