When I taught at an international school in Thailand for two years, I attended multiple meetings where we were trained in how to deal with the unique challenges of kids who moved a lot.
I remember learning about two contrasting reactions to change/leaving. Some people get close to the time of departure, and withdraw. They realize that they will soon be gone, and go ahead and begin the separation process in an effort to protect themselves.
There are others who pour all of their energy and time into their relationships in the last moments before they depart. They spend every available moment with the people they will soon leave, and try to soak up every bit of togetherness and fun possible.
I’m the second kind.
If it was the last night of camp or the last month of college or the day before I left my husband-to-be to head back to Thailand, you can be sure that I was doing my darnedest to stay awake and get in one last hour/minute/second of fun.
It’s the week before school starts. Exactly one week from right now, I’ll likely be hyperventilating. It’s bad every year, but this year is significant because they’ll all be heading out.
So, in thinking about this week, I naturally want to soak. Soak up fun and pool-time and togetherness. And push reality waaaayyy back into the ignorable parts of my mind.
But unlike those camp days when the last night was spent rowing a canoe across the lake to catch the first glimpse of a sunrise . . . I’m a mama now. And even though I’d like to spend the week snuggling, it’s my responsibility to be sure the kids are rested, physically and mentally prepared, and provided with clean socks and undies by next week.
So, I’m adjusting my thinking and making a list of things that we need to get done this week. I’m putting both the fun and the not-fun-but-necessary things on the list. To people like me, the fun things are equally important.
1. Swim every day.
2. Finish gathering school supplies.
3. Try on school uniforms to see which ones still fit.
4. Get haircuts.
5. Watch a movie.
6. Have a freezer cooking day with the kids, and make breakfast foods.
7. Choose first-day-of-school outfits.
8. Buy necessary clothing items.
9. Snuggle.
10. Not blog.
I know I said it a while back, but I’m not worrying about blogging until the 22nd. I do have some pre-written posts that will go up this week. I wrote them while the kids were at grandma’s last week. They deal with different delusions that I’ve had about life after all the kids are in school.
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Girl, I feel it. I feel the anxiety every time I read about your kids going to school. It makes my insides freak out and my only child is only TWO! Yet I read and I cringe and I want to tear up and I vow to not read another post until October…..
Yeah, right. Like that will happen.
You just better not make me sob next week!
My baby is starting school! You would think I would be prepared for this after all these years, 22 of them that I have been home! But where did the time go?? I have to admit I wanted another one, I wanted to push this time back even further, just another few years. Ok, I’m one of those crazy women that I don’t think would ever be done, I think I would always want one more. So I just informed my friends with lil ones that I plan to “borrow” them, until I can find a part time job, to keep me busy.
The first day of school moms will be doing one of two things, partying or crying, but both will look the same, pjs, chocolate, and a movie, LOL!
Both of mine went to school yesterday. My baby is in kindergarten!! =( I was a wreck and my hubby had to take me out to lunch to get me to calm down. It’ hard.
I will proceed carefully with the next few posts or I might be crying off and on the rest of the night. I guess I have too many resposibilities to be crying!!
Toooo late, I’ve thought of my 7 yr olds first day of preschool 4 yrs ago. I’m done. I guess I’ll start dishes early.