It's ridiculous.
Little kids can't go back to school in August.
In the desert.
When it's a monsoon.
...
They will be hot.
They will be scared.
...
I've been worrying about this.
A little bit.
Okay, technically, I've been worried about this a lot. Seriously people. It is so hot here the dirt in my garden actually burns your feet if you happen to forget your shoes and go out there in your barefeet in an attempt to keep your pumpkin seedlings alive.
Geez.
So I woke up Mr. Jenny to talk to him about it.
He pretended he was asleep at 1:43 am.
As if.
I poked him.
He made a noise like a hoot owl being mangled by a chain saw.
Or something.
I poked him again.
"Huh? What? What time is it?!?" he grumbled.
"It doesn't really matter, does it? Time is kind of subjective anyway, right?"
He didn't reply. I think he went back to sleep.
I poked him again.
"HUH? Why are you poking me? It's the middle of the night."
I decided to forego my lecture on the fact that, technically, it was morning in some parts of the world.
I thought that might be too esoteric of a discussion for that early hour.
"Can we talk for a second?" I very sweetly asked.
"Can I say no?" he replied.
That man is grumpy in the middle of the night.
"Okay, thanks!" I'm pretty sure he meant to say, "Of course, sweetie, I am always here for you", but somehow his words got garbled.
"I can't believe the girls are starting school on Wednesday. It is too hot. We live in a desert. They will have heat stroke. They are too little. Morgan is only five. She can't go to kindergarten. She isn't ready! She will be too hot! We live in a desert! She will be scared! She..."
"Jenny," he said trying to interrupt me.
"Seriously, she is only five. It is too hot out. She will get sick! She's not ready..."
"Jenny. What's this about?"
I think he becomes hard of hearing at 1:43 am.
"Are you not listening to me! Morgan is too little to start kindergarten. It's hot! We live..."
Mr. Jenny turned toward me in the dark and interrupted me. "I know...we live in a desert. And it's hot. And Morgan is ready to go to school."
"Well..." I stuttered, "It's not just that. It's that..."
"She's ready," he said again more firmly. "You're just not ready to let her go."
...
...
Sniff.
He was totally right.
Because...
Although it is too hot and we do live in a desert and maybe the school kids will have heat stroke and they are all possibly too little to go to school, Miss Mo is now five.
And she is ready.
Way ready.
She has her twirly clothes and her backpack and her hot pink water bottle. She has her crayons and her markers and her glue sticks.
She is totally ready.
But...me...
...not so much.
I'm really, really struggling with her starting school. I've been Grandma daycare for almost 9 1/2 years now.
Sniff.
So I thought I'd share my worries with you.
And I even tried to wake you up at 1:43 am to tell you about it.
Sigh...
I'm awake and listening. More than that... I'm hearing you. Jenny, they grow up and leave us, so fast it makes my head spin and it sickens me, more than a little bit. It's so hard to watch that happen. But, unfortunately, it does and we deal with it... kicking and screaming.
ReplyDeleteAugust 10th is too early and 5 is too little! I'm with you Jenny! Big hugs to you gramma:)
ReplyDeleteHugs to you, Jenny. I'm trying to avoid thinking that I have to send my oldest 7 hours away for her second year of college in less than 2 weeks. I don't want to and part of her doesn't want to go, part of her does. But she's still my baby. Last time I checked, I'm sure she was only 10!
ReplyDeleteYou're 'empty nesting' for a second time.....and the second time is harder because, well, grandlittles are less stressful to care for than your own kids.
ReplyDeleteI'm keeping you in my prayers. You need to keep very, very busy.....writing, painting, spring cleaning, working in the business, counseling friends......
xo
I hear they need classroom helpers at Morgan's school.......wink, wink!!!!!
ReplyDeleteBig Hugs,
Meri
I will be just like this in two weeks!
ReplyDeleteOh I hear you loud and clear. School seems to start earlier and earlier every year, I just don't get it. In our case we start the 23rd but then the very next week is a holiday weekend - why not just wait and start after the Holiday? Your little grand will love kindergarten and you know that!!! Is it full day?
ReplyDeleteYOUre so cute. YOur hubbys a saint... adn your granddaughter is beautiful and ready to go to school! she will love it. even in the desert.. in the heat... I bet school is air conditioned! lol.
ReplyDeleteaugust 10th is early.. the kids here dont go back til after labor day. but you get out earlier there, ours dont get out til the end of june. just make some fresh cookies and have some cold milk ready for when she gets home that first day.. she'll probably have lots to tell her grammie about that day!
Youre a hoot!
xo
vivian
I remember crying the day Paul took his first bus ride to school. He was 4!
ReplyDeleteYou will fare well...your grandlittles will miss you to pieces, as you them, but think of the adventures they are embarking upon!
Now you be there for me when Bethany heads of to college in 2 years, okay?
Aww. Such a big day for the both of you. Touching post, Jenny. :)
ReplyDeleteAww, I know how you are feeling. It seems to me that our grandkids grow up EVEN FASTER than our own kids did. Take heart, she will be a kindergarten STAR.
ReplyDeleteMiss Mo is beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteI know it will be tough but try to remember she is going to have a ball! I know, I know, not much help.
Is it half day or whole day? I'm wondering if you'll still have her after school. I can't believe school is staring this week! They used to start earlier here, but I think they moved it to right before Labor Day. I say "think" because I don't have kids in school, but I know they go later now than they did when mine were in school. Growing up in NJ we never started until after Labor Day and got out the middle of June. I guess if they start later they'll still be in brutal heat but at the end of the year. Either way you can't avoid it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, August 10th is far too early for the school year to begin. I hope they have fans in the classrooms if there is no air conditioning. How can kids be expected to concentrate if they're all hot and sweaty??
ReplyDeleteI'm always sad when the kids go back to school. Summer is never long enough.
Awwwww Jenny, you are such good Grammy to worry about the GrandLittles! Hopefully her school has air conditioning so she will be comfy!
ReplyDeleteLove,
LuLu~*xoxo
So that was YOU at 1:43 in the morning?? I should have known. Lucky for you I was able to go back to sleep, missy!!
ReplyDeleteOh Jenny I know this is hard for you! I remember sending Sara off to Kindergarten, she just took off into that room and didn't even look back...huh? After all the years of my mothering she left me without a backward glance...oh yeah, that is what they are suppose to do. Not fair but true. You will still have Grandma after school daycare right?
ReplyDeleteYou should have phoned - I was up.
ReplyDeleteOur little Declan, far away in Ontario, starts school in September. There they start Kindergarten at age 4, and he will be 4 at the end of September. I can't stand to think about it.
Beatiful Miss Mo... I believe she's ready... :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a very touching post and well written, Jenny... I can imagine how hard you try to sleep by remembering about her going to school...
Ohhh, I feel the same about son starting middle school (that's 5th grade for us).
ReplyDeleteWe are oh so ready for the boys to go back to school! It's been boring for them, it's too hot to really enjoy playing outdoors, and with my daughter not working there's very little extra money for entertainment. You can only go to the beach or fishing so many times ya know, and they've seen every movie rental possible.
ReplyDeleteSchool is great for kids. There's other kids to socialize with! There's A/C!! There's school concerts and football games, hoorah!!! We are jazzed that school is going to start this week.
Mo is probably so excited Jenny. She'll be fine gwammaw! Heck, we didn't even have A/C when I was in elementary or Jr. high.~Ames
P.S. I will get more one on one time with my new little grandaughter Lily too. Not to rub it in or anything. ♥
Aw, shoot. I can't blame you for wanting to hang on to that cute little girl a little bit longer....
ReplyDeleteWhy on earth do they all have to grow up so fast?!
=)
I know how you feel, I have one starting Kindergarten AND 1st grade:( It is tough for sure! They'll be OK, we'll be OK too! Hang in there and if you need to talk... Wake Mr. Jenny up! It sounds like he is sleeping too much, hehe!
ReplyDeleteHUGS!
The first day I dropped my little niece off at kindergarten I cried, a lot. Babies grow up though I learn through my sorrow. She will have so much fun, and bring all her cool pictures home to share. Just keep her hydrated, she'll be great! And you'll have a little more time on your hands to paint, blog, and read.
ReplyDeleteAwww, Jenny they grow so fast and I didn't really think there was empty nest syndrome for grandma's, but you definitely proved that theory wrong....9 1/2 years is a long time to be grandma daycare....you should do something especially nice for yourself today!
ReplyDeleteIt's not your husbands fault that he couldn't "hear" you at that time of night. On a genetic level we have the ability to sleep though (or at least pretend to) our own infant children crying in the middle of the night.
ReplyDeletegreat post! I worry more about my grandkids than I did their parents...
Have a good week Jenny!
AW! Now you've got me sniffling. I somehow can't help but cry on the 1st day of school. Every year! Remember that the time you are apart means they'll appreciate you that much more when you're together!
ReplyDeleteHi Jenny: I was thinking about you today and I read your post. I am so sorry. They grow up too fast. I think there should be a rule about that! Who ever heard of starting school at 5 years old. What is this world coming to? You can always wake me up at 4 in morning. I up. I will say a little prayer for you. Love you lots, Martha
ReplyDeleteBuckle up Grandma! It might be a tough few days. But you'll get used to it.
ReplyDelete:-)))))))))))))))))))))
Empty nesting for the second time has got to be so very very hard. The positive part of this is that you have built some very very strong bonds with your littles that they will not forget. You have planted some very strong seeds in that hot desert garden, the 3 best of them are the littles ... they were fed with extra love and watered with all the joy and happiness that is a grandparent! ... It might not feel good now but it will feel really really good at some point!
ReplyDeleteAwww....poor Jenny. You are out of a job? Well, you know that school can never replace the warmth, love, and fun that you have provided. Mo will be fine.
ReplyDeleteYou? well, I think you will be fine too. MOre time for you and MR. Jenny. :)
xo
School doesn't start here until Sept 1. My oldest graduated last year My second will be a junior in h.s, Robbie will be in the 8th grade and Ryker still has a few years before he starts school but Im sure that will go fast. They grow up quickly
ReplyDeleteOh no ...Morgan will be in school already? Is it a full day or half? She is probably ready, but I know you aren't. What will you do now with all your free time? Maybe you can volunteer at school? I did that so often when my children were in elementary school ..I was able to keep my eye on them that way, plus help their teachers :) Treat yourself to a spa day or something nice, Jenny, when they all begin school. You deserve it!
ReplyDeleteOOO, Jenny..I have been thru this 10 times..with my grands..and 2 times with my children. I have walked the floor, cried, cussed a little bit, cried a lot..just knew they were going to be 'homesick'...and you know what. They all loved it. Especially Pre K and K...now after they reached higher grades, they, of course, didn't love it all that much. By then, they were big enuf, ya just shut the door if they try to come home. :))
ReplyDeleteYep, Mr. Jenny is right. Things will be fine.
O, and it's ll:45 here so don't you DARE try to wake me at 1 in the morning. :)
xo bj
The worst is, she will enjoy school so much, heat or not heat, than staying with grandma the whole day, I tell you !
ReplyDeleteAwwwww :(
ReplyDeleteIsn't it hard to let them grow!
Awwwwwwwww Jenny ...while you were trying to wake Mr. Steve I was eating my supper since it was 6.15 pm the next night here. Next time email me!
ReplyDeleteYep- it's sad when they grow up but they'll always be our little grandkids. Imagine how much fun you're going to have when she visits!
Our middle grand daughter starts kinder garden this August too. I don't think she is ready either but I have a great advantage. I've known her teacher since she was a young girl. I plan on having many of conversations with her. My hubby has already spoken to her. I think he too is worried though he hasn't woke me up in the middle of the night about it.
ReplyDeleteOur middle grand daughter starts kinder garden this August too. I don't think she is ready either but I have a great advantage. I've known her teacher since she was a young girl. I plan on having many of conversations with her. My hubby has already spoken to her. I think he too is worried though he hasn't woke me up in the middle of the night about it.
ReplyDeleteawwww my little cousin bethany started kindergarten this past week and we all felt the same way.
ReplyDeletei'm going back to school friday and start classes monday.
this time of year is just weird.
Your Morgan is beautifl! And I agree with you .....5 is too young for children to be going to school. It is so hard to let go of them, I hope that it becomes easier for you.
ReplyDeleteMary
Awww, she is so cute! It's harder to let the grands go than it was our own children. I'm sure they'll miss you too. laurie
ReplyDelete