Somewhat emotional ramblings from a pre-school Mother

(you’ve been warned)

The schools in this area let out for the summer next week.

As these final “school year” days draw to a close, I can’t help but think about how, when they start back up again, we will be a part of it. 

Kindergarten!

These are my final days with all of my little birdies in my nest, while the rest of the world buzzes by.

And I know that I will miss it.

But, what, exactly, will I miss?!

(too bright!  Poor little lambs)

Will I miss the lazy, non rushed mornings?

The days when I don’t have to worry about getting any makeup on because I will not be seeing anyone?

Having all of my children safe and within hugs reach?

The parks, museums, and zoos to ourselves while everyone else is in school?

Or will it be something else that I haven’t thought of and am currently taking for granted?

I also know that, someday, I will miss having these three very little boys around all the time!

It is one of the things that strangers love to tell moms with little children;

“You are going to miss this!  Enjoy it!”

Well, miss what exactly?  Enjoy what?

 

Is it the sweaty smell of their little boy heads?

Their little hands in mine?

Their fierce, unashamed hugs?

The laughter?

The thumping of little feet?

What??!!

Or, is it everything?

 

But, please, don’t say everything, because how can I enjoy EVERYTHING?

Maybe there is a reason that all of these things seems so sweet in retrospective.

Do people not remember that sometimes those little sweet heads smell sweaty because the little head-owner just screamed for 20 minutes straight?

Or that the hugs can turn into a noose around your neck while you are just-trying-to-get-dinner-in-the-oven-for-Pete’s-sake!

The laughter can be from passing gas on a screaming/protesting siblings face? (true story)

That the thumping can wake up baby brothers?

And have they forgotten the mind-numbing-boredom and the fact that no one seems to sleep, stop producing bodily various bodily fluids, or hold still ever, ever, ever, ever?

Will I forget this too?

Will the hardness of three at home fade along with the exact feeling of Joseph’s hand in mine?  Or Isaac’s hard hugs?  Or Samuel’s two-toothed grin?

Where am I going with this?  Why do I feel so panicky, nostalgic, overwhelmed, and under qualified whenever the house quiets at night?

I don’t know how to wrap up all of these feelings.

 

So, lets reign it in for a summary:

 

 

1)  It is almost summer, and in a few short months I will embark on a 20+ year journey of children in the school system.  And it is…strange.  Let’s say strange.

 

2)  Should you tell me what you miss most about little children so that I can ponder and savor?  Or is it too varied and tied to personal experience?

 

3)  Be careful when you tell strangers that they will miss these days and that they should “enjoy their little children.”  They are (hopefully) trying to!  But little children are HARD, and sometimes less than enjoyable.

 

4)  Additionally, if one more person tells me to “just wait until they are all teenagers…”  I will hit them with my overflowing clothes hamper.  Or with some wet superhero sheets.  Or with a screaming, flailing 3 year old. 

Maybe it will be harder, but that boggles my mind.

And, in this case, ignorance is bliss.