siblings | Good Times with Jess

Everyday last week I was crying or on the verge of crying. My baby graduated from pre-k. We said goodbye to our beloved preschool where I’ve been taking both of our babies for six years.

All I have to do is look at a piece of art work and tears come to my eyes. And there is so much art work.

Although there’s one piece of art work that does NOT bring tears to my eyes:

Hard to say what Captain has done to edge me out for this win, but if it’s lifting up legos, I’d like to point out I’m also very capable of that. I have lifted many a lego.

The cut off for kindergarten is September 1st. RB is a fall birthday so she’s well on her way to 6. She would’ve gotten on the bus a year ago if someone had let her.

Last year the alphabet and her name were still very mysterious, so it was nice to make some progress there.

RB is ready. I’m ready. IT’S JUST SO NOSTALGIC!

After six years at this wonderful school, I feel a little beside myself. My baby is not a baby and I said goodbye to some of our favorite people.

When RB started, she was two and still in pull-ups. Now she thinks she’s ready for high school.

Meanwhile BB just finished her best year yet and got teary when she needed to say goodbye to her amazing teacher. Yes, I may have gotten a little teary too. It was A WEEK.

I don’t remember having any tears on the last day of school when I was 8. I just remember pure peace-out energy. So that’s a testament to her 3rd grade teacher!

The sweet, emotional tears are over and we’ve moved onto the banshee cries of the wronged sibling.

I’m not sure what this summer will bring. We’re functioning on a week to week basis. We’ve decamped for the Cape, but have already been back home twice. I haven’t booked any summer camps, but that doesn’t mean I won’t. We’re going sailing, but only if my kids can agree to not tear each other apart.

BB says,

“I need my alone time.”

RB follows her around for the next hour.

They both whine and complain.

I say,

“BEDTIME!”

BB says,

“Can we have a sleepover?”

“Really? You just spent the last hour trying to get away from your sister.”

“I know. I still want a sleepover with her.”

Three hours later everyone is asleep.

I’ve instituted a No-Tattling Policy. It really seems to have helped. But ask me again in August.

And as teary as I am about my babies growing up, it’ll be a beautiful thing to put both kiddos on the 8am bus in September.

Until then, Happy Summer!!!

What is going on with that leg? Is that a high-school leg?

That’s my beach bag on the kitchen table. This is how I solved the never-ending conundrum of “SHE’S LOOKING AT ME!!!”

Bye magical, outdoor classroom at preschool 🥹😭😭

My baby is five! And if she were coauthoring this, she would add that she’s not a baby.

On the drive home yesterday she told me,

“When I’m a high school girl, I’m getting my own house and moving out.”

As opposed to BB who’s current plan is to live with us forever. Maybe we’ll compromise and both will reach some happy independent place somewhere between high school and forever.

High school seems to be the current pinnacle. RB was using her pretend tools to fix a pretend car. Captain asked her,

“Are you going to help me fix up my truck?”

“Do I get to use REAL TOOLS?!”

I pipe up,

“When do you think you should use real tools?”

“When I’m a high school girl.”

“Sure thing.”

At pre-k they start their day outside and it’s getting chilly. RB told me,

“I need gloves.”

“How about mittens?”

“I want GLO-OVES!”

“WHAT?!”

“I want GLOVES PLEASE!”

“OK. If you can put them on yourself.”

“I can.”

She proceeds to stick several fingers in one finger hole. With her other hand she feels the empty fingers. She waves her misshapen glove at me and says,

“This glove has too many finger spots.”

It’s the gloves fault?! It couldn’t possibly be an issue on her end.

And as much as RB is ready to move out, she still wants to be BB, but doesn’t hesitate to get in an all-out brawl if so needed.

Both girls pressed their faces against the same living-room window looking for their grandparents. It soon devolved into screaming and pushing. I remind them,

“We have plenty of windows! You don’t need to fight over the same one.”

BB doesn’t move. She says,

“This is the best one for wiping my nose on!”

Just when I thought I was cleaning all the right high-touch surfaces, I forgot to consider the WINDOWS! Children are GROSS.

For a while now BB has been insistent that she really wants a digital watch. We had already given her and RB perfectly good analog ones years ago. I told BB,

“You already have a watch.”

“It’s too hard to tell the time.”

Last year she studied telling time in school. Captain or I could work on this with her. I opted for the $16 digital watch.

She’s thrilled. RB had a major meltdown. I remind RB of HER analog wrist watch. RB is unfazed.

“I want one with the NUMBERS like BB’s!!!”

“But you can’t tell time with either of them.”

“But I want the same one as BB.”

But there’s no argument for that. I tell RB,

“Sorry, no watch, but your birthday is coming up!” This was more a reminder of presents to come, not that I had any intention of adding a digital watch to the pile.

Today, still watchless, RB put on her ski jacket and pulled out her compass. She exclaimed,

“I can tell you the time! It’s Ten Eighty.”

The compass says it’s Ten Eighty, the gloves have too many fingers, my living-room windows are covered in snot and my 5-year-old is moving out in 9 years. My work here is almost done.