{Flashbacks and Flashforwards}

our desktop slide show is a mix of favorite old photos that just fade in and out all day. i love that. and i love seeing what photo will greet me each morning when i turn on the computer.

this is what i saw today....my sweet dad and the girls.

this was our old house. we didn't have a finished basement then so we turned the little eat in nook into a make shift playroom. i love looking at the old toys. we still have most of them. if aubrey was with us then, that would have been the most perfect time...all of us home...no school yet!!!:)

here are a few other shots from that visit.

my dad's a chocolate milk shake kind of guy!:)

oh those sandbox days.

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tonight is kindergarten round up for aubrey.
yep.
tonight.
an evening where we hear about all the procedures and things we can do to get out little ones ready for the transition. i know this should be an exciting time. and i guess in some teeny tiny way it is. i know she will love it. i know she will have fun, learn a lot and make friends. and grow and blossom and all that. but i still can't help but think of it as a sort of ending not really a beginning. an ending to this time before school and all it's massiveness. the massiveness that will take over her life. swallow up all our time and leave us with only the scraps at the end of the day. (how's that for mama drama!!:))

i am blessed that our school still offers a half day program. (at least i pray they do....i will find out more tonight!) the half day kindergarten program was one of the reasons we moved here in the first place. riley is a june birthday and she had such a hard time at preschool, we really thought this would be a better transition for her. we fell in love with the program and it was just perfect for our family. home by lunch for snuggles, downtime, dancing in the living room...oh... and time with mommy! heaven!

last year they decided to go full day. i know it is a Godsend for many families that send their children to day care or extended care so that both mom and dad can work. i get that. i really do.
they still offered the half day program this year but only 8 families participated. eight.
eight!!

really that kind of blows me away. so many families i thought for sure would be on board for the half day option sent their children anyway. i can't help but think that the pressures of making sure their children were "keeping up" with all the other full day kinders played a major part in that decision. that makes me sad really. they have a lifetime of school ahead of them. a lifetime. and time at home before school begins is so fleeting and in my opinion grossly under valued.

but ok...enough of the soap box speech!:) i could go on and on and on and on about that topic!!!:)

so back to tonight...i will sit there and listen quietly for the mention of half day. and be prepared to jump up and demand it if it's not mentioned. (i would so embarrass the pants off riley if she was sitting there with me!!:)) wish me luck!

have a happy day,

(and keep those babies home!!:))

cindy