First Day of School Revisited

Or: Now I Need to Go Home and Cry.

So. I did it. I dropped my baby girl big girl off at preschool today. She was so excited all morning. She got dressed in a new shirt we bought for school. (She asked me Friday, "Can I wear this today?" I told her that she had to wait until school started on Monday. To which she replied, "But it's so far away....") She let me fix her hair. She found all of her pretty bracelets from Auntie Mia. She was prepped. It wasn't even 8am. She asked many, MANY times (over the next 4 hours) if it was time for school yet. She wore her backpack around the house non-stop. She waited outside thinking that this would help speed up the time.

Then we got to school. I'm thinking, "Kiss, hug and I'm outta here!" She was excited to see friends she knew and to get her name tag. But then, as the line started to move for lunch, she grabbed onto me and wouldn't let go. I sat with her through lunch and was finally able to leave as she headed off for recess excited and a bit nervous.

As I left, I kept waiting for the tears to come. I got in my car and only had to buckle myself in. I drove down the road and didn't hear any chattering, screaming, crying or laughing. Still, no tears. But there was this solid lump in my chest. My baby girl's grown up.

When did this happen?

Then I got to Walmart to run errands and stepped out of my car with no one clinging to me, no one running behind formerly parked and now moving vehicles, no one begging for this or that or bumping things at random on the shelves, no car seats to unbuckle and rebuckle, no whining, no running in the aisles and playing hide-n-seek in the store. It. was. marvelous. (You thought I was going to say fabulous didn't you?) I did little dances in my head.

So, it's a mixed blessing (as most of life is) and more sweet than bitter but with definite tinges of both. My baby's growing up. (She says that it's because her heart keeps beeping and that makes her grow. I asked if I could take out her heart so she would stop growing. She looked at me aghast. "NO!") And that's good.

By the way, Robert finally let me post a photo of him and Lulu (above). Isn't it amazing how much my DH looks like Ben Affleck? Who knew? Well, I always knew he was a hottie!