The Last Day of Kindergarten

Getting Holly ready for school today was slightly exciting for her but not so much for me. She was thrilled the summer has officially started as of 3 pm this afternoon because it means swimming lessons, playing at the park, going to the zoo and her best friend Danry's return from his stay in Germany. I, on the other hand, was a little sad that my little girl was no longer going to be a kindergartener.

When she was born, she and I spent the first two weeks in the hospital. It wasn't what I had expected the birth of my first child to be like because things had gone a lot off plan and she ended up in NICU. Working your way out of NICU meant several steps... the last being "Care by Parent". We had our own room and the baby was allowed to stay with us with a common area with kitchen and bathroom and two nurses on duty at all times. I was exhausted, still recovering from a c section and eclampsia and a new mom. Being discouraged was part of the day. After yet another round of doctor's visits, it was decided her feeding tube could not yet come out. Maybe it was the hormones but I remember just sobbing at this news. I wanted to go home with my baby and start getting into the new normal. The nurse - an excellent lady - said "don't worry... she won't go to kindergarten with it in". Kindergarten? That was YEARS away. Almost as far in the future as university. BUT time has a funny way of going by FAST and before you know what's happening.

Last September, my little girl climbed on the bus for the first time and I concentrated on not throwing up and bawling my eyes out as not to embarrass her. She had a good year in kindergarten... not the most creative teacher I've seen but a great teacher nonetheless. She's reading already at the level of at least an 8 year old, knows about life cycles, some math and lots of French.

But today is the last day. I am thrilled she'll be with me all day again and able to take swimming lessons, go to the park or just GO without having to think about school or getting up early or whatever. Maybe I'm a weird parent but I hate going back to school for my kids. I keep my thoughts to myself because they both love it... Holly for learning and Ava for the social aspect but for me it's a few hours every day without my right and left arm. I get anxious thinking someone is teasing or hurting them or that they'll be hurt or god forbid, some pervert should try to pick them up.

Holly decreed that since she is graduating kindergarten, she should be taken out for dinner AND is the boss of the day. If anyone doesn't do as she says, she has threatened to call "the cops" and have the offender thrown in jail for an undecided amount of time. Adam is to stop drinking coffee and sitting around. Ava is not to touch her things and I am to walk her to the bus and pick her up. I got off pretty easy. I'm sure Adam and Ava will have many other things added to their lists but for now Adam is safe at work and Ava is safe at home while Holly is at school.

I guess everyone deserves to be a dictator once in a while.