The End of An Era

It seems fitting that the night before I send Avery to Kindergarten, the blog post would focus on her playgroup friends. Avery's past 5 years of growing all happened within the context of our precious group of friends. In many ways, they've helped carry us both through and prepared us for tomorrow.

These women and children have walked with me through the best era of my life: new motherhood. I think they've seen it all from me: my best, my worst, and especially those moments I wouldn't ever admit to had there not been witnesses. Sometimes we were on our game: we planned twice a week playdates and parties and crafts and snacks galore. Sometimes I couldn't wait to get to playgroup to share great news, fun events, and excitement over this phase of life. Other times we would show up at a location, collapse from motherhood-exhaustion, and chat while our kids ate goldfish off of the floor at Katy Mills (that may just have been me)... I cannot count the number of times I've arrived at playgroup disheveled or been at a loss as to how to best parent my child. Somehow, just being with these other moms made my outlook sunnier. And for all of the times that Avery expressed herself through hitting (and boy did she!), not one mom ever asked me to get my act together already. They were the supportive backdrop to my life as I learned what it was to be Avery's mom. These women collectively are my stay-at-home-mom support base, but individually are also some of the most wonderful and important women in my life.

While I found support and encouragement from the women in our playgroup, Avery was forming bonds of her own. What started as a group of infants has turned into a clan of 5 year old pals. It strikes me most when I look at the picture from our most recent camping trip: a bunch of kids, arms around each other, completely happy and comfortable with one another. And I am also struck with how much each of those kiddos means to me as well. I have loved watching them turn from babies to chubby little toddlers to pre-schoolers... to full-on kids.

Playgroup has been the most consistent thing on our calendar over the past 5 years. On Tuesday, we had a very upbeat celebration to close out this era of life. It was the perfect ending: instead of sadness over the end of an era, there were smiles, shared memories, a thoughtful memory book, story time about Dinos who go to Kindergarten, crafts... and pizza. It was such a good way to say goodbye - not to our friends, of course, but to the consistency and to this part of these kids' lives.

I am blessed, and Avery is blessed, by these amazing families.

Click here for pictures of the week (and a walk down memory lane)