Back To School

My education is coming back to haunt me when it comes to this subject.......

5 years of college and 2 bachelor degrees later I taught my first year of second grade and LOVED it!  Then Annabelle came along and then a move to our first duty station and then Linley and then another move and now Samuel.  So I haven't made it back to school yet, but each year at this time I get what I like to call the back to school blues.  I get all giddy inside seeing the school supplies at the store- I love just walking down each isle and taking it all in from the newest style in backpacks to the smell of the crayons.  Call me nuts but teaching is something that's inside me- I run off the fuel I get from a new project, learning a new song to teach a basic concept or a cute bulletin board idea.  So you can see why the back to school blues hits me each year at this time. But as a parent the BTSB hits me from an entirely different angle.

I can with 100% certainty tell you that being a parent educates you more than any college class!  I came from the other side of the classroom door-watching those nervous parents drop off their munchkins, and seeing how uncomfortable parent teacher conferences could be for them- I never fully understood the hight of their anxieties or depth of their concern.  Sending my girls off to school - I got it!

Annabelle is my oldest and this year she's in preK.  Annabelle is an old pro at school-she started at age 2 and loved her preschool, last year she attended a different school with longer days and did just fine, but preK is a whole other ballgame.  Her first week was a huge adjustment for her.  She's every bit of four years old and uses all her energy in each task she sets out to accomplish.  As with any child this age she loves doing things that are her idea and is extremely enthusiastic, but when it's someone else calling the shots it's just not as fun LOL.  She was SO exhausted from the day's activities that in the evenings her attitude was less then desirable and by Friday she had reached her limits.  Here we are at the beginning of week two-setteling into our routine and optimistically awaiting what is to come.

Linley is my baby girl.  She just turned 2 and is one of the smartest kiddos I know.  She started school beside her sister last week and had a blast!  She has 2 incredibly sweet and caring teachers!  She walked into her classroom and never looked back (I can't say the same about me).  I never worried she was too young or not ready.  She's a "second child" to the tee- picks up everything super fast and already knows enough to rule the world!  She's just one of those children:)

So from this side of the classroom door I now understand.  Now I'm the nervous parent that shows up at least 15 minutes before school gets out and waits right outside the classroom door, I'm the one reviewing opposites, colors, numbers and letters every empty second in our morning routine, and I'm the one holding back a bittersweet tear because I know they'll be just fine without me!  I have the BTSB because each school day is a day with less of them- less princess dress up, less tea time, less reading stories and cuddling, less hugs.  I don't know exactly when I'll go back to work but I know when I do that I'll be a better teacher because I'm a parent!