Growing Pains

I've been too busy living life to blog about it, or at least to write it out here. :) This one was written last Friday during nap time at work. It was an awful day, one of the worst as far as my work history goes. The highlight (sarcasm) was an extremely large five year old rough and tumble boy bursting into tears and sobbing his heart out on my lap. Sometimes it's traumatic for the kids when they realize Kindergarten means never coming back "home" to daycare. I felt his pain, as you will see. Jaded as I may be, I cried. Oh and you KNOW the kids noticed, and it capped off with a parent, a DAD no less, showing up early to pick up his son. Not one of my finer moments.

So here it is: Growing Pains

This has been a week of "growing" in my family! My youngest brother David and his wife Elise, watched their oldest child begin, and survive her first day of High School. The very same day their baby began, and survived ( but will her teacher?) Kindergarten. Their middle child, with her mouth full of big teeth, little teeth, and empty spots where teeth will be, started first grade.

Tater quotes on Kindergarten:

Night before ~ " My tummy is so excited it's throwing a party!"

Upon arriving home after day one ~ " Aunt Joanie, Mrs. Jardine's class is LONG."

My brother Jerry and his wife Jenny sent their son Paul (TAFKAP - The Artist Formerly Known As Pablo) off to third grade. Already? Didn't that boy just get here from Guatemala??? Time does fly. He seemed to enjoy his day I wont put the "Sorry" incident in the blog, we'll chalk it up to being overtired from the first day of school.

Last, but certainly not least, CeCe started Kindergarten! She has a special ed classroom, but joins the regular K for music, art, and gym. Grandma Karen went with to help get her settled on the first day. That makes it easier for my sister Kate to talk with teachers, therapists, etc. Karen commented on how many people knew CeCe by name and came to say hello. Not only classmates and kids from summer school, put their parents as well. Of course she can't tell us, but I'm sure she's excited to be back at school. Hangin' with Mom is fine for a bit, but gets boring quick for a little girl who is used to being on the go!

Then there are my own "growing pains". I WISH they were from growing taller. Alas, I resigned myself years ago to the fact that five foot flat is the tallest I will ever be. Almost ten years to the day I took over the full time preschool teacher position at the "Y". I taught for five years, and I absolutely loved it! Then our district brought in 4K (four year old Kindergarten), and several of the centers in town, including ours, opted to add it to their program. This meant a job change for me. I stayed in the room, but an elementary teacher came in to do "my" job, and I worked with her until lunch. So the child care portion of the day was still my responsibility.

This year, due to circumstances and situations I'm not going to comment on....YET, my time in the four and five year old room is being halved. The 4K program doesn't have enough kids for two teachers, so I was given the choice of which room to spend my mornings in. From now on I will be hanging out in the Toddler (2 yr old) Room in the mornings, and then moving back to "my" room at noon.

While I technically lost the job I loved five years ago, not only lost it, but had the pleasure of watching EIGHT teachers come and go during that time. Again, plenty to blog about, but I digress..... for now. I still had a hand in the program.

I start my new position on Tuesday morning. Another teacher said to me, "Isn't it funny? You started your career in that room." It's true, I did. I was the lead teacher for nine years or so before I had to take a sanity break. My reply?

"Yes, and it appears that's where I'll end it."