7/7/14: Oh, to Preschool You Go!

For the month of December (AND the first week of January) I'll be reposting certain highlights (and lowlights) of 2014. The following post was first published July 7th and I felt it apropos, for obvious reasons, to repost it this week. Oh, the places we'll go! Let's do this, friends! Forward ho! 
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Today Bo and Revi started preschool and instead of writing something sad I thought about my dad (that rhymed) who takes classic poems and rewrites them for every occasion. He also writes raps where he has known to rhyme "science" with "defiance"). Anyway. I thought of him when I wrote this because this is how we deal with milestones in my family. (My grandma sends us personalized poems for every occasion so these colors run deep.) Nothing like a little levity, right?

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Oh, to Preschool You Go

Congratulations!
Today is your day!
I sobbed as I wrote this
(Because that is my way.)
backpacks
You have bags on your backs
And big smiles on your faces
You're both still in diapers
(But not always the case...s)
You're in this together
Because that's how twins rock
You can use your words, now
And you know how to walk.
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You'll meet lots of children and make them your friends.
You'll meet teachers with bandaids for booboos to mend.
With your bags full of lunch you may not want to eat.
Because there are too many veggies and not enough treats.

But one day you'll thank us? Or perhaps you will not.
One day you'll be glad of these lessons we taught?

And you will also be angry we did what we did
Because that's what it means to be somebody's kid.
We all do our best but still, there are days...
When parents cannot be quite sure of their ways.
BOnoculars
In that case, of course, you will hate us sometimes...
...and like us and hate us (that's totally fine.)
We've all been there, girls. And we somehow lived through
With our parents still loving us for all that we do.

This just took a turn for angst-ridden teen
For a moment I forgot that you're not seventeen
But that's just the thing about being a mama
Every new milestone feels chock-full of drama.
Two.
For, two seconds ago you were up on the screen
And that was, like, yesterday, so it all feels quite nuts.
To be saying "you're off!" when we're still wiping butts.

But you're ready for this
I just know that you are
You've been ready for months, now
You always scream in the car...
When we drop off your sibs
You say, "I want to go!"
And for a while I've been saying,
"Okay, girls! I know!"
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And so, here we are
Lunches packed, backpacks on.
And me with my face that says
"Nothing is wrong!"

And you in your dresses you picked out for today
Last night in your PJs with so much to say.

Oh!
To Preschool you go!

You'll paint all the time!
You'll nap and you'll sing!
And you'll learn nursery rhymes!
You'll do yoga a lot Because this is LA
And it's important you know how to live NAMASTE.

It won't always be easy for you or for me.
Accidents will happen,
And your school is not free. ($$$$$ ahjshadj)
And if this school is anything like the last one
You may catch some head lice which is really not fun
And you may make a friend that has to change schools
And you may find you have a hard time with new rules
And you may become homesick (that's just how I was)
And you may decide school is the worst just because
And you may hurt your hand or your foot or your face
And you may feel fenced in and in need of more space
And you may want to paint longer than you are allowed.
Or find you're not tired and want to be LOUD.
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But that is just part of the up we must grow!
And learning these lessons is just part of the show.
So enjoy it, my darlings! Hold your heads high
For you are now entering the where and the why
The who, you have covered, the what will come, too.
The how we shall find out when this isn't all new...
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Oh, to preschool you go! There is fun to be done!
There are prints to be handed and songs to be sung!
And the magical things you will do with your minds.
Will make you realize that you're (two) of a kind.
RAD! YOU'LL BE AWESOME! AS COOL AS IT STANDS!
With the kids lining up to hold onto your hands!

Except when they don't.
Because, sometimes, they won't.
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I'm afraid that some times
You won't be all that.
Your painting will tear
And your clay will go flat

And you may want to follow in the times you must lead
And your happiness will not always be guaranteed.
And there will be times when you will get picked last
And you'll fall on your face when you're running too fast.
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And all of that's good and it's fine and it's great.
Because you are a human and that is your fate
But I want to say this because THIS I must say
As your mother who loves you and is proud of your way(s)

And by "ways" I mean chutzpah. You both have it in spades
You are two of the strongest kids I've ever made...
So stay true to that sparkle, those fists in the air
Stand up for yourselves and remember to share.
fist pump
And please don't let ledges keep you back from the view
And if you must jump near edges (cause that's what you must do)...
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Be mindful my darlings. 
Be kind, brave and strong.
Watch over each other. 
Go forth, girls. Forge on... 
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So...

be your name Boheme or Bobo or Bo
or Reverie Coconut, Baby GoGo (her alter ego)
you're off to big kid school.
Today is your day.
A new world is waiting.
And, yes, girls, we'll stay... 

(... for an hour or so, until they shoo us away.)

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bo photo 3 (91)
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two one ***
P1012573 aa
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IMG_7979 ontheirown
GGC

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