Miles of Milestones

     Friday was the last day of preschool for the Captain.  The last, last day.  As in no more preschool.  Ever. I think this is harder for me than it is him.  I feel like an anomaly in this situation.  It seems like all the other moms are excited to be moving on.  Maybe I just have a hard time with change, but moving on to kindergarten just seems so HUGE.  The part of me that has a need for control is freaking out.  Preschool was just so contained.  Like he was in some sort of safety bubble.  uninfluenced by any "bad" kids.  I remember when he first started preschool at 2 1/2.  Both of us were excited and couldn't wait to have time away from each other.  We waved and smiled and off he went.  There were ups and downs but with each year he wanted more and more and loved it.  I wanted so badly for him to have a great first school experience and he did!  Better than I ever imagined.  So on Friday it was just so bittersweet and I cried with the teacher.  I never thought we'd make it to that day.  Some kids cried too, but the captain stay strong and smiled.  I had prepared him for this day and put on the happy mom face when talking about kindergarten at a new school.  So when everyone around him was crying he held firm and with all confidence said, "it's okay mom because I'm going to come back and visit all the time."  As we left school that day we walked with other moms and kids to get slurpees.  The day had been filled with carnival games and sunshine.  Of course we had to end with a slurpee.  What else could we do?  Then, like the Pied Piper of Hamlin, the class teacher comes over and sits with the kids and we get her a slurpee too!  It was a perfect memory to end the day.  Now, I'm sure you're wondering how The Kid fared through all this.  Being as it was his first YEAR of preschool.  I was soo nervous to leave him that first day.  I cried all the way home.  Then I sat by the phone certain they would call me with news of an injury.  The weeks went on and I never once got called to come!  Success!  The teacher and I both laughed about those first few weeks.  Confessing how nervous we both secretly were.  Holding our breath the first time he used scissors and climbed up the slide ladder.  Seems so silly now as we watched him run around the play yard.  So for me, this school year felt like miles of milestones.  Now onto the next new adventure!