Mini-Not Quite so Mini Anymore *sob

I am an emotional Mummy at the moment.

My Baby Girl, who has only been babysat for 3 times in under 3 years, and who the longest I have ever been away from was a week when I went into labour with Ed the Littler, is starting PLAYSCHOOL on Tuesday.

I know, its only one morning a week, but well, she's always there, singing, smiling and giving us her Mini Moments.

But I am worried.

She has been a little clingy of recent weeks. There hasn't been a reason for this, none that we can think of anyway. But as soon as I go out of a room I hear "Want to get up on Mummy", followed by sobbing, and then a full blown tantrum.

So the idea of leavng her from 9.30am to 1pm? Hmm, quite hesitant actually.

I am reliably informed by those in the know (the sisters in law) that this is the best time for her to go to Playgroup if she is starting to get overly reliant on me. They assure me that once she is around other kids her own age, she'll be fine.

Hmmm again.

Its still quite a hard thing to imagine, rocking up to a place she has never been, to be met by people she has never met, and walk out without her. Since she was born, practically within 1 minute of taking her first breath, she has been with me.

Don't get me wrong- I know she has to go and gain independence, but can't she wait until she's, I don't know, 16?

Ed the Elder thinks she'll be fine. He goes off to festivals and parties without even thinking about it, so is used to separating from the kids at random times.

And frankly, if it was Littlest going to playschool I would be over joyed- he has turned into the child from hell overnight. The bells chimed new year and he turned completely psycho!

All he does, from 5.30am (yes, that's 5.30am, when its still dark) until bedtime at 6pm is scream. He screams when he is happy, he screams when he's not. He screams because he has just screamed. Ridiculous.

He actually screamed so much on Saturday, that Mini stood next to him, burst into tears and through her sobs told him to shut up!

When Youngest Sister in law popped in to pick The Nephew up to go and see the Eldest Sister in law,(The Nephews Mum), I told her that Littlest was going through a mad stage, and she didn't believe me, as he was on best behavior in front of her. But The Nephew, when asked if I was exaggerating, mimicked the screeching so well that he started Littlest off again. He sounds like a baby dinosaur, or how I'd imagine one would sound, its earsplitting!

He woke up at 10pm on Sunday night (cheers Daddy for waking him up), and refused to go back to sleep for 4 hours. I was so tired all of Monday I needed matches to keep my eyes open!

But Mini is generally quite a well behaved child, and well, if I was being selfish I would prefer her never to leave my side, from playschool right up to leaving home!

Hopefully, she will do really well, and love playschool, and also it will mean more time for Littlest and I to do stuff together.

So come Tuesday, she'll have her little outfit on (we don't know if there's a uniform I forgot to check, but I hope so), and her new Night Garden rucksack, and off she'll go.

I'll let you know how she gets on. Fingers crossed!

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