I Will Miss Them . . .

This September I become a stay at home working mom with no one left at home once the school bell rings. After 3 children and almost 10 years of daily doting on kids while attempting to maintain a career (and my sense of humour), I will be home alone every day. My baby is entering Grade 1 and I will miss them . . . .

I will miss getting them drinks, snacks, lunch, Kleenex and more snacks every 14 seconds, then cleaning up the mess that is made from the drinks, snacks, and lunch every 14 seconds. I will miss referring their arguments, tripping over the million toys that end up in the family room, flushing the toilet 17 times, changing the TV station and putting in a new DVD. I will miss answering their never ending questions, buckling and un buckling many seatbelts, hiding in the closet while on conference calls. I will miss packing bags of snacks & activities to go anywhere for 5 minutes, being home on time for nap time, lunch time, activity time. I will miss potty training, sleep training, nose blowing and constant interruptions. I will miss the noise, the complaining, the whining, the asking, the crying and miss hearing “mom” 87 times everyday.

But most of all, I will miss holding their hands when we go to the doctors office or down the street to pick up the mail. I’ll miss chatting with them in the shopping cart and teaching them about different fruits and vegetables at the grocery store. I’ll miss laughing with them. I’ll miss the company when I go to meetings and business events during the day. I’ll miss reading them stories and getting hugs before mid day naps. I’ll miss the conversations about their friends and teachers at the lunch table. I’ll miss the mid afternoon bike rides to the park, the mommy days at the pool, the ice rink, dance class or the library. I’ll miss the playdates and my mom friends. I’ll miss having someone at home with me and I will miss hearing ‘mom’ 87 times each day.

As each one has entered Grade 1, I am proud of the young girls they have become and thankful I was able to be home with them for their first 5 years. But now as my 3^rd (and final) baby enters Grade 1, I have the full range of emotions. I am excited for them to be growing up, for them to be together in the “big kid playground” at school . . . I know they will take care of each other. I am happy for me, that I will have time for the gym during the day and to be able to work on my business during work hours! I am grateful for the quantity of time I have had with my kids over the years and optimistic for the quality time ahead after school! But I am also sad . . . sad that this house will now be quiet during the day, sad that a big part of me will be missing and sad that the years of being at home with kids is now over.

I have loved being home with you girls . . . have fun, grow, explore, learn . . . and come home after school everyday and tell me all about it!

Yes, I will miss them . . .