To my Ky on your first day of school

Well, we survived the first day of school. Kylee - you were so excited! You chose to wear your hair "poofy" with a clip, you wanted pancakes for breakfast and you wore a flare jean skirt with a sparkly butterfly top and flip flops. You made sure Daddy made all the right turns when he drove us all to Brookfield Elementary and you stood proudly in line with the other 4 year olds in Mrs. Pyka's class. I'm sure we made quite the spectacle with our full family of 5 accompanying the entire class inside the school and down the hall to the classroom, all the while videotaping every moment. There was a single moment, Ky, when I thought you might actually think about missing me when you ran out of the class and straight to my arms. But instead, you told me, "I forgot my back pack!" and wiggled the all-pink bag from my hands that I'd not noticed I was still holding. "Of course!" I answered as you turned and ran bravely back into the classroom. I had to fight the tears that were threatening to fall from the pools in my eyes. You acted as though you'd done this all before, hanging your back pack on the hook in your cubby, sitting down at the desk where you quickly found your name and immediately diving into the puzzle they had already set in front of you. How and when did you become so grown up? I kept trying to get your attention and give you a final good-bye, but you were too busy to notice. "Come on, Tee, she's ready for us to go now. You gotta let her go." Your daddy told me as he placed his arm around me and gently nudged me towards the door. I grabbed one of the boys hands and used the other to wipe the tears that had started falling. I don't know why I got as emotional as I did because I am really excited for all the new things you are going to learn, the new friends that you will make and the relationships we'll be able to share with the other families in your school. It helps to know also, that your teacher is amazing and last year taught the students so much that they had to change the 5-year-old-kindergarten curriculum to meet their advanced needs. And I know you're ready. You've been asking to do this for over a year now and the enthusiasm you have is obvious. You didn't want me to teach you in the home and you certainly weren't going to wait until you were 5!! You've been dying to go to school. And now, after your first day, you can't wait to go back and learn more tomorrow. I do look so forward to watching you learn and grow, first in your faith, then in your relationships, skills and education. But you're also my baby girl and no matter how big you get, it will probably always be a bit emotional for me to watch you take such big steps in life. I love you, Ky. I am so very grateful that God gave you to me as my little girl. Congratulations on your first day of school!!

Love,
Mommy