{"id":18615,"date":"2013-06-06T08:00:59","date_gmt":"2013-06-06T13:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/?p=18615"},"modified":"2013-06-05T17:53:10","modified_gmt":"2013-06-05T22:53:10","slug":"the-return-of-bittersweet-june","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/the-return-of-bittersweet-june\/","title":{"rendered":"The Return of Bittersweet June"},"content":{"rendered":"

The last day of school is hurtling towards us once again and, like many others, I\u2019m completely crazed. I\u2019m trying my best to keep up with end-of-year projects and celebrations while finalizing summer camp logistics and vacations.<\/p>\n

Ever since my kids started pre-school, I\u2019ve found June to be a bittersweet month. This year, as my daughters complete Kindergarten and Second Grade, I find myself emotional and nostalgic at the drop of a hat. I\u2019m often reflecting on all that has happened this past school year and how far they have both come.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

My little one started Kindergarten at a new school, joining her older sister and navigating new friendships and daily schedules. She was challenged in academics that went far beyond the ABCs and finger paints of pre-school. She reached so many milestones this year – the biggest one being learning how to read. She has come such a long way from sounding out three letter words in September to reading us short chapter books now at night.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

She\u2019s discovered a passion for drawing and has a marker or pencil and piece of paper with her at all times. She started piano lessons, became a Daisy at Girl Scouts and lost her first tooth. She tried her hand at musical theater (which she hated) and hip-hop (which she loves).<\/p>\n

Each week, I have the opportunity to see her and her little friends at school. She\u2019s well-liked and friendly and I can always find her playing, chatting and having fun in the recess yard. Silly disagreements between her friends last only moments and are quickly forgotten as they move on to the next game of tag. She loves hugging her teacher and gets excited about stickers on her spelling tests and her turn at show-and-tell. She even likes doing her homework.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Her scrapes and bumps are forgotten with a kiss and a band-aid. Her tantrums and tears don\u2019t last quite as long as the ones of last year. She\u2019s comfortable in her own skin and has us laughing with her crazy antics and dance moves at home, while keeping up a much more reserved fa\u00e7ade at school. When she snuggles with her bunny at bedtime, she usually has a smile on her face as she falls asleep.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

My big girl had a rougher start to second grade as one best friend moved to a different school and the other moved on to a new circle of pals. I\u2019m proud of how she\u2019s handled herself with more complicated social dynamics and overcame the initial heartache of loneliness by exploring and developing new friendships with a wide and sweet group of classmates. Her play-date card remains full and varied.<\/p>\n

In school, she buckled down and faced the challenges of math as best as she could and her hard work throughout the year has paid off in a visible confidence. She continues to be an avid reader and has a passion and talent for writing and story\u2013telling. She\u2019s been diligent with piano, loves hip-hop and is proud to be a Brownie at Girl Scouts. She survived two years of religion classes (with lots of complaining) and glowed at her First Communion.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

She has more worries than her little sister and her questions and concerns often throw me for a loop. She\u2019s more aware of what is happening in the world, is more sensitive about the words and actions of people close to her and is sometimes too hard on herself. At times, her attitude is too fresh for our liking and, unfortunately, she\u2019s learned how to roll her eyes. Yet, her apologies are still sincere and she\u2019s not one to stew for too long. She still confides in us and seems to genuinely value our opinions and enjoy our time together as a family. There are some days that I find myself reaching for her hand on the walks instead of vice versa, but thankfully, she still instantly responds and still insists on cuddling each night before bedtime.<\/p>\n

I take more pictures of them this time of year. It\u2019s my desperate attempt to capture and freeze these moments when my daughters are still little, dependent and carefree. I have many friends and family with older kids and I know what\u2019s ahead –\u00a0 the good and the challenging. I know that when the time comes, I\u2019ll have no choice but to deal with the changes that come along with tweens and teens, as best as I can. I\u2019m just not ready for all that, yet. Five and seven feel like golden ages to me.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

With all the events in our world today that scare us to the core and cause worries for our children that should be unimaginable, I am so thankful for another year of milestones, safety, health and happiness.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m excited for the summer, for the slower pace and having more time with my girls. I\u2019ll miss little things – like doing my errands solo, or watching The View<\/em> each morning uninterrupted, but I can\u2019t wait for us to experience new adventures together and watch them discover new places in the world. By the time September rolls around, I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll all be ready to get back to the routine of school and I have no doubt that 1st grade and 3rd grade will be full of their own wonderful milestones, moments and unique experiences.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

For now, let\u2019s slow down the clock during the next few weeks and keep them in Kindergarten and 2nd Grade for just a little longer.<\/p>\n

Like what you read?<\/span> Sign up<\/a> for our free newsletter so you can be informed of the latest FREE <\/span>webinars & teleclasses,<\/a> parenting articles, & weekly raffles.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Prior to becoming a stay at home mom, Mina was an HR Recruiter for years. Now her time is spent happily juggling the demands of two young daughters while trying to expose them to the endless adventures the city has to offer.<\/em><\/p>\n

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog contributor\u2019s. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Writers may have conflicts of interest, and their opinions are their own.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The last day of school is hurtling towards us once again and, like many others, I\u2019m completely crazed. I\u2019m trying my best to keep up with end-of-year projects and celebrations while finalizing summer camp logistics and vacations. Ever since my kids started pre-school, I\u2019ve found June to be a bittersweet month. This year, as my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":511,"featured_media":18621,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"schneps_byline":"","schneps_post_style":"","schneps_post_source":"","schneps_syndicated_read_more":"","schneps_post_source_sitename":"","schneps_post_source_shortname":"","schneps_post_source_url":"","schneps_post_source_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[41,51,45],"tags":[46,49,50],"class_list":["post-18615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-big-kid","category-dads","category-moms","tag-activities","tag-development","tag-relationships"],"acf":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/the-return-of-bittersweet-june\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"The Return of Bittersweet June","url":"http:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/the-return-of-bittersweet-june\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/the-return-of-bittersweet-june\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/06\/june7.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/06\/june7.jpg"},"articleSection":"Big Kid","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Mina McKiernan"}],"creator":["Mina McKiernan"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Mommybites New York","logo":""},"keywords":["activities","development","relationships"],"dateCreated":"2013-06-06T13:00:59Z","datePublished":"2013-06-06T13:00:59Z","dateModified":"2013-06-06T13:00:59Z"},"rendered":"