I Survived...She THRIVED

[This originally started as an email to our close family and friends, but since gmail doesn't like to upload my videos, all of you lucky ducks get to partake in this sweetness!]

Last night our sweet Marie laid out her outfit, packed up her backpack, put her snack in her lunch box, and giggled her way to bed in anticipation of her first day of kindergarten. Yesterday, prior to the first day of school, we stopped by to drop off her supply box, get school pictures, and do an individual assessment with her teacher. I think it was a very good thing that we had some activities leading up to the real deal--for her sake, yes, but mostly so this Mama could ease into it!

The lump in my throat started to take hold last night when Daddy gave me a note to deliver to his little girl on her first day of kindergarten. (Gah. Tears.)

This morning Marie was all smiles as she got ready in record speed, tolerated my picture taking, and skipped toward the school. The parents were invited into the classroom for a quick story (The Kissing Hand, one of our favorites--gah, more tears), and then a goodbye. I was thankful to have two squirmy little boys to distract me as I high-tailed it out of the classroom while lowering my darkest pair of sunglasses. Blessedly, the moment was short-lived; seeing all of her excitement helped me to recover pretty quickly.

At dismissal she was sad that she had to come home and didn't have enough time to finish her project that she'd started. She also wanted to know when she would get to do her first homework assignment, and she's super excited to go to art class tomorrow. I can't tell you how much it all made me want to go back to kindergarten myself!

Here's her personal account of the first day:

-   -   -

In the end, I decided it isn't the big milestone bit that's the hardest part--I'm so happy for her, even though I will always get those mommy pangs of nostalgia. It isn't the worrying--I could never not worry, but she loves school so very much that it makes it so much easier than it could be.

The hardest part is the little revelation that dawned on me last night--that with one in kindergarten and another about to start preschool and a baby who these days is sounding way too much like a little boy...
this 
is 
it.

For the next 18 or so years, this is the daily schedule that will run our lives until each one of our children is grown and gone. Our time with them will become increasingly more limited, their world will expand exponentially at an alarming rate, the friends and activities will soon take over, and we will have to learn how to move over a bit and let them grow into themselves. As we shuffle our lives to embrace the role of parents of school-aged children, the most we can do is provide boundaries, guidance, direction, and love. The rest will be up to them. The world is theirs to discover, react to, and try to influence for the better. It is a hard realization, but at the same time it is such a beautiful, hope-filled prospect. One that I am so blessed to be wittnessing every single day, and one that I hope I can stop myself long enough on occasion to really soak in. Ready or not world--and ready or not me--here they come!