Kindergarten... It's For Real

I went to my doctor appointment last week - which is probably one of the more quiet and peace-filled time of my weeks - and had a conversation similar to this:

Dr - How's Kindergarten going?
Me - It's good. E likes it...
Dr - Yeah
Me - But you know... Kindergarten... It's For Real
Dr - You need to put that on a shirt

Now I think our family (it has been a family effort here) has transitioned to Kindergarten pretty well. I held it together the first week, E's only occasional complaint is that she 'wants to spend the afternoons with {me}', and R and M have been good sports about the time schedule bump. We found someone to bring E home in the afternoons - which is such a MASSIVE weight lifted off my mind - and after nearly two weeks the morning madness seems halfway normal.

I know this hasn't been the case for every Kindergarten family. There have been more tears, more meltdowns, earlier mornings, more pull back from siblings... so let's just say that I think if I had to go through the first few weeks again, I'd do it because it wasn't as scary/terrible/sad as I thought it would be

but, But, BUT... There is one thing that I wasn't expecting.

Kindergarten is exhausting. Not just for E but for me and I'd even guess the sibs too.

Blame it on being 8 months pregnant, you could.

Blame it on having 2 smaller children, okay.

Regardless the reason, the reality of Kindergarten is setting in and I think I'll being an afternoon coffee addict before it is all said and done. Why?

1. There's projects, and homework and sight words that need overseeing - a very reasonable amount I should add but still it is an added layer to afternoon activities that wasn't there before

She'll jump on any chance to go overboard with an art project

2. There's me sitting and wondering sometime in the early afternoon - I wonder what E is doing? Is she having a good time? and saying quick prayer she is happy and that she comes home from school safely. - I'm a worrier to the CORE

3. There's the realness of elementary school. I'm not walking/dragging people up and down the hallways, chatting with teachers and other parents. I am connected at Kindergarten but is a much different way. In preschool I felt like I knew what was happening everyday. Between the daily calendar of activities, to the 500 papers that came home everyday, to the conversations I had with teachers at drop off. Now, I still get the papers but I'm lucky if E tells me who she played with on the playground.... HELLO! Can you fill me in??? I haven't seen you all day and all I get is a "School was good" unless I play 20 Questions?

4. It just feels different. More formal. More real life. More this is how it is going to be. More distance. More independence. More responsibility.

And whether anyone likes it or not, Kindergarten is for real.

It is one of those transition steps into how things really are and as we learn, succeed, and stumble through it all, for now, I think we are right where we need to be.

M getting left out of the elementary school fun 

So bring on the AR books, and the projects, and the crafts, and show-and-tells, and the class parties, and the field trips - we will get through it all even with the siblings in preschool, a brand new family member, a couple extracurricular activities, and church obligations...

We will power though one way or the other

And I know that a strong cup of coffee is a K-cup away : )

The van will never be the same...