There's no crying in Aldi!!

   So this week was rough. We decided to move Maizy from a one day a week Mother's Day Out program to a 5 days a week half day pre-k. Her first day was Monday. I must say, I learned a lot about parenting and about my daughter but the most important thing I walked away with was the lesson that parenting actually does NOT get any easier. I have been under the assumption that the longer you do it or the more kids you have, the easier it gets. I was SO wrong. You do learn from your mistakes and you get better at it, but that doesn't make it any easier. Let me give you an example. When the twins were Maizy's age I picked out their clothes, I always had them in bows, and they NEVER left the house in "play" clothes. Now, does that make it any easier for me that I let Maizy wear a superman cape, cowboy boots, and a Bridgestone Tire lanyard to school this week? No. In fact, it was extremely hard to see her walk in looking like that but I learned that a little independence avoids an argument any day!
 
   Also, I've always envisioned the day Maizy started school with me breaking through a finish line tape in slow motion and cheering myself on like I achieved victory in the fact that I could shower daily now and without interruption. Was it any easier for me walking my four year old baby girl into school and wiping away her tears as she held my hand and said, "I want to stay with you mommy."? No! But, I learned that if you swallow hard over and over and blink a lot you buy yourself enough time to make it to the car before you have an emotional breakdown equivalent to the one Sally Fields has at the end of Steel Magnolias right after Shelby's funeral. And I did folks. I was like, "Why? Why? Why did she have to grow up?"

   And on day #2 when she went right inside by herself with no tears and never looked back at me, that was not any easier for me either. But I did learn that I should probably find better ways to occupy my time while she is at school than by walking around Aldi crying for over an hour like I have no purpose in life only to leave with a single .49 cent avocado. I was just so distraught by her willingness to leave me I couldn't focus.

   So all week I listened to her stories when I picked her up about how her teacher was evil because she wouldn't let her drink the Powerade she snuck into her backpack, and how the teacher's aide was treated like a butler and the kid that sat next to her in music touched her headband so she will NEVER play with him again! Talking with her about making good choices and behaving isn't any easier than when I did it with the big girls, but I've learned that when people tell me I've got my hands full with Maizy I know they're right. Thank goodness parenting doesn't get easier because when it's easy you don't have to try. Here's to the "trying times" I have ahead of me with Maizy and twin tweens!! Pray for me friends!