As a mother, it’s common for me to talk about the milestones of my kids – when they first sat up, rolled over, walked, said “Mommy”, or made me breakfast in bed (still waiting on that last one). Every parent exchanges milestones with other parents regardless of whether they’re doing it because they’re proud parents, concerned their child is behind, or just because they’re annoying braggarts.

I have milestones too though. They’re not quite the same thing, they’re not quite as monumental. I’ve been walking for over three decades, and although it’s hard to get a word in edgewise with Hayley’s nonstop chatter, I have been talking for a very long time too. And it’s not like we have a book to write down, “holy crap, I just made my very first Photoshop brush / wrote my first piece of fanfiction smut / remembered everything I wanted to buy at the store without a list!”

Still, as a mom, here are some of my recent milestones.

1. I have sent a child off to school for the first time without breaking down into a blubbering mess.
2. I had my first meeting with the principal.
3. I filled out my very first Scholastic books order form as a parent*
4. I have sent off my first cheques to pay for hot lunches here an there
5. I have had my first (and second, and third) call-in to the school to say my daughter would not be in that day.
6. I have put my first not-done-at-home arts and craft treasure (an egg carton caterpillar) on my shelf and pasted first artwork on Hayley’s door.
7. I have done my first stint as the drop-off and pick-up mom at school (though I don’t look as stylish as some moms who do the same thing, but then again, I don’t have paparazzi following me either).
8. I have done homework at the kitchen table with her.
9. I have attended my first school function when I went to participate in the run.
10. I have successfully listened to my daughter talking about playing ball with / playing tag with / drawing pictures of and for a little boy in her class WITHOUT cracking into a stupid and goofy smile.

And then tomorrow I get to add another one because tomorrow morning I will be doing my first round as a classroom mom. The class has been learning about all kinds of fruits and different ways that you can consume them, and tomorrow they’re doing a smoothie day. Each student is responsible for bringing in a small carton of milk and a specific fruit (we were asked for raspberries), and they will be experimenting, trying small cups of different flavors of smoothies. The teacher saw me this morning and flagged me down to ask if I could come in for it, and I said sure. I’ve been requested to come on in first thing in the morning, so tomorrow I have to do things a little differently. I usually drink a coffee while I co-erce Hayley into eating and getting dressed, and I throw on whatever is (hopefully) clean. Tomorrow I’ll have to actually eat something too (yay for breakfast bars), put on something reasonably nice, and I’ll have to wrestle my contact lenses into my eyeballs.

I’m really looking forward to it. Once upon a time I was curious about homeschooling, and as time went on I realized that as awesome as it is, it really isn’t for me at all. Still, I promised myself that I would do what I could to be involved in Hayley’s (and eventually Breanna’s) school experience. Someday they’re going to be in high school and at that point they won’t want their OHMYGODMOM in the class or even in the building, so I have to do it now while I still can. I think it’s going to be fun, and I’ll get to see all these kids that Hayley talks about every day.

*I seriously loved Scholastic as a kid, right up through high school. I don’t think I ever missed out on ordering at least one book. I am so excited to be able to do it with my own kids now, and I can’t wait for all her new books to come in – we got quite a load of them!
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Did you know it’s The Great Mofo Delurk day today? That means that even if you usually lurk here, quietly reading from your feed reader or your blogroll or whatever and you enjoy reading but rarely (if ever) comment, now is the time to say a little hello to me so that I know you’re out there and I’m not just screaming into the ether. And if you’re a regular commenting demon, then a) thanks! and b) leave one anyway.

Gracias!