My girls have started school. They ride a big yellow, I pack their lunches, they come home hungry and they chatter at me for a good 1/2 hour when they return. Sound familiar? Well, to me it's all new. We've homeschooled in the past and this was a big step of obedience to put them in school!! To release them...to allow someone else to teach them. At their open houses I just kept looking around and thinking, yes, I could and have taught that...and that...but then the new thought came to me: but I don't have to. So, I am trying to enjoy the freedom from hours of daily teaching. Time I now get to pour into my boy, 2 1/2, who has never yet had time with Momma alone like this. He treasures it, and so do I.
That first day when they got on the bus, I was the typical Mommy who cried, hiding tears from the excited schoolers. We all wore dark sunglassses that day in the parking lot I think. What separated me from them were the noises I was making as I drove away from the bus stop which prompted Oliver to comfort me saying,
"Oh Momma, it be okay! Dey will come back!" Yes, yes, pull yourself together! But again the next morning as we prayed about their second day I found myself blubbering again. They looked up at me with glossy eyes too--but the excitement I found there helped me quiet down.
I've got a sched all worked out for which time slots I'll grocery shop in, scrub which toilet when and what time I'll sit down to process pictures. But what has been cool are the impromptu walks with Olly when he says, "Momma, can we go over 'dere and see dos twactors?" and I can say YES! When I stop everything I'm doing and we just sit in the rocker and read. When he and I get to do pushups together in the living room to my DVD's of P90X! (He'll be the buffest preschooler when it's his time!! Hmmmmm, if I don't decide to homeschool him!! :))
I'm getting used to a new phase of my life...and it's gonna be just fine.