missing Ted already

It is a good thing I have 3 kids, because I am just lousy at transitions for them. When Ted started preschool he went 2 mornings a week, from 9-1. Last year, he went 3 mornings a week, again from 9-1. This year he goes 3 days a week from 9-3. And the realization that he will start kindergarten and be gone every single day is making me very sad! It isn't the reality of dealing with 3 kids all day long-it's the 'idea', the 'concept' that he will be out of my life, living his own, every day. This was a fast 4.5 years, I'll tell you that. Wasn't it just last week that we were graduating from GymCrawlers? Wasn't he learning his shapes and colors just yesterday? When did he get to be a big kid? I already miss him. I had assumed I would send him to K-care, which is the preschool-like enrichment program to make Kindergarten a full day. Otherwise K is from 8:30-11 (morning session) or from 12-2:30 (afternoon session). But now I'm reconsidering. Maybe, especially since the younger 2 will be in preschool til 1, those extra hours spent with Ted might be really special. I am thinking about this now because I have a Kindergarten talk to go to next week, at one of the Kindergartens we might open enroll to. And the one for Eldorado is the first week of January. Oy.
This pic was taken the day before Sam was born. Ted was 2 days shy of his 18-month birthday.