I had a wonderful time creating annual photo’s for the kids at my daughters preschool recently. I’ve been busily editing them and this, combined with her kindy orientation this week, has left me feeling really quite emotional about my little girl growing up.
In her view, it’s taking far too long, but for me it keeps hitting me without warning in the most unexpected ways and at the most unexpected times. It only seemed a little while ago that I happily wished my husband a happy birthday and told him the news that we were having a baby. And then she was here… and well the rest is history in a sense, but we (or I – and those who know me will be laughing out loud at this) rush through life with such a sense of urgency. Try as I might, the thing at the top of my list that I haven’t ever seemed to do consistently is to re-prioritise my list to put time for myself and my kids and family first.
Well this must truly change. Listening to the new principal of what will be her new primary school, I was overcome with clarity (and a shock of reality)! And to see her excitement at the prospect of school and the opportunity to wear the uniforms and to use the computer (a big deal in this house), well it was too much. So when the preschool teachers asked me how her orientation went, I turned into a blubbing Mum… I thought this wasn’t going to happen to me, at least not until the first day of school!
Which brings me back to her preschool. This week we received one of the last newsletters and there is a little exit survey at the back that I’ve read through several times, and can’t quite bring myself to complete just yet. The teachers, the preschool and its community have been such a positive for us this year. I remember years ago walking passed it, and putting her name down, thinking we’d never, ever get in (such was it’s reputation combined with a huge demand for care at the time in our area). When she received her letter of offer last year and the invitation to visit I recall her ringing to accept (not me, she did all the talking). She’s been a proud little student of this school and I love the way the teachers educate from the heart and from their experience. They’ve been so supportive and nurturing and I can’t wait for my boy to have his turn at going to preschool.
And it wouldn’t be much fun to post without a photo, so here’s one of the girls from preschool (who you’re bound to recognise if you follow my blog). I couldn’t resist taking this one of “nature girl” at the entrance to the fairy garden.
And here’s my little trooper. At first she wasn’t all that impressed that it was “just mum” taking the annual photo’s but the prospect of being photographer’s assistant cheered her up and got her into the spirit of things. Typically, however, she managed to stack it big time on the climbing equipment, right before the photo…. but she soldiered on, insisting on her turn, and with grazed shoulder, forehead, lip, nose and ego she managed this melancholic pose before bursting into floods of tears. She’s still my little girl, and I love her so.
Happy Friday
Mel xox
{PS: to the parents and carers of this KU Preschool, thank you for giving me the opportunity to be the photographer this year. I hope the kids had as much fun being photographed as I had taking the photographs}
