It's the End

Alexis should know better than to let me be around her friends, but she doesn't, so SORRY. I didn't mean to ruin your day, kids. It's just ... I SPEAK FACTS.

Let me back up a second. We are officially kissing the edge of back-to-school, which means I'm in a hurry to do all of the summer things. One of those things was one last trip to Kennywood. I can't just take my own kids, apparently, so I had a little crew wandering around the park and occasionally hanging out with me and Mila.

There's a thing about Alexis' friends, by the way ... THEY ADORE MILA. Every last one of them. They are all perfectly willing to walk past some big roller coasters for an hour or two so they can ride things with Mila. Every time. They go on The Whip and The Kangaroo, and even the Lil Phantom because they are amazing people who enjoy seeing a tiny person living her best life. Somewhere in the Mila Hour, I was in line with them all and we ended up talking about how very excited Mila is to be starting kindergarten.

Seriously, the kid is going to bust with joy before she gets on that bus for the first time. She can't stand the thought of how great kindergarten is going to be. MUCH. EXCITE.

When Mila was done gushing about how excited she is, one of Alexis' friends asked if I'm excited as well. Which, well, NO. I am not excited. I'm glad to be done with paying for full-time childcare year round, but I'm also a little sad because once kids start kindergarten, so much freedom is gone. I can't randomly take any day off I want and hang out with Mila. She has obligations and stuff now. And, for the next 13 years, she has somewhere she needs to be daily 9 months of the year.

It's the end of the complete freedom phase of childhood, if that makes sense.

I explained as much to Alexis and her friends and basically you would have thought I kicked a puppy while biting the head off of a kitten because GOODNESS. They were crushed with sadness.

"I never thought of it that way!"

"We haven't been free since we were four!"

"Starting school is THE WORST!"

"Man, it's all down hill once you start kindergarten."

They went on and on, fully realizing that their lives suck because they aren't as free to do what they want when they want as they were just 8 years ago.

Welcome to the big world, kids. It's rough out here.

(Sorry! Let's do a random Kennywood day again soon! I promise to stick to rainbows and unicorns next time!)

Comments

[Linda]

Too bad that library is closed for remodeling. I think Mila would have loved the children's section.