Today was Dahlia’s first day of preschool and she was excited. But not as excited as her big sister. As we drove there this morning, Matea explained in great detail, the routine of the day. She also sang all the songs that are used to signify transitions throughout the day and laid out all of the rules that she’d be expected to follow. However, she was sure to mention that Maestra Luza would probably not make her follow all the rules today, because “when it’s your first day, you can break the rules sometimes.”
When we arrived, we saw that Maestra Kimberly was holding the leash of what looked like a small horse, in the front grounds. To my surprise, it was a small horse! …a 6-month-old pony, actually. He is the newest member of the farm family and goes by the name, Sueño (Dream). Matea was so excited about this, she almost forgot all about her little sister joining her at school today. Almost.
Yes, February is an odd time to begin school. As we tend to do with kids, we waited for Dahlia’s queues, and she told us she was ready. If preschool didn’t have the added benefit of immersing her in the Spanish language, we probably would have waited, but the younger she is exposed, the better. With Matea’s encouragement and the time they spend with my mom, “Lita”, we have been increasing our use of Spanish around the house lately, and we can see that Dahlia is able to understand so much, so this transition should be easy for her.
As for me, it is bitter sweet. Oh, the plans I have of how to spend these 6 kid-free hours per week…running, pilates, knitting classes, solo-shopping missions and curling up in a cozy spot with my book & a foamy latte. But at the same time, I miss my little side-kick. I miss her babbling in the back seat and her sweet voice singing along to kid-music. Although she will only be going to school twice a week, I can feel the beginning of a change to my mommy existence. I don’t think we can prepare ourselves for them to grow up, but we can make an attempt to face it with the courage and strength that they do. Dahlia didn’t shed any tears today, so with great effort, neither did I.
I am so proud of our little June Bug. She is entering into this new phase with strong, confident strides. But even if she didn’t, we know she’d have her sister there to take her hand and lead the way. They are the best of friends, after all.
