Random Thoughts Monday

- It's been said of the people who claim they can't swallow pills that that inability is all in their heads, that there is no physical reason they can't swallow a pill, particulary small ones.

That may be, but I have a small pill lodged in my throat and I threw up the other one.

- My stepdaughter graduated from college on Thursday, earning herself a spot on the Dean's List along the way. She is likely moving to Ottawa, Ontario, in September with her boyfriend, finding work and completing her degree online. I am proud of her and excited for the new journey she is about to take.

- I grew up in a small town and when I was younger, the next biggest town, about 10 minutes away, had shops but if we wanted something specific, we had to drive at least 40 minutes to find a mall. I now live in a small town and after 10 years, the biggest town, about 15 minutes away, has most of the things I am looking for. In fact, I just finished Father's Day shopping without having to drive 40 minutes to the largest mall.

- That same bigger town also allowed me to find work sandals I like. It's really a shoe miracle as I have tried on about three dozen pairs and disliked them all.

- On the note of shoes, those sandals are called Taos. My sister-in-law called them surprisingly (for me) girly, while I call them comfortable, functional and practical, offering me the ability to wear them both casually and for work. The perfect pair of shoes.  Visit www.taosfootwear.com/ for details.

- Summer is here. I am excited for the heat and the relaxed atmosphere it brings, but sad as my guy is registered for kindergarten, has attended a welcome to kindergarten program and has visited his potential classroom twice. September will come faster than I will like.

- The kitten ate my cord for my camera. You can't leave anything out for this cat.

How Did this Happen?

Friday we register our son for kindergarten.

How is it that our little guy is at the age where he is going to school?

When I first realized our three-year-old will be getting on the school bus like the “big kids”, I was so sad. While I acknowledged he was likely ready to go mentally, there were a list of things he still isn’t able to do and a whole bunch of things I hadn’t yet taught him.

While he can get dressed himself, he can’t zip up his coat and he still puts his shoes on backwards. While he knows to stop at the edge of the road and look both ways before he crosses, we still need to work on letting other people talk despite having something important to say.

He still likes to nap. We leave the house at 6:10 a.m. This works out because he has at least a two-hour nap during the day. His kindergarten is all day every day. My poor guy is going to be tired.

And then there is school itself.

When my stepdaughter lived with us, it seemed like each week she was asking for money – school trips, fundraisers, pizza lunch.

My guy doesn’t get a lot of stuff. We don’t go to the grocery store and buy him a treat. On our recent Belleville trip, we went into many stores – toy, hobby, book – and he saw many things he wanted but he didn’t get anything.

But the school system seems to not only want your money, but makes you feel pressure to give your child everything because everyone else is doing it.

I suppose I will cross the money issue when it comes but I am feeling better about kindergarten readiness as two friends both told me the children don’t have to be completely self-sufficient, that there are parents in the classroom who help out.

So while I will be a little sad that my guy is starting a new chapter in his life, it will also be exciting to watch this little boy grow up to be an even bigger boy.