Bitter Sweet

Today was bitter sweet for me. In the morning we attended Kindergarten Orientation and this afternoon we attended Preschool Farewell. I was forced to come to the immediate realization that my babies are growing up!

As I sat in the orientation, I looked around at those joining me in the room. There were the parents who would soon be sending their youngest of four to Kindergarten. I could tell because they seemed to doze off as the presentation went on. Those that were awake, nodded their heads with the experience of the issue being discussed. These parents knew everyone in the room. They were already involved in the PTA. They wrote nothing down and they skipped uniform measurements.

I, on the other hand, was in the "First Time Parent" Group. Those people who were wide eyed and writing every thing down. The ones who filled out all the paperwork and passed it in today. We were the ones sitting closest to the video screen, hoping to catch each and every image. We listened to every word, we looked around to see new faces. We were the ones writing down lists and volunteering for every upcoming event. We had the butterflies in our stomach, as if we were going to Kindergarten. We were the ones ordering every uniform component possible, spending $550.00 in five minutes.

In the afternoon, the same pattern could be seen. There were the parents that have sat in the chairs four times to say Farewell to Preschool and those who wanted front row seats. There were the parents using cell phones to take one picture and others, like me, snapping every movement both in pictures and video. The "Fourth Time Parents," came from work and left immediately after the presentation. We "First Time Parents" took the entire day off and stayed until the lights were shut off. The "Fourth Time Parents" mouthed every word to every song that the kids sang. They waved to other parents in the audience and had a smile that needed to be painted on. On the other side of the fence, the "First Time Parents"just sat in amazement with tears running down our cheeks.

The "Fourth Time Parents" were looking forward to the day when they would no longer need to sit in the school gymnasium....We were looking forward to each and every play, Christmas concert, Mass, Spelling Bee, Science Fair, Etc.... As I walked out with a new "spring" in my step, I felt sorry for those "Fourth Time Parents." I felt sad that they couldn't wait for childhood to disappear. I realized how fortunate we were to have twins. We were given our first and last child at the same time. We will be able to give both of our children the same attention, enthusiasm and interest. Every recital, school play and Christmas Pageant will be fresh, new and exciting. Our children are lucky and we are blessed to have their Educational Journey unfolding before our eyes.