Empty Nest

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It was like reliving the Brady Bunch all over again.  There were only 2 tickets.  To whom would we give them?  Mommy or Daddy?  Little Cindy Brady entered my brain immediately as I sat in the principal’s office discussing the seating arrangements for Claire’s Kindergarten Graduation.

This Saturday, Claire, age 5, graduates from Kindergarten.  We are going to enter a new phase in our parenting life…For the last five years, at 8.00a every morning nearly without fail, I have driven Clark and Claire (one or the other or both) to the beloved Kangaroo Kids pre-school.  The delightful haven we chose to ease us into the idea of our children going to school.  We were the first and generally the only international children attending the school, and we love the staff members who have become like part of our extended family. 

On Saturday, however, we will experience a vast array of mixed emotions as with great joy we see Claire mark this first major milestone in her academic career.  She will don a cap and gown. She will get a diploma and a trophy. She will recite the hallowed “First Grade” poem that all the outgoing “Pre-Primary 2” children recite at the end of the year program.  “Start spreading the news. We’re leaving today. We’re gonna be a part of it: First Grade… First Grade!!”  My eyes well up with tears even as I imagine this special moment.

Our other emotion, however, will be one of sadness as we leave the safety and security of Kangaroo Kids behind and venture into a new world… one in which both our children are in all-day primary school.  We will be in the “mid-day empty next syndrome”.  We’ll have our days ‘free’ from 7am until 5pm.  No more living half my life on ‘the other side of town’ waiting for one of the children to end the school day. Part of me will miss having the kids around.  The other part of me will say, “Oh goodie, what will I do with all this time!?”  The magnitude of each emotion has yet to be determined.

All of this emotional turmoil begins on Saturday… when we attend the traditional end of the year Kangaroo Kids school program for the last time.  Claire will be participating in the graduation ceremony, as well as in two dances.  One dance will be to the Oscar-winning song, “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire… a film I still have yet to see.  She’s very excited. Her costume is ready.  Her plans for her hair and nails are set.  Her dance steps are memorized.  We are ready and at peace.

Our difficulty, however, was that each parent was allotted only 2 tickets to the event.  Our question?  What about Clark?  I tried to be reasonable when discussing this with the school administration.  Would Clark have to sit separately?  Would we have to leave him at home?  He’s a graduate of this school!  He’s only 7!  Who would we have take care of him or sit with him?!

Thankfully, the call came yesterday that Clark, along with 5 other siblings (also graduates of 2-child families who had been with Kangaroo Kids for the last 5 years) was being granted a ticket to sit in the parents’ section with us.  Whew!  Bullet dodged.  There would be no special Brady-esque special performance just for the Kadwell Three.  We can all sit together and watch as Claire graduates, and as we as a family commence the next chapter of our family life.

~lk

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