Kindergarten Come and Gone

Today is the last day of Kindergarten. Brandon and I have been talking about it all week - the fun and exciting activities the kids do to mark the end of the school year. Yesterday was "Beach Day" and today is "Sports Day". Last week Brandon got a tour of the Grade 1 classroom and came home to announce "Mommy, there are no toys in the big kid classroom". He seemed disappointed but excited at the same time.
With all the activity going on, I didn't stop to think about the emotional impact this might have on me. In fact I was quite surprised by it this morning as I dropped him off to Kindergarten for the last time. I was struck by how fast this year seemed to go. Had I somehow missed a year of my kids' life? I thought back to the Halloween Dance (fun!) and the Christmas Market (Marche) we had missed. I thought about picture day, school field trips, hanging out with the other parents at the playground and parent-teacher meetings. I reflected on the first day of school and remembered it with crystal clear clarity, like it only happened yesterday.
That's when I realized it had been a great school year. Brandon loved his teacher - Mme Laura - and I liked her very much. At our last meeting she told Jamie and I how Brandon was flourishing at school. He was engaged in learning activities, strong in Science and Math, a classroom leader, popular with his classmates and even strong in French. We were so proud of him and happy in our decision to hold him back for a year.
I also liked the school and the principal. There was a strong feeling of community, a commitment to learning and respect for others. The school itself is large with nice facilities and a great playground. I also enjoyed how close it is to our house. Though my mornings were often trying with attempts to get Brandon out-the-door and on time, I did enjoy walking to school with him.
So just like that, summer is here and school it out. I'm taking next week off to hang out with Brandon and after that he'll start summer camps at Summit Kids. He's really looking forward to his trip to New Brunswick and then later his trip to Victoria. I'm sure he'll find, just like I did, summer goes by way too fast. Here's hoping we catch a moment or two to live in the present, enjoy the sun, eat some ice cream and marvel at this beautiful life.

Kittens!

Even while we still had Finch and Kazi in our lives, I made the announcement they would be our last cats. I loved them dearly, of course, but the constant cat hair, mad dashes to pick up forgotten cat food and regular litter box cleanings had left me feeling like I needed a break.
Turns out I made a false announcement.
In the days and weeks that passed since Finch's death, I found I couldn't stop missing him. I thought about him often and selfishly wondered why I had to sit on the couch alone to watch TV. When I was on my bed reading a book, I thought about the fuzzy friend that would keep my legs warm. In the mornings when I got up, there was only silence down the hallway outside my door. I guess at some point I should have realized it would only be a matter of time before we brought another pet home.
And so it happened one day I was spending way too much time on Facebook and discovered some pictures of my friend playing with kittens. God they were cute! She happened to mention that 3 of the 5 were still available and from there, well the rest is history.
Brandon went with me to pick them out. Originally I was only going to get one but either reason or stupidity prevailed and so we chose two.They looked like twins. Little, fluffy Ragdoll brothers. They wouldn't sit still long enough for a decent photo but I'll never forget how they looked the first time I saw them. Aside from my son as a baby, they were probably the cutest things I'd ever seen.
We brought them home when they were nine weeks old. We've had them for almost five weeks now and they are slowly destroying my house.
As a family, we couldn't agree on names so one is called "Enzo" and the other is called "Milo" or "Max" - depending on who is talking to him. Though similar in looks, I can easily tell them apart. Enzo is the more reserved of the two and he's also the boss. His coat is soft and sleek and his sweet blue eyes give away that he's scheming something. He's the one always trying to figure a way to jump onto the kitchen table or counter tops. He enjoys curling up with me for a nap and he's very tolerant of Brandon, who is forever trying to hold or hug the two of them.
Milo is the one who's stolen my heart. He purs mightily every time he sees me. He has a soft fluffy coat and I swear he could be a model kitten for toilet paper. He's very playful and enjoys curling up with anyone who's got a free lap available. He's got beautiful blue eyes and his heart is as soft as his coat.
So I have cats again (actually worse - kittens) and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I love the new additions but I wish they came with good manners. Like any other baby, they are a lot of work. I am impressed, however, with how much Brandon adores them. He seeks them out constantly, talks about them all the time and plays with them regularly. They are very good with him and I'm surprised with how little pain they've inflicted on him so far. Maybe in the end these two will not be a replacement of my Finch but rather best friends and companions for B.