Help! Someone else is raising my children!
Ok, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, but some days, it certainly feels that way.
Every day, T&L go to my parents. L was 2 months old. T was 3. They are there 6 hrs a day. I see them for about 4 hrs a day. The rest of the time they are sleeping/dreaming/plotting. Don’t get me wrong, my parents are amazing grandparents and caregivers, particularly my father. I think they do a phenomenal job and they love being their caregivers. We fight sometimes, but we all have the boys’ best interests at heart. And they don’t put up with nonsense, which works for me. I’m a no-nonsense kind of gal myself.
Here’s my issue. We’re approaching the big K for Lightning. The 5-year-old right of passage. It’s sink or swim, only instead this pool is big, yellow and filled with children, noise and the occasional odd smell or two . None of us are ready for this.
Sure, I went online, looked at some teacher Eboards to get a jump on school supplies, picked out the perfect red backpack, practiced reading, writing and reasoning, got transitional books (Twas the Night Before Kindergarten) and did everything Mommy could do to get Lightning physically ready. I’ve tried grappling with the fact that these 5 years have flown by, while I’ve spent most of the time in a cubicle. I have pumped up Kindergarten for both of us, making it seem like it’s a combination of a U2 concert and monster truck show. And still I play over and over again the sound of the hydraulic squeak and the imagine of the little blond kid waving goodbye at the window. I hear Stevie Nicks in my head “…even children get older. I’m getting older too.” It makes me sadder than I’ve ever felt before.
Dear Lightning, I hope that we have done the best job taking care of you. I hope we’ve laughed enough, cried enough, made enough messes, rescued enough slugs, eaten enough ice cream, hugged enough, teased Thunder enough, read enough, gone to the park enough, and taught you enough about what it means to be a family. Grammy & Pop-Pop, and Nana and Grandpa are more than your grandparents. They have given us a home when we didn’t have one, cared for you when we had to work and supported us when we felt like you were alone. All of your aunts and uncles have made you laugh, shown you cool and interesting things and loved you since before you were born. And Daddy and I work so hard and do what we can to give you everything that we need. Life will never be the same for any of us once you get on that bus, but I hope that we have shown you how great life can be, and how your parents can’t be the only people that raise you. You will learn so many new things, things that I can teach you and things that I can’t. But just remember, like Little Llama…you’ll find out that you can love your family and school too.
Maybe other people are raising my kids…but I don’t think I’d have it any other way.
Running to Stand Still 