"The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom." -Henry Ward Beecher

I am so very sad to be leaving my kids and going back to school. I wonder if this is how dad's always feel? What an entirely old-school thought in this century...but I wonder if this is a mother's curse, or if dad's feel sad to be missing out on half their child's life too? And I know know know that when they are in school they are having (for the most part) wonderful, fun, growing experiences. They love their friends, they love school. And it's not that if I stayed home I would have so much more time with them. They'd be at school. And basically we leave when they leave and get home when they get home. So we are in an ideal situation to spend optimum time with our babies....but. but I miss them. I miss summer. I miss smelling J's sun-kissed earthy skin after playing in the sprinkler. I miss sitting in the gazebo with C. I miss sitting in M's room and having some girl talk. At the end of each summer I feel like raising my fist to the sky and yelling "NO! not yet!" But of course I have no control over any of it....