Saturday, September 8, 2012

preschool and polar bears

Change is certainly in the air... you can feel it. And we've felt it in our house.

Earlier this month, Scott raised some questions about the care our children were receiving at their in-home daycare. Not to get into too many details, but we ended up moving to a center-based program. While it was a tough transition at first, it has been so wonderful for our kids--they really seem to love it so far, even Kiley has warmed up to the idea after crying her first week there.

Here's a picture of their first day of preschool (Jaxon) and preschool discovery (Kiley).
 
Jaxon has been chasing girls there too. Yesterday when I picked him up from school, there was another little girl being picked up- she was cute, blond, and wearing a Vikings Cheerleader outfit.
 
Jaxon just looked at me as she was leaving, and said, "mom, there's something I need to do. Okay, I said. I need to give someone a hug so I'll be right back." The girl, who I would later find out was Audrey, had already made it to the front of the school with her mom. Jaxon ran through the halls chasing her with teachers telling him to stop, wait for your mom. 'Oh, it's okay, I said. He's chasing a girl'. They all just looked at me and shook their heads. Good luck they said.
 
School has made Kiley exhausted every night. She is out within minutes of her head hitting the pillow. And she takes close to three hour naps on the weekends. But I think even she is learning a lot so far. She's been singing songs and has started using a big girl cup without a lid at home. She wants to everything herself- not like she didn't before, but even moreso now. And she went potty on the potty chair! The past few weeks she's been sitting on the potty chair after she goes in her diaper. Last night, she actually went in the potty!
 
I feel like we're in for a lot more changes in the near future... I can hardly believe some of the things Jaxon is saying and asking us...
 

This morning we went to the zoo with our good friends Abby, Calvin and Audra while the dads golfed together.
 
We were at the polar bear exhibit when Abby and I started talking about what it would be like to have another one (kid, not polar bear).
 
And that's when it really hit me.
 
I don't so much want another one as I don't want to lose these ones. I'm scared of them growing up. Of them not needing me anymore. Scared that I'll never have that little baby to take care of anymore. No more sweet little bear hugs and nose kisses. Holding hands and picking them up when they fall... The more independent they get, the easier it gets. And the harder it gets. It's like being in a pit of joy and sorrow all at the same time.  How can that possibly be?
 


 
And what sucks, really sucks? Is that according to my mom, that feeling doesn't go away for a really long time, if ever.
Ugh. Who knew polar bear exhibits could be so powerful. Thanks Como Zoo. 
 

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