Last day of 5:00 pick up

Today, as I was going through my outlook calendar, a realization: for the last 5 years I had a reminder at 5:00 in my Outlook calendar, "Pick Up Anna" with a 15 minute alert.

She's been right across the street from me for 5 years now. In the early days I'd leave right as the alert popped up at 4:45 because I didn't want her to be the last kid there waiting for mommy. But in the last few years I'd snooze it until 5:15 because she'd always want to stay and play and she was never the last one there. I'm certain that some parents showed up past the 5:30 pickup time.

As I looked out across the calendar at what's ahead for the rest of the summer, I noticed there were no more 5:00 pickups left for me. The structure of her camps requires Paul to pick up from her camps at 3:00 daily. She is only at her school, GD, some mornings. My last day of 5:00 pickup was actually June 28.
I'd have probably sulked all the way home. Or at least relished it. I'm trying to think of what that day's drive home was like...

A few years ago that drive home was car seat screamer Hell. Or fighting off her fussiness with making sure I always had a snack and water waiting for her in the car.

These past few later years it was more about talks of her day, and what we wanted for dinner.
Now what?

Before knowing I had to pickup Anna before 5:30, what made me leave work on time? Nothing. I was in Engineering and I was usually there until I got hungry for dinner.

Now that restriction is gone. She will be with Paul from here on out, including when school starts. What's going to require me to leave my desk at 5:00? Now I'm in Space Station Science, where if it's possible, there's even more work to do.

She will still get me to leave by 5:15 because in the 5 years, the restriction has forced me to respect a balance between work and family time.

Ok to be honest I am already planning to work late tomorrow night, but that's just because I have some major events I need to really prep for due on Tues!
So I suppose there will be exceptions.

I will really miss the drives home with her in the fall the most. Where it gets dark early and she asks WHY and we stop to look at the Halloween and Christmas decorations in the yards.

I won't be the first to see her at the end of her school day. And she will now wait for mommy to get home. Holy cow, JUST WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?

I guess this is where we start a new routine. And I thought I was ready for kindergarten because Anna had been "in school" so-to-speak since 3 months old.
Now I get it.