Yes, I’m a bit bummed about heading back to preschool soon. Sue me. Whaaaaat?!? I know… it’s not normal. Every mom in the universe and beyond will soon demand written proof of my sanity. “I can’t WAIT for school to start!” said one of my exasperated mom-friends when I saw her a few days ago. “I’m counting the days. Counting!!!” I just smiled and nodded.
I am not counting the days. Because if I count the days I get a bit teary. Again: NOT. NORMAL.
Flashback!
I adore my almost-4 year old daughter’s preschool… truly… it’s one block from my house, filled with super-sweet kids and nice parents, packed with fun activities… I’m even on the Parent Board this year, for Pete’s Sake. (If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.) So why am I not that excited for my girl to get back to her little preschool world? Five good reasons, folks. Read ’em and weep with me:
1) THE MORNING RUSH (OF COURSE). Soon, it will be Hurry up and get in your room so I can help you dress so we aren’t late!!!! as little sister screams her head off from the kitchen because she needs more Cheerios in her bowl before I rip them away from her to jam both of them in the car so we can drop big sister off on time. (I realize I have it easy, with only ONE kid that needs to be dressed and fed for school…. not to mention being only a block away from the school… but there’s still a rush no matter how you slice it, ya know?)
2) MY GIRLS WILL BE APART A LOT. No, I’m not some freak that thinks it’s a good thing for sisters to be together morning, noon and night with absolutely no space (although we do love being a part of a team). But, I will admit to falling in love with each of my little ladies a bit more when I watch them play together (I’m not talking about when my 2 year old LilMiss hits her older sister over the head with that glow-in-the-dark sword we paid five bucks for at that carnival… or when LadyP runs up and grabs the stupidest, most trivial toy we own right out of LilMiss’s hands the second she picks it up just to have ownership of it), I’m talking about the tender moments of genuine happiness together… as sisters. (Yes, those moments happen a lot… contrary to what my own mom might think after our recent outings together.) Spending so much time together – with no preschool to split up their days – has cultivated inside jokes about songs that make no sense, games that are completely bizarre and a cookie-making Play-Doh bakery scenarios that happens on our patio every afternoon (which also involves me threatening my 2 year old about how I will take the Play-Doh away if she takes a bite and tries to eat one of her ‘cookies’ again). Making piles of dirt at dusk and eating too many popsicles will soon come to an end.
3) MY FREEDOM GETS SHOT TO YOU-KNOW-WHERE. Meet up at the park? Go shopping and then grab lunch? Meet you all at the beach? Take a drive up to the lake and stay there for 4 days? Why YES! Of course! How FUN! ‘Tis the end of ladies who have leisure time to spare. This summer was ESPECIALLY fun for some reason. As I’m a mostly work-from-home mom these days, I get to make my own schedule… which means my girls and I were so lucky to spend long, extended and frequent quality time with my parents, sister and niece in my hometown a few hours away. No responsibilities to keep tabs on, no activities to rush back home for, no short 2-day weekends to work around. That’s why they call it summer, I guess.
4) I’M ONE YEAR OLDER. Meaning, my first born is one year closer to (drumroll here): Kindergarten. How did THAT happen? I remember the mother-of-all mom bloggers Soleil Moon Frye once lamenting how her ‘baby’ was going to start Kindergarten a few years ago (when we briefly worked together on a project) and thinking how ridiculous it was to be weirded out by ‘Kindergarten.’ I now know your pain, Soleil. Boy, was I a naive idiot (my girl was not even a year old at the time). Cut to NOW: Kindegarten is one year closer?!? OMG. WEIRD. NOT READY (I’m not ready).
5) THE ART STARTS (AGAIN): Although I am fascinated by the brilliance of my 3-year old’s finger-painting skills (wink wink), there’s just SO MUCH of it. Riiiiiight? I don’t have enough wall space in my kitchen, people.
AND LET’S NOT FORGET ABOUT THIS BACK-TO-SCHOOL BUM-OUT:
EVERYBODY GETS SICK! I was on my deathbed a few times last year. I say that as non-joking as possible (even if it is an exaggeration). But it’s true: Back to School = Getting Sick (at least it did last year at our house). Last September, I was a total mess trying to deal with a new job, baking cookies and coordinating my daughter’s birthday party (which I then had to cancel because we were all SICK). My own birthday? A total wreck like no one has ever seen before or since (that was the deathbed incident). I was honestly scared for my life. If the new LiveHealth Online app were around back then, that was the time I’d have busted it out and used and abused it to no avail. Talk about a life saver. Nothing bum-worthy about this app. LiveHeath Online offers a safe, fast and easy way for anyone to talk face-to-face (via video) with a doctor to get a diagnosis and treatment. Moms can use the LiveHealth Online app 24/7, 365 days to talk securely and privately by high-definition two-way video chat with a U.S.-based, board certified primary care doctor. If needed, the LiveHealth Online doctor can even call in prescriptions directly to your local pharmacy. You can even read bios and hand-pick who you’d like to talk with. Average wait time to access an MD? Less than 3 minutes.
Registering for LiveHealth Online is fast and easy — just download the app from iTunes or Google Play store and signup in one quick step. Or, visit www.livehealthonline.com/moms and register. LiveHealth Online is a covered benefit for many anthem blue cross PPO, EPO, and HSA plans. The cost is the same or less than a PCP office visit.
ARE YOU HAPPY ABOUT KIDS HEADING BACK TO SCHOOL?
DISCLOSURE: This post is part of a compensated partnership with LiveHealth Online. All experiences and opinions are my own.
