show & tell

today was my baby's and our family's

very last pre-school show & tell day.

i can't remember if there is

show & tell in kindergarten...

but i can tell you there isn't one in middle school.

a final after...

all those years of marking show & tell 

on the family wall calendar...

all those hustle mornings to make sure 

we remember to remember the show & tell item...

all those mornings of trying to remember, 

what alphabet letter goes with show & tell that week (l-m-n-o-p?)...

all those times I was sure that the show & tell item the child is excited about 

was thrown away or donated...

all those moments in the pre-school parking lot

searching underneath seats, the trunk or my bag

for a last minute (brilliant) show & tell item....

all those stairs we've climbed after seeing

classmates' show & tell items

while assuring my child that the item he or she brought in was just as cool...

all those calls from the teacher saying,

my child is sad they forgot their show & tell item,

might i be able to bring something by...

all those drives back to pre-school 

to bring in the forgotten show & tell item....

all those mama guilt moments,

while sweet teachers assure me that i wasn’t the only one who forgot...

all those many no's to suggested show & tell items

that i knew their pre-school teacher did not want to define circle time,

(light sabers, slime or fragile family heirlooms).

so on the morning of my baby's and our family's 

very last pre-school show & tell,

i said a big fat YES to bringing in the family fish.