Six years ago, my baby girl was born on Labor Day. I will forever be amused by the fact that I labored on Labor Day. I labored at home, as a matter of fact, for six hours, most of it in denial that I was really in labor. She was born only two hours after the midwife arrived and ten minutes before my husband arrived. Oops.
She starts school tomorrow. Kindergarten. My last child is starting kindergarten. She is super-enthusiastic, which is a miracle considering that a year ago she informed me she was Never Going to School. I cried when I dropped my other children off at kindergarten, even though each time I had another baby at home to occupy me. This time, I have no other babies at home, only sometimes surly teenagers. I feel very matter-of-fact about kindergarten and FREE TIME, but I am also aware that I might fall completely apart and have to be wheeled out on a stretcher.
Speaking of which, when I left my neighborhood today, the road was blocked by two police cars, an aid car and a fire-truck. I have no idea what happened, but the occupants of the house are older, so perhaps it was an age-related health scare. I don’t know those neighbors at all, but I am so curious.
Sunday, after church, we went to the Woodland Park Zoo. One of my teenagers was very resistant to the idea of the zoo, but during the actual outing, he appeared to be having fun. I hadn’t been to that zoo in 10 years. I thought it was much-improved, quite beautiful. The weather was perfect and the day was lovely, even though half the family wished they were at home, watching television. “You have to do things so you have memories to look back on,” I told them all over lunch.
We have a family membership now, so they will all have to go again. Ha ha ha.
Grace’s party yesterday was at the pool. I took a chance because the weather is so iffy around here, but it turned out nice. (No one else was at the pool, either, but us.) I would post some pictures, but my blog is still not speaking to my camera for reasons unknown to me.
I must sleep now for tomorrow I will have the morning to myself. But first, I will have to wake up early and get the kids off to school. For the first time in fifteen years, I will not have a little person at home with me. Cue the hysterical crying laughter. Or something.
Actual Unretouched Photo 
I cried when the last one went off to kindergarten, but I got over it.
The hardest part for me was the new phrase I had to put up with for the ENTIRE kindergarten experience…
…”Miss Janna says…”
To him, whatever she said was like the red letters in the red letter edition Bible.
I grew to deeply dislike Miss Janna, for no fault of her own.
Even now, when my son cannot sufficiently back up what he is saying, one of his siblings will jump in with, “Did Miss Janna say it?”
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The BOOM happens even faster with grandchildren.
Enjoy your quiet time. It also goes much quicker than you can possibly imagine.
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Oh wow. I’d be in the same boat. Right now it’s tempting to say I’m jealous. 😉
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How did she do?
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Hey, is her b-day on the 1st?! Me, too! 🙂 Though, I’m a bit past 6yo, darn it. I’ll have to ask my mom if it was Labor Day when I was born. I do remember that I NEVER went to school on my birthday until my Senior year of high school. What luck, huh? The first day of school was September 1.
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Hey…I remember the day she was born. Nice memories.
I think when we give our kids good roots and meet their needs they develope healthy wings and are free to fly.
Sounds like that’s what she did.
Don’t cue the crying – cue the happy dance music and the notion that you are going to be experimenting in the next few weeks what to do with yourself. I’m sure you’ll quickly find your way 🙂
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