So here I sit.
I am counting down the final five minutes until they return. Savoring them, actually, as I sip on my very belated lunch of tomato basil orzo soup and some fresh sourdough bread -- my treat to myself today to mark the occasion.
All 5 children were gone today -- for the whole day.
This is a monumental day.
It is a day that I have been looking forward to and dreading at the same time for the past 14 years.
When I had 4 children under 5 at home with me and not a one of them in school, I couldn't imagine what this day would feel like.
When they started trickling one by one into elementary school I realized that this moment might come too soon.
So here I sit, with very mixed emotions. Do I dance with giddiness? Do I cry and wipe my eyes with my apron strings?
It is a weird feeling. One that I processed today as I scrubbed bathrooms, did laundry, made the menus for the week, went grocery shopping, took flowers to a friend and received the delivery of Bridger's ginormous new shower/potty chair pictured above (actually called my equipment dealer because I was sure that it was way too big. Nope, right size. He apparently has grown, again.)
Hugged each one tight as I sent them off today onto their 2 buses. TWO! After having 4 buses and 8 different bus times at one point the new consolidated schedule will be downright dreamy.
Love those kids and I loved having them home with me all summer.
And I just discovered today, that I also really love them a lot when they are at school all day. My kitchen loved it, too. Somehow it stayed clean all day.
Funny correlation.