This past week I've been thinking a lot about my role as a mother. Mostly because Allison started Kindergarten and lessly because of her doctor checkup. I didn't think much about the transition to kindergarten except that it was a big milestone and because she just keeps getting bigger/older on me, but that's nothing new. But mainly I didn't think much about it because she's been at the center on campus since I started college, she was 17 months old. This was old hat, right? Wrong. At the center I paid for a full day. I don't have to pay for kindergarten (unless you want to talk taxes). But even though I paid for a full day at the center I only had Allison there when I had classes or something else to do. The center was across town so unless I had a good reason for leaving her when I left school I didn't. Now even though I don't pay for a full day of kindergarten I get it like it or not. It is now a flipflop in that Ali has to be at school more than I do. Funny thing is though, I have to get up earlier to get her there and I haven't had a problem waking up with my alarm, waking her up, get us both ready and fed and out the door on time. Everyone knows I'm not a morning person, but motherhood changes the rules on things sometimes. Monday night was open house at her school. I was going to skip it but she was so excited to show us around that we had to go. This was my first open house as a parent! Different. And then there were the shots. I knew she'd need to be up to date on her shots before school and that appointment was yesterday. Thankfully she is in "excellent" health. Also thankfully she only needed one shot! Last year it was four. Terry said, yeah but they don't give them all in one day. YES! They do! I had to hold her still for four shots in a row in her legs! She was screaming so loud and I was crying too! I don't mind shots myself, but hearing her cries got me. I didn't tell her about the shots before yesterday's appointment, but half way there she asked straight up, "Do I have to get shots today?" It's hard to skirt around a blunt question like that. Compassionately I affirmed her fears. We talked about it a little with little help. So since I was driving I dialed Terry for help. He talked to her the rest of the way and whatever he said must've worked, she did cry until after the shot. She said she'd try to be brave and think about princesses like Dad said. It didn't help that waiting for the doc we could hear screams from the other rooms. I covered Ali's ears with my palms and waited until they stopped. All in all she handled it better than I thought. Some crying, but not extreme. I'm just glad it's over, I had been dreading it for sometime. I think we both felt the stress that night. I was grinding my teeth "like a shark" according to Terry. And Allison woke up in the night with a bloody nose. She hadn't had one of those in over a year! But after her bath tonight she gave herself a Barbie bandaid and all is well!
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