And So it Begins

The first day of Kindergarten was officially today.
I'm having to wake up earlier than I want to, to get Abrie ready for school.
She asked me last night if she could just sleep in her school clothes.
I seriously considered it.
I'll take all the extra sleep I can get.
Isn't 8:00 am too early to start school?

So we were up and at 'em and out the door by 7:45 with enough time to spare to take some first-day-of-school pictures.
Abrie's response: Mom do I have to?
My response: Yes. Now turn and show me your back pack, then flip your hair and give me that sassy smile. Make your mother proud.

Our little photo shoot was quickly interrupted...

That's buck naked Macie streaking across the front yard. I think my kids have Mommy radar. Every time I'm about to step out the door it goes off and they come running crying behind me screaming, "Don't go, Mommy, pleeeaaase don't go!". They say it as if their very life depends on me staying. It's nice to be so wanted, except sometimes it would be nice not to be.

And where there is one crying there will soon be two...

So I walk Abrie to school and we stand in line with all the other anxious kindergarteners and their parents with cameras, camcorders, and tissues in tote. As I'm standing there in line I start noticing all of the cute little gingerbread men that the children had brought back to school as their first day assignment. The assignment was to decorate your own gingerbread man how ever you want, then bring it back for it to displayed for everyone to see.

Abrie was so excited about her little masterpiece, but was a little worried about her "funny looking" triangle nose. I reassured her that it was the best and cutest little gingerbread girl I had ever seen.

I especially loved her little flip-flops she drew.


I start getting a closer look at all the little gingerbread men and I about died. I kid you not. I have never seen more talented Kindergarteners in my whole life. Wow, these little gingerbread men were stylin'. The whole time I kept laughing to myself and saying, YGTBKM (my niece tells me that stands for you've got to be kidding me... you know, text talk. I have no idea what I'm talking about right now)

Check out these works of art....

(The eyes of the gingerbread men have been blacked out, as to protect the identity of the innocent)

Ok, this one wins the award for scrappin up and stampin up cuteness. Her little outfit comes complete with matching headband and coordinating flip-flops. And to make even better, it's diamond embroidered. I must have embarrassed her, she's blushing a bit.

No little gingerbread boy is complete without a stylish faux hawk and button up shirt.

Bright, fresh and colorful. So cute you could just eat her.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

So as the kids walked into their classroom with their little gingerbread men in hand it was almost as if someone said, "Parents commence crying". In sync, all of the mothers pulled out their tissues and started to cry, but not me. I was a rock... at least outwardly.

Inside I was full of mixed emotions. I'm not so much sad that my little girl is starting the beginning of an eternity of school. I'm mostly sad that I can't be there to protect her and constantly be there to give her reassurance that everything will be OK and to tell her, "Honey, I like your gingerbread man just the way it is; flip-flops, triangle nose and all.