The Very Last Day of Summer

Here it is, the very last day of summer vacation. It is the very last day I can claim the princess as a kindergartner. Why am I having such a hard time with 1st grade?

Despite my best intentions to get her to bed on time last night, we stayed up until almost 11:00 talking about 1st grade. Here are some of the questions and concerns she had:

What if I make a mistake on my work?
What if I get a color change?
What if I get hungry? (they eat lunch a lot later than last year)
Do you remember anything bad about first grade?
What happens when a grownup makes a mistake?

So here is what I said from my vast store of parental wisdom (ha!)

If you make a mistake, you will probably get a red mark on your paper and it will help you remember for next time. You go to school to learn new things not to show them that you already know everything. No one knows everything or never makes mistakes except God.

If you get a color change then you just do - no big deal but if you keep doing whatever you were doing you will have whatever consequence the teacher says. (What's a consequence? This is my perfect child remember so she really doesn't know what a consequence is.)

You will have a snack time and this year we send snack everyday so you will always like it. (Don't talk about food Mommy, I'm getting hungry and I have to go to sleep)

I remember the really ugly brown uniforms from 1st grade (do you still have it? - NO WAY!), I remember missing my mom and being bored sometimes, I remember being really bad at sports and PE in a school that prized athletics (We're opposite Mommy, I love PE). But, I also remember being excited to learn new things, having a nice teacher, making new friends, and having lots of fun holiday parties.

An adult gets a consequence too...like if mommy says a bad word and then little sister repeats it...(yeah mommy that's a big deal and you need to work on that.)

I think this child is an 80 year old trapped in an almost 7 year old body!


So the plan for today - two dr's appointments, clean the girls room one more time, get all clothes for tomorrow ready including shoes, pack 4 lunches, charge camera batteries, 4 loads of laundry (it's a light laundry day) and get to bed EARLY!

See you tomorrow afternoon - it's my first day back at work too!