Bring on the empty nest!

For the past few days I've been reading a lot of blogs and tweets full of sad moms shipping off their little ones to school. I must be a selfish, cold hearted bitch. I was thinking to myself ....omg...am I the ONLY mom in the world that is happy to ship my clan off to be cared for, entertained, and educated by another human being? Seriously? I have been anticipating the day that I could spend the entire day all to myself in silence to do whatever the hell I want to do ALL BY MYSELF for several years now. The idea of being able to keep my house clean for more than 12 hours at a time is enough to bring tears to my eyes. I could spend my days sitting in the bookstore or library and reading. I could sit in a Starbucks with my laptop and a cup of coffee and be all cool and shit. Maybe I'll take piano lessons. Maybe I'll take some photography courses. And grocery shopping all. by. my. self?......um....yeah....I think I just had a little "O"!!!!

So, while the rest of the women in blog land have been writing about their empty nest sorrows I sat at my computer with a huge Cheshire grin on my face fantasizing about how I'd spend my first day without children. It's like taking out a whole new lease on life. I've had my to-do list prepared for 3 weeks folks. I've been one happy woman anticipating this day. It's been 12 years people. 12 years.

So yesterday was a half day. I stood at the bus stop with my kids and 8 other mothers and saw my boys off to school with a smile on my face. The bus drove off and I jumped up and clicked my heals together in a joyous celebration....2 down one to go. I took my daughter to her class and met her teacher. And then came home after an hour and a half WITH my daughter. So the 1st day of school really WASN'T the 1st day of school in my book.

Before bed last night my daughter picked out her outfit for today and carefully placed them on her dresser.

Mumma, do these shoes match? She asked.

Yep

K. I'm gonna wear these tomorrow. She then carefully unfolded a pair of socks, tucked a sock into each shoe, and placed the shoes next to the outfit.

Smurfette jumped out of bed this morning and got dressed, ate breakfast, and had her hair and teeth brushed in 15 minutes flat.

Is it time to leave yet, mumma?

How much longer, mumma?

Can we just leave now and wait in the car, mumma?

Today is gonna be a good day mumma. A whole day with no mumma. (grinning from ear to ear).

Smurfette is not attending the same school as the boys. We chose a different school so she could attend a full day kindergarten (our home school does not offer full day). There were no familiar faces. No friends for either of us. We waited in line outside the classroom and all the while I was anticipating my first day by myself.

Hmmmm.....what will I do first?

I was chatting with Smurfette about her day.

Don't forget your snack is in your lunch box.

I'll be right outside those doors when it's time to go.

If you get separated from your class and don't know where to go just go to the office and tell them you're lost.

If you don't hear the teacher call you in from recess go around to the front doors because the other doors are locked from the outside.

Make sure you eat your lunch or you'll be hungry.

The more I talked the more nervous I made MYSELF. My daughter was fine. Cool as a cucumber. And out of NOwhere I felt the tears coming.

Don't cry

Don't cry

Don't cry

For cry'n out loud you've been looking forward to this day for the past year and you've been through this twice before....you know the drill....

DON'T CRY!

Mumma, why does it look like you're crying?

AWW HELL!!!

Oh, I'm fine honey. Just a little sad. I'll miss you today.

Oh mumma, don't be sad, you can come pick me up in a little while.

And the tears just started flow'n.

So there you have it. Bitter-sweet.

When I went back this afternoon to pick her up she was looking very intently at my face. After several seconds she says "Mumma, did you cry all day?"

"No, honey, I didn't. I was fine."

"OK...so you forgot about me?"

"Nope, I thought about you all day. I was wondering all day how your first day of school was going and how you were doing."

"I was fine mumma."

So for my first day of school....I went running, and then came home and showered, and then caught up on some blog reading, and then I measured my kitchen walls, and then I went to the tile store and bought tile and supplies for my kitchen back-splash project, and then I came home and started (and finished) tearing down the wall paper.

What did YOU do for your first day of school?