New Starts

Dear Peach, 

It is happening.  The day I thought would never get here, the day that I didn't want to get here, the day I couldn't wait to get here all rolled into one.  You are enrolled at TPS, with your big brother next year!!! He will be in 4th grade and you will be in kindergarten.  We went to your orientation after two false starts, due to me getting the date wrong and the other a power failure at the school and they had to move the date.  You could barely contain yourself with disappointment at the cancellation conversely a week later with elation to attend the orientation. You picked a special dress, you did your hair and you worked to get out of the house early.  We entered the building and our fearless, intelligent and kind principal and you shrieked at each other with joy and gave big hugs, with all standers-by welcoming that, "Hazel is finally going to be here!!"  The teachers and students already know you by name, of course. Your goal for the orientation was to make some friends and two 1st grade guides stuck to you like glue...but your brother felt he wanted to show you around and guided you to the art and music room through the cafeteria and where you could go to the bathroom if you had to go while at school.  You had a great 7 months where you attended a lovely short half day kindergarten, and you were so tired at the end of the day.  I hope your excitement and enthusiasm carry you through the long day of school, friends, play and learning.  I know this is all going to be an adjustment.  Our entire schedule will be different, and mommy's life is going to change.  I have already been doing more photos for people and volunteering at the school with the middle level (and I was so impressed and need to be a part of that).  I am sad that my official stay at home mom days are over. I am guessing the first year your breaks from class, when the two of you are all mine, all day, are going to be little glistening jewels among the growing pains.  

   After your orientation we celebrated via a Chocolate Moose tradition, a dipped torch cone with eyeballs. It is official. I have two kids in school.  A boy. A girl.  They are super different from each other.  Super funny.  Super smart.  You are going to add a lot to the school my little sweetie, and they are going to add a lot to you. For that I am grateful. I will think of these days of just the two of us with lots of time to snuggle, over and over.  I asked you last night if you will still hold my hand after you start school. Sitting on my lab snuggled close, you pulled back and earnestly looked into my eyes. In your gentle caring manner you said, "Mama, I am getting bigger and I may not hold your hand anymore but I will still probably love you." (Two weeks before Henry entered Kindergarten he promised he would always hold my hand...it wasn't a two days into his first week and the promised changed.)  These changes are coming...and the girl who told me a month ago that she was worried that we wouldn't have enough cuddle time in the day so we would likely have to cuddle me as soon as she got home is going to shed and discard into my piles of Hazel's in all over her appearances.  Your constants are beautiful.  Caring, kind, loving, snugly, hilarious, a fantastical imagination and a gift of the gab, but as you said, you are growing up.  The spaces where I fit will fill in with other wonderful things.
Love, Mama