Monday, April 11, 2011

Monkeys in the Middle


Sally will head off to kindergarten next year, and so there has been a lot of talk about what she can expect at "the big school."


Francie and Fiver are excited to have her join them, and Sally is ready to go. She reminds me at least twice a day that she is going to need a (pink) backpack and a (pink) folder and a (pink) lunchbox and a (pink) jacket for her inaugural year.


Do you see a theme here?


I've been trying to help her realize that we have to make it through the rest of the spring and summer before she gets to kindergarten, but the excitement is still there. And I'm glad for that.


The only hitch in Sally's plan is Bun. She is going to miss him terribly. She mentions it every time she talks about school.


But Mama, you know I'll really miss Bun. I'm just always with him. Can't he come to school with me? I'll let him sit at my desk.


Bless her little heart.


And although Bun is a boy and does not talk about his feelings for days on end, I know he will miss her as well. Normal sibling squabbles aside, he relies on her quite a bit through the day. She is the one he turns to for help or a good play idea or comfort.


Because of my children's ages, I tend to think of them more as sets of two rather than as a whole group. Francie and Fiver are one set, Sally and Bun are the next set, and Mopsy and the new baby make the third set.


Next year, kindergarten will be breaking up the middle set for a while and that transition may be a hard one. Sally doesn't remember a time when Bun was not with her, and because Sally eschewed preschool in favor of staying home, Bun has reaped the benefits of a constant playmate and protector.


There will be new roles for everyone. Sally gets to try her hand at being a bigger girl, the school student. And Bun will get to try his hand at being the oldest for a few hours. He'll become the protector and playmate.


I'm sure they'll both be fine with all the changes, but boy will I miss seeing their two little heads bent together during the day.

5 comments:

  1. So sweet, and just a little sad. :-(

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  2. Awwww, you are raising such compassionate kids! I think they will both flourish in their new roles :)

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  3. What a sweet picture. I think Lily is going to go through some similar feelings when Timmy goes to school in the fall. Of course she could just set her sights on Benjamin! :)

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  4. AWWWWW!
    They sound so sweet.
    I expect that Sally will come home from school each day and immediately start home-schooling Bun.

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  5. bittersweet for sure, but I think you have such an awesome outlook on it. I feel like each phase of Bear's life is hard to imagine and then before I know it- I'm in the thick of it!

    Thank you for your pregnancy wishes :) I was wondering if your superpowers might have tipped you off ;)

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