The Graduates

Today my oldest graduated from kindergarten.  My youngest had her preschool graduation last week.  I'm sure I should be sad, but I'm not.  Yes, I am in awe that the time has gone by so quickly.  It seems like just yesterday that I was crying about the fact that I had two under the age of two and neither could walk.  Time keeps a rollin' by.  Hours and days quickly turn into months and years.  

G with her diploma

E with his sweet teacher

While we all know that the aging process is not my friend, I do appreciate the fact that my kids are growing up.  In addition, I'm totally psyched about our new found wealth!

No more daycare payments!  Woo hoo!!!  Mr. OCD can buy me the Hope diamond now.  Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog!  <-----------*me celebrating*


Instead of being sad about them growing up, I'm ecstatic!  I personally cannot wait for the day that I can leave them home alone.  Even for just 5 minutes!  Do you think 6 is a bit young for that???

Call me an optimist, but I'm choosing to see the glass half full.  Besides no daycare debt, some other things I won't miss:

• Diapers!  Or pull-ups!  Or baby wipes or Boudreaux's Butt Paste...
• Late night pampering and early morning entertaining.  Finally, Mama can get the 14 hours of uninterrupted sleep she needs. 
• Sippy cups.  Big kids drink out of big cups.  Wait a minute; that only increases the number of spills in my house exponentially.  Ok, we'll keep a few sippy cups until they are 15 around for a while.
• 400 pound diaper bags.  Twenty minute trips to the grocery store are no longer preceded by 3 hours of diaper bag packing.
  
• Cumbersome car seats with safety latches, straps of steal, and tiny little airbags.  Only little booster seats that can be easily moved from car to car.  Better yet, booster seats so cheap that I can afford to own one for every vehicle in the family plus a spare for the kidnappers babysitter.
• Special dietary needs.  Now they can eat macaroni-n-cheese and hot dogs like the rest of the family.
• That big ass, double stroller.  They can walk!  Or run, for that matter.  Which brings me to the next advantage... 
• Expensive, great-for-tiny-growing-feet Stride Rites or Pedipeds.  I'm digging $1 flip flops from Walmart now - woo hoo!

 Yep, I'm excited about them growing up.  Big kids can do a whole lot more than those little ones.  Hell, I can't wait for them to learn to drive.  I'll never have to drive again.  It'll be like Driving Ms. LB.  In surround sound.