The Years Are Short: Starting School

I think of the phrase, "The days are long, but the years are short" almost daily. Most of the times it's to try and maintain perspective during days that are moving at a glacial pace while I watch the clock until the boys bedtime.

Today was a bittersweet reminder of how short the years are!

Ethan got his school uniform in the mail today. We have been sooooooooo incredibly blessed to get into a Montessori charter school that begins at age three. Here he is trying on his new attire, including slippers for the Montessori classroom!

It really feels like we won the lottery like in the film Waiting for Superman! Well, we actually were picked from an application lottery, so it is an accurate portrayal! Five mornings a week Ethan will attend a Montessori preschool class with other 3, 4, and 5 year olds. We found out last week he got in off the wait list and starts... MONDAY!! This mommy needed more time to mentally prepare, but I think Ethan is more than ready. Since this program includes Kindergarten, (actually through THIRD grade, this really is his first day of formal school.) ACK!

I brought him to the school's playground to help him feel more familiar with his new environment this week.

He had fun for about five minutes having free reign of the empty playground, until he came over and asked, "But Mommy, where are all my new school friends?"

While we were there, Mommy found something she loved more than the new slides. See the greenery behind the swings? That's just part of the half acre of organic fruit and vegetable gardens the children tend! They go out and harvest food for their daily snack! Swoon!

Oh and the best part? Charter = FREE!!!!!!

With the endless time we have together suddenly shortened to afternoons and weekends, I was feeling like I did when I was working outside of the home. I was more inspired to maximize our finite time together (which I suffer from mommy guilt from not doing every minute of every day of course).

First we did an art project I've been planning to do for weeks, a stained glass craft.

Then an impromptu game of "hall ball" with BOTH boys! The first time they've played ball together! Just so you know, that soccer ball is really a pillow, shhhh!

The years really are so short!