9.21.2016

There She Goes

Iz, already bored before her first day of preschool
[image: Blonde pigtailed preschooler sitting on the floor,
yawning, & posing with a Rosie the Riveter lunch box.]
Iz left for college today. An out-of-state college. A perfect-for-her college. But still a college that is Away.

I feel lucky that she's going to a quarter system University, so we got to keep her around longer than a lot of her friend's parents got to keep their own nestlings, but I'm still downhearted.

Those of you who have been reading this blog since the beginning may remember when Seymour and I were dithering over whether or not to follow her Montessori preschool teacher's advice and put her directly into first grade instead of kindergarten. At the time, we followed the teacher's advice because she was the expert and Iz was our first kid. If you find yourself in a similar position, I am telling you now, selfishly, DON'T DO IT. We could have had another year with her. But there's no undoing our decision now, and she's gone.

We spent the last few days running mundane but necessary pre-college errands, which was some decent Quality Time. We had Last Meals at favorite local eateries. We took a Last Family Selfie. It's not like we don't have official closure steps or milestones. But her leaving is still hitting me, hard.

She came upstairs to my bed this morning, before she left at her assigned ungodly hour, and we lolled about with our three cats and snuggled and talked. I think she will be okay. But, Goddess Above, I already miss her.

4 comments:

  1. I feel you, friend. Sophomore year was only slightly easier. We cried, rather than sobbed, as we said goodbye, and I only thought I might need to pull over once on my way home, when I realized that my plan to ask her to come visit me at my office to get acai bowls for lunch next Tuesday was not exactly a reasonable request. ;-) The ouch, though, is at least slightly offset by the growth and the spark and the limitless potential you get to see on display when they are around. It's awesome.

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    1. I am definitely looking forward to seeing that growth and spark etc.! She's moving into her dorm room as I type...

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  2. You have *not* taken your last family selfie!

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    1. Last one while she lives at home, though. Although my family has a fine tradition of its kids moving back home, even if temporarily, during their 20s.

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Respectful disagreement encouraged.