The end of another era

Today is The Princess' last day in preschool. She has attended the same school for the past two school years, on a part time schedule. Most recently she has been at the preschool four hours a day, for four days a week. Just like me.

We decided that The Princess would have a good time at preschool two years ago, mainly due to the fact that The Talker was going to Kindergarten and we were afraid she would be bored or lonely without a playmate. Or worse, that I would become her playmate everyday from 8 am until 3 pm.

Now don't get me wrong, I do like playing with the kids. But have you ever tried it for an 8 hour stretch? Throughout a 280 day school year? Yeah. It would get old.

So The Talker went to Kindergarten and the girl and I headed across the neighborhood, to the preschool. But dropping her off at 9 and returning to pick her up at 1 o'clock didn't sound like much time to get things done. So I started working at her school. They could pay me to drop The Princess off each day! She does her thing with her class and I help out all around the school. We could peek in on each other often, and the days usually flew by.

So we are now at the end of preschool. Next year The Princess will start Kindergarten, and she and The Talker will be at school together. I still plan to make the drive over to the preschool a few days a week. But for the first time in 7 years, I will be without a herd of my own kids.