About seven more weeks of kindergarten and our girl will be on her way to first grade. Hard to believe. I remember last summer feeling so ambivalent about letting her ride the school bus. She really, really wanted to ride the bus with all her neighborhood friends. I was having a hard time letting go of the prenatal through right-this-minute brainwashing we all undergo regarding the safety of our spawn in a moving vehicle. So I was just supposed to put my precious on a bus driven by a stranger with no seat belts whatsoever? One day she’s in a five-point restraint and the next day she’s totally free to be bounced right out the bus window in the event of a collision?!?
I did get over it. John and I walked Mimi to the bus on the first day of school and she was literally skipping the whole 50 yards to the bus stop at the corner for her 14 minute ride to school.
Mimi started out sitting on the “passenger” side of the bus. I always stand there on the sidewalk as the bus pulls away and blow kisses and wave to her. Recently, for whatever reason, she started sitting on the “driver’s” side of the bus, a few rows back. After she gets on the bus, I cross in front of it and stand on the other side of the street so I can see her.
This morning I stood there in the rain and blew kisses to her as the bus made its left turn toward the next stop. It seemed she blew kisses more frantically than usual, craning her little neck toward me as far as it would go until she was out of sight. Or maybe it was just my imagination. The feeling that she was literally growing up and away in that big, yellow school bus. Whatever, the lump in my throat was real and I had to blink several times to hold back tears. Yes, I’m a sap.
We still walk her to the bus stop every morning. Kindergartener’s parent prerogative. I suppose we will let her walk on her own in the fall. We can watch her from the front porch and blow kisses as the bus goes by. As long as she’ll let us.
I did get over it. John and I walked Mimi to the bus on the first day of school and she was literally skipping the whole 50 yards to the bus stop at the corner for her 14 minute ride to school.
Mimi started out sitting on the “passenger” side of the bus. I always stand there on the sidewalk as the bus pulls away and blow kisses and wave to her. Recently, for whatever reason, she started sitting on the “driver’s” side of the bus, a few rows back. After she gets on the bus, I cross in front of it and stand on the other side of the street so I can see her.
This morning I stood there in the rain and blew kisses to her as the bus made its left turn toward the next stop. It seemed she blew kisses more frantically than usual, craning her little neck toward me as far as it would go until she was out of sight. Or maybe it was just my imagination. The feeling that she was literally growing up and away in that big, yellow school bus. Whatever, the lump in my throat was real and I had to blink several times to hold back tears. Yes, I’m a sap.
We still walk her to the bus stop every morning. Kindergartener’s parent prerogative. I suppose we will let her walk on her own in the fall. We can watch her from the front porch and blow kisses as the bus goes by. As long as she’ll let us.
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1 comment:
I guess the "sap" doesn't fall far from the tree! This Grammy teared up just reading and thinking about Mimi heading for first grade already....sigh.
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