Back to School

The back to school outfits are laid out.

The Lunches are packed.

The diapers, wipes and extra big boy underpants are sitting on the front seat of the husband's car.

The extra clothes are just waiting to be worn after a good soiling or some mud on the kids' "real" outfits.

Everything is set.

Tomorrow my boy goes to Pre-K 4. I found that out today. We were unsure of which class he'd be heading to but when I called today to discuss potty issues we decided on the 4s. WOW. He's too advanced to be in 3s. 4s will suit him well.

I'm sorry when exactly did I have a 4 year old child. Or almost 4 year old child.

The girl? Well, she'll be in the toddler room. With 2 year olds. She's talking too much and, again, too advanced, to be with the babies. Good lord. And they, the school, is perfectly ok with potty training her. So, she'll probably start seriously in the next week or two.

Tomorrow my kids go back to school and I'm not sure how I'll handle it or how they will.

I'm busy at work tomorrow. I think I'll be ok. I have a feeling I may be in K or F's rooms temporarily wallowing but I don't think it will be bad. Maybe a tear or two shed. Not sure.

The part I'm most upset about? I won't be here tomorrow morning to take the pictures. I won't see them off on their first day of school. I won't be dropping them off. I won't be here when they walk out the door.

That upsets me.

There is nothing for the husband to do tomorrow morning except dress our children and get them out the door. EVERYTHING is done for him. I made sure that it was complete so that tomorrow he could take the pictures. He could document the first day of school for me. He could make sure I see their back to school outfits before they are soiled with pee or mud.

He better.

I worry about the kids, too. I worry that my son will have potty issues. But then I think that this may be the very best thing for him. He will be surrounded by kids who don't crap their pants on a regular basis. There will be peer pressure. Hopefully, we'll come out of tomorrow and maybe next week and be done with pull ups except for bedtime.

I worry that my girl, my precious little princess who is a monster in her own right, will have separation issues. She's a tough little cookie but strangers are not her favorite by any means right now. I think the new toys and other kids will help the situation but there is a little part of me that is glad to not be there when she gets dropped off. It would just break my heart too much if she cried when I left.

Tomorrow is the first day of school for my kids and I think it's going to be great. I think it's going to be hard and I'm going to miss them. Even more than I have the past few days. I think it's going to be fun for them once they get settled and comfortable. I think it's going to be a mixed bag and it's exactly what's supposed to be happening.

Tomorrow my kids go back to school and I'm sad that I'm going to miss it. But I cannot wait to hear the stories and get the hugs and kisses when I pick them up. Sometimes that makes it all worth it.

Sometimes.