Tuesday, September 4, 2012

First Grade

Today is the first day of first grade.  I am in awe of how time flies.  I didn't write as many summer snippets as I had intended.  That said, I am living a life without regrets as I see no reason to fault myself since most all of our summer days were well spent biking, swimming, playing, skipping, dancing, singing, laughing and spending time with friends and family.  

On Friday we went to the school open house where O met her new first grade teacher, visited her new first grade classroom and looked over her new first grade class list.  Before we left, she told me she had one more thing she wanted to do...visit her kindergarten classroom and her darling kindergarten teacher, Mrs. M.

O waited patiently as Mrs. M was talking to another parent when we walked in.  As soon as Mrs. M saw O she took her in her arms and gently and lovingly welcomed her back to school.  It was in that beautiful moment that all the wonderful emotions of the past year flooded over me.

For students, Kindergarten is a part of growing up.  For parents, Kindergarten also is a part of growing up and realizing that their children are becoming less intensely reliant on them.  There's some very big steps to take and sometimes some difficult bridges to cross, but along the way there are the most incredible teachers, family, friends and blog readers (that's you) providing encouragement and support to get us all through.  From the bottom of my heart I thank you!

This morning O told me her tummy kind of hurt because she was a little nervous about her first day.  I told her to remember that she can tell her tummy it will all be ok, because it will, and that her tummy knows from experience.  She nodded and smiled.  Last year, I had to set her in her seat on the bus while she screamed and cried not wanting to go.  This morning she boarded the bus without any reservations.  In fact, as her daddy went to kiss her goodbye, O reminded him, “no grown-ups are allowed in the bus”.

And now this blog comes to a close.  I certainly have enjoyed the journey.  I thank each of you for all the heart warming ways that you helped me find my way in the blogging world.   I clearly gained and I hope you did as well.  For all the many moments when Kindergarten Sucked, it was also those moments that O and I grew the most.  We grew closer and our hearts grew bigger.  Kindergarten doesn't suck.  No, not anymore.  Kindergarten ROCKS! And guess what, First Grade ROCKS too!  There will be moments where I may think differently, but those moments will be the ones when I will remember to tell my tummy, "Everything will be ok just like it all turned out in Kindergarten".  Yes, I truly believe, Kindergarten ROCKS!