The Night Before

Tomorrow is Ella and Aidan’s very first day of preschool. 

For the first time in our two years together (well, more than that if you count the pregnancy!), Ella and Aidan will have a few hours of separate experiences from me - they will come home and talk about things that we haven’t shared together as a team. I will pick them up and they will babble and talk about stories and songs I don’t know. I'll sit and listen to them, and try to capture the threads of their experiences - to weave them into some sort of a pattern I can recognize, all the while shedding an invisible tear at my saddness to not have been with them and sharing in their fun. 

But then I realize that they will be gaining experiences beyond what I can provide for them through playdates and swim class.  They will not only have fun and socialize, but also begin to learn the art of a structured learning environment and the basics of the foundation for their future education. 

In the end, I really just need to remind myself that it's really us parents who suffer the most from this milestone of letting go. Ella and Aidan will be just fine!