Forced Adulthood Again

I have always been a little confused by babies and kind of petrified by them. When they first come out, they look like aliens. Then they just kind of sit there and look cute after they hit one month or so. I LOVE when they start to do interesting things and their personalities become more defined (like my little nephew is doing nowadays). I have been volunteering with the same pre-schoolers for this past year and have fallen in love. I cannot get enough of my little buddies! I want to work with this age group forever! I have been procrastinating as long as possible to say goodbye to them, but the day finally came this last Thursday.

They made me tear up a little bit by making an apron for me with all of their hands in colorful paint. 

I touched all their little handprints at home that night and wished I could somehow keep in contact with these remarkable children for the rest of their lives. 

I will miss the uncontrollable excitement of 15 little four year olds running to hug my legs when I walk in the door.

I will miss playing dress up everyday with these girls

I will miss racing cars and building ramps with these boys. The boy sticking out his tongue is one of my all time favorite people alive.

I will even miss this little one who loves to pout to get his way

I will miss having them wrap your arms around your neck and whisper that you are their best friend

I will miss reading the same story over and over and over again to a little one curled up on my lap

I will miss being called Miss

I will miss being the monster that chases my buddies all around the playground until we all collapse in an asthmatic heap
I will miss my bud Avery lamenting the fact that he cannot marry me every single day

I will miss their hilarious interpretations of life

I will miss their relationship dramas between one another

I will miss pulling wrestling boys off one another
 I will miss having five little girls run their fingers through my knotted hair and whisper "pretty, pretty" 

I will miss squishing myself into the baby chairs to eat snack and wishing for one of the rare times in my life I wasn't so freaking tall

I will miss them. All of them.

Advertising Moment: If you want to be happy, volunteer at a Headstart near you.