Today’s the day. The end of the world is upon us, and I want my last blog post…ever…to be an attempt to tie things all together.
Doomsdayer: “The end is here.”
ME (whose last preschooler finished school yesterday): “I know, I know. Isn’t it so sad?”
Doomsdayer: “The world is coming to an end.”
ME (still thinking about my own life): “It sure does feel like that. You know, I’m not as ready as I think I should be.”
Doomsdayer: “You need to repent.”
ME: “Repent? Oh, I hadn’t really thought of that. What should I be sorry about? Well, I guess I am sorry for a few things that happened along the way. There were plenty of mistakes made as the kids made their way through preschool, but I tried to learn from them. Like Big Sprout’s “Me-Doll”. Have you seen that thing?”
Doomsdayer: “It is an Apocalypse!”
ME: “Apocalypse? It’s bad, but that might be a bit extreme? I suppose if we talk about the “Me Doll” as an apocalyptic revealing of truth. It most certainly was.
Here’s the story:
Big Sprout was assigned a Me-Doll project when he was four years old. I have always been the stickler for school assignments and I read it literally:
1) Lay your child on the large piece of butcher paper.
2) Trace around his/her body and then cut it out.
3) Let your child draw him or herself and bring it back to school by Friday.
I started the project on Wednesday, because I knew my active and craft-hating, oldest son was going to complete this project, but begrudgingly.
Wednesday we traced and cut and then Thursday afternoon, I laid his paper version of himself out on a piece of carboard and presented it to him with a bucket of crayons and markers.
He started with the black marker and drew a pair of beady eyes that matched his little dot nose. He put a great big beaming smile, a tuft of hair and a few toes.
He took out the yellow and drew the start of a shirt, but then he went back to the black marker. He put on his nipples and belly-button, and then…he took out the blue marker.
I smiled, proudly, as he drew more of his shirt and went down to what would have been the outside of his leg. Remembering what was likely the most important self-discovery of that year for him, he then drew on his blue genitalia.
My smile shifted to shock as I watched his little hand work and the blue balls take form.
I was left speechless as my art-exhausted son jumped to his feet and declared,
“I’m done!”
He ran out of the room completely satisfied with his rendition of himself, and I sat– stunned.
How was I going to carry in a blue-balled, naked me doll to be hung in the halls of the Catholic preschool?
I knew better than to chastise his self-image, because it really was an appropriate view of himself. The problem was, it was not appropriate wall-art for a preschool.
I showed his dad, when he got home from work.
“What the hell is that?” he asked.
“It’s our son. Or at least his best attempt at an artistic expression of himself,” I tried to convince myself.
“He can’t take THAT to school,” he pointed.
“I know, but he is done drawing for today, and I don’t want this to scar him,” I worried.
“Well, maybe I can get him to draw on some clothes tomorrow before school,” my husband softened.
It worked, Big Sprout saw our logic when we explained to him that even Me-Doll’s need to get dressed for school, so he got out the black marker again.
He scribbled on some clothes, added the stripes of what looked like a referee uniform, and off we went to the preschool unveiling. (internally apocalyptic for me!)
Astride on the arms of his classmate’s parents were the most elaborate me-dolls I had ever seen. There were princesses and cowboys, superheroes and firefighters. Many of the dolls were three-dimensional and some had fabric and buttons!
I slowed my entrance as the limp referee sadly hung on my arm. I felt like the worst mother ever.
I had volunteered for the day, and as my punishment for being a pathetic mother, I was sentenced to hang all the me-dolls along the wall.
I pounded the staples into the wall. Felt my heart race with every doll hung, and I just knew Big Sprout was going to have to come to terms with my inadequacies.
He walked in from recess with his classmates and was overjoyed when he found himself among the wall-hangings. He bounded off smiling and proud of his presentation. He was perfectly fine with his Me-Doll…just the way it was. That day I learned that I needed to be fine with his presentations too.
The origin of the word apocalypse includes the idea of uncovering…revealing.
Today marks the end of preschool for our family. It could be the end of the world too, but in case it’s not, it can still be a day for a triumph of good over evil.
Every phase of life offers such chances for victory…we just have to be willing to seek out the truth of the matter, and accept the presentations offered. The more raw, honest and revealing the offerings, the more important that acceptance is.
I am grateful for my revelations…and I want to be mindful of every one. All the way up to the very end.
Meagan Frank 
I love this post! I think it is so great that he loved his me doll! Congratulaitons on this special occasion! Last year was our last year in preschool as our youngest headed to kindergarten, and now, we are almost done with that! The time goes way to fast! It really feels just like yesterday when my oldest was finishing up kindergarten and I had a newborn. Thanks again for a great post! If the world does not end tonight at least I will know that I will get to read another great post of yours!
Thanks so much, Kathy! Good to know you are step or so ahead of me…I will look to you for guidance with all of these life-stage changes. I do plan to write more posts, and I look forward to your comments. MMF
Meagan, I love, love, love your post., You write so well – with humor, truth and great insight. I was right there with you and big sprout! You had me laughing at blue balls.
Of course I had to comment now, just in case…, but I’ll check in with you tomorrow!!! Love, Joyce
Thanks Joyce…It really was one of those stories that I honestly could not have made up myself. Life offers us so many stories to share, and I look forward to sharing MANY, MANY more with you! MMF
Well Meagan, you know how well I am coping with the change for my own girl, so I won’t offer up any suggestions on ‘letting go’ since I am in transition myself, however, you had me laughing and smiling. I echo Joyce’s sentiments exactly. I think it is a fine post for the EOW. Just in case we’re all still here tomorrow, I come by again to read more.
Thanks for stopping by Brenda. I hear the same sentiment from so many moms who are in transition this time of year…from home to preschool, from preschool to Kindergarten, from grade school to middle, middle to high and then high to college. It is practice for letting go and for me a reminder to let God too. Trusting helps those transitions. MMF
One of my favorite phrases is: Be where you are. I think thats what we have to learn as parents over and over again with regard to our beautiful children…to work at not just letting them ‘be’ where they are but embracing them…where they are–something you did with grace. Thank you for sharing, dear Meagan. Always a pleasure.
Brynne,
You hit it on the head every time! “Be where you are.” I love that. It is exactly what I try to do, but I am not as good at it yet as I would like to be. Be present with whomever I am with…be present, in eye contact, in conversation, in heart. Letting our kids “be” is hard, but I truly believe it is our charge as parents. MMF
This is so funny! Thanks for making me laugh out loud. And I love this idea too. May have to try the Me Doll with Sophie. You’ve got me curious what she’ll draw!
Do let me know what Sophie draws, Leah! I would be curious too. I have convinced myself for years that the blue-balled referee was totally normal. I would love to see what other “normal” creations there would be. MMF
Meagan,
What a great post! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and boy you had me laughing with “blue balls!” Your wonderful, descriptive writing style had me right there with Big Sprout, working on the project, modifying the blue balls, and beaming at his work at school! 🙂
I couldn’t believe he had chosen BLUE…of ALL colors!!! It was a story needing to be written…for sure! Thanks for stopping by! MMF
Haha! I love your kid. That is awesome that he was happy with himself as he was 🙂
Thanks Wosushi! I love that kid too. Unfortunately something has happened to that little boy…he is now 11 and I fear he is starting to not be as satisfied with himself just the way he is. I wish I could help him to remember the 4-year-old version of himself. MMF
Wow, Meagan, you’ve outdone yourself – again 😉 What a great post. I especially love the heartfelt sentiment of this last line – “I am grateful for my revelations…and want to be mindful of every one.”
Thanks Cathy! I have to say I am so grateful for the kids and their continued source of material. What the heck am I going to do when they fly the coop? MMF
This isn’t really your last post, is it? 😦
Great activity for a four-year-old, and a really great story! I particularly enjoyed how you tied all the threads together.
–Nina
I don’t think you’re the pathetic mother in this story. I’m sad to hear such competitive parenting is still going on at the preschool level, but I’m also troubled that this was a homework assignment. Why on earth does a preschooler need homework? On the other hand, it was probably better that your son drew his blue balls at home than at school, and I loved your idea of telling him his “Me-Doll” had to get dressed for school.
Maybe things have changed in the eight years since that preschool drama unfolded, but I know there is still raving competitiveness among parents with regard to their children. It is fine to compete, but I believe we must first relate! MMF