I’m not much for getting emotional as my kids grow and move on to new stages. However, I do like to recognize the shift in life that happens during these milestones.
Tomorrow is one of those milestones: Briggs starts preschool. This may not seem like a major milestone, but I assure you, IT IS! I have been a mother for almost 14 years. During those 14 years, I have always had kids at home with me. There has never been a gap large enough between kids that would leave me kidless in all those years.
Starting tomorrow, three days a week, for 2 1/2 hours each day I will be on my own. 7.5 hours every week! I can run errands. I can volunteer in the classroom. I can shower in private. I can build. I can work. The possibilities are endless!
If you know me at all, you know I won’t be crying. It’s not that I’m heartless, I just really like to celebrate each stage and this stage is no different. Briggs is going to our very favorite teacher (the same as the rest of the kids) and he’ll be with his friends – he is going to be in heaven. I love having him at home and I’ll love having him in school some time. And by the time kindergarten rolls around I’ll be happy to send him.
They say if you blink you’ll miss it. That’s always been hard to hear as I’ve had young kids hanging off of me. For me the baby/toddler years are long (cheers to all the moms with young kids that demand so much from you!) but I’m noticing Hallie’s time continues to speed up on me. The older she gets, the faster the time goes. Wasn’t she just starting kindergarten?!
With Briggs spending some time away from home I recognize that this is where the time will likely speed up for him, just as it has for the other kids.
As Steve and I have said, we are in the golden years of our family right now. We are going to try the make the most of it!
