Redefining My Days

Two simple facts about my family are about to change my day-to-day life in a big way:
1. I'm married to a teacher.
2. My firstborn is nearly four and a half years old.

Starting on Friday, my husband will be off work for two glorious months! And when he goes back to work in September, Princess will be starting school.

That means I only have a few days left of being a stay-at-home-mom of three little ones all by myself. Having another adult around full-time makes a huge difference in the rhythm of our days. It's nice to not have to change all the diapers and make all  the snacks and lunches. It's nice to have someone else to entertain the kids while I make supper. I'm really looking forward to having a lot of fun - and getting some extra rest - while Francis is home with us for the summer.

What I'm not looking forward to is sending my sweet little girl off to school in the fall! I know she's ready. She's been asking about it for a while now. She'll have no trouble with the academic side of things (can you really talk about the "academics" of junior kindergarten?), since she's very keen and learns really quickly. Socially, she'll thrive I'm sure. She loves to meet new people and make new friends. But the days will be long for her. She has always been at home with me, and suddenly she'll be out of the house for a whole school day, five days a week. I'm just not comfortable with that! Things may be different come September, but right now she still naps for an hour to an hour and a half every day.

I'm excited to see how Princess will make out in school, but I'm also excited to see how things evolve here at home. Music Man will be about three and a half in the fall, and Baby Belle will be one and a half. It will be interesting to see the dynamic between the two of them grow once the ringleader is out of the picture. Music Man will have his shot to be The Big Kid, and I'll have more one-on-one time with each of them.

And what about me? Will I be able to get more done during the days with only two kids around? How will I spend my extra time? Or will it actually be harder while these two are sorting out their new relationship?

One thing is for sure, though: While I'm looking forward to this next step and whatever it brings, right now I'm ready for summer vacation!