Tomorrow is the boy’s last day of preschool. While I’ve been focusing on how great it will be to have both of them on the same school campus next year, it hit me yesterday.
Tomorrow our family is done with preschool. After five continuous years of being Montessori preschool parents, we are done. No more shopping for snacks for 24, doing random loads of classroom laundry or taking care of Freckles the Wonder Rabbit.
We’re done with half-day school and writing monthly tuition checks (score!).
Meg still remembers a little about her Montessori experience, and I’m sure Andrew will remember bits and pieces as well. What I might remember more though, is the time he spent outside of preschool. Every day, we had about an hour and half together before we had to pick up Megan.
Sometimes, I begrudged it. I couldn’t get things done. It wasn’t enough time to be really productive. Just as I would get into the groove of a task at home, it was time to leave. I had to pack a ridiculous snack bag everyday, because we should not eat at the Costco snack bar everyday. My list of grievances went on an on.
Sometime this winter though, I stopped. I started enjoying it for what it was- uninterrupted time with him. We started playing Mario Kart, just the two of us. We played outside and he called the shots. We went to the park, he took a gymnastics class and we just were. Looking back, I can’t imagine my time being better spent.
He’s now almost ready to take on the world, as he counts down to his fifth birthday. I just hope his fashion sense doesn’t change anytime soon.
Those moments are so great as is 5 year old fashion sense. Annika’s mismatched clothes make me laugh so much.
I’m right there with you, Michelle. Eli will be done next Wednesday, but it still hasn’t hit me yet. We’ve been a Montessori family for 7 years! I wonder who will tease him first for calling everything in the kindergarten classroom “works!” I’ve treasured this last year with my boy, when we have our Thursdays and Fridays just the two of us. We’ll have to cheer each other up this August when we both find ourselves missing our sweet boys!
We will have to meet for coffee during our free time this fall 🙂