Julian starts Kindergarten today. I’ve been dreading it all summer.
Actually, I’ve been dreading it for the last 5 years.
Everyone always tells you how fast time flies when you become a parent. “The days are long, but the years are short.” And it’s true.
You see, 5 years ago this month, I made the decision to stay home full time. I just had to be with my chubby, 6-month-old baby. Having dealt with anxiety and a sense of aimlessness most of my life, I’d finally found my calling in being a mom. Despite having a job I loved — I loved being a mom more, so my husband and I made some major sacrifices and budget cuts to make that happen.
Our days were perfect: long walks through Pleasant Ridge, Mommy & Me yoga classes and reading lots of books on the floor of his nursery, the sun shining warmly through the second-story window in the afternoons. As Julian got older, we ventured to local parks, library story times and construction sites (for truck watching, of course). Those days of just the two of us are something I’ll treasure forever.
Along the way came a little sister. I picked up work as a freelance writer. We moved. We welcomed our third baby. I kept plugging away as a writer; and now, I’m the Digital Editor of CincinnatiParent.com, balancing life as a full-time, work-from-home mom.
I’m so lucky, I know: I get to do what I love and my kids are an inextricable part of my work. They go everywhere with me: exhibit openings, festivals, museums, parks, playgrounds. KidsFEST.
As I sat at KidsFEST last weekend, I was overcome with happiness. Julian sat next to me at the Welcome Table, coloring away as I greeted guests. At one point, I was nursing my tired toddler while handing out welcome bags. And it was all okay, because this is parenthood and real life, what it means to be a parent. Not only do I work at Cincinnati Parent — I am a Cincinnati Parent.
And Julian starting Kindergarten is all part of parenthood. It’s just one of many more milestones to come. It just makes me sad, because he’s been part my everyday for 5 years. He made me a mom. He’s the inspiration behind my blog. He’s my thoughtful, wise, creative and loving little guy. And I’m going to miss him.
So, I’ll be saving our blog adventures for the mornings and weekends when he’s home. And I’ll look forward to hearing about kindergarten every night after school. My heart is already bursting with pride just thinking about it.
So today we’re going to Kindergarten. But tomorrow, who knows? (And, spoiler alert: we are going to the Nature Center PlayScape later this week, and I’m excited to share our experience with you very soon!)