Measuring Tape

Dear Em,
You're a little learning sponge. You constantly come home with a project of some sort in mind. We have refrigerator doors full of your writings, notes to Daddy & I, lists of numbers, & even instructions on how to make stars. I love how much you love school & learning at this age.

A couple weeks ago, you made a card & had left over paper. When I found you at the dining table, you had cut strips out of the paper & had taped them together to make one, long piece of paper. The strip was longer than you are tall. You numbered it from 1 to 100.

"Mom, I made a measuring tape. Look! I'm 55!"

While no actual standard forms of measurement had been used in the making of your "measuring tape," I couldn't help but be awed by you. I remember working together to count to ten. Now you're writing out your numbers to 100...& using scissors...all by yourself.

Sometimes it's sad for me to see you grow up so quickly, but it's just as exciting to see the young lady you're becoming. I couldn't be more proud to be your mom.

I love you so,
Mommy

A Bug & A Wish

Dear Em,
You've been in kindergarten for a little over two months, & I have to admit, at times it's been a challenging transition. Through all the changes & the bumps along the way, you've really grown to love being a kindergartner. You love your little school, & you adore the new, little friends you've made along the way.

Daddy & I can't help but feel removed. When you went to Sweet Peas, we dropped you off each day. We said hi to your directors & your classmates. We got to hear about which classmate was about to have a baby brother & see which classmate brought in sea creature stuffed animals each day. We could see your classwork on the walls & had a few moments to touch base with your teachers about how they were doing & the things you were working on. When we picked you up from school, we got short glimpses of what classroom life was like for you before one of your little friends would shout out, "Emma, your mom/dad is here."

Now that you're in kindergarten, we don't get to have that daily glimpse into your school life. What we do get is the things you share with us once you get home. There are days where you can't seem to remember anything you did at school. Luckily, more often than not, you can remember little bits of your day. I love hearing about how you play zoo keeper in gym class, how you are working on identifying main characters & plots in library, & how you learned how to make a star in art. You teach me new words in Spanish each week & recite adorable poems you learned at "morning meetings." You shared with me that one little boy is the smartest kid in class...at least he told you he was & you believe him (he knows things like what a trapezoid is & what 100 + 100 equals).

One of our favorite things that you've taught us about is a bug and a wish. You were discussing with us a difficultly you were having with another classmate. He was pretending that a block was a car, & he was driving his "car" all over your body. You didn't want him driving his "car" all over your body. You explained to us that you had given him a bug & a wish. A bug & a what?? "A bug & a wish, Mom. It's where you say, 'you're bugging me & I wish you would stop.'" A bug & a wish! Isn't that the most freaking adorable thing in the world?!

Knowing how to handle conflict is not something that is inherent. It is taught & learned along the way. Your style of resolving conflict will probably evolve through different situations & different years (let me just warn you now, there is very little that works with a three year old). It makes my heart happy that, for now, you have a bug & a wish.

I have to say, there are many times in my work day that I would LOVE to use a bug & a wish.

I love you so,
Mommy

Your First Day of Kindergarten

Dear Em,
Sigh. And just like that, I accidentally took two weeks off from posting on the blog again. The next few weeks will be a flurry of catching up with posts, because we've had so many fun moments I want to recap. The biggest news, however, is that you started kindergarten yesterday.

Leading up to yesterday, you were a ball of nerves. Half the time you would emphatically exclaim you didn't want to talk about starting kindergarten. When you finally opened up, it broke my heart. You had been going to Sweet Peas since you were 1 1/2 years old. You missed your friends. You worried you wouldn't make any new friends in your new school & you wouldn't fit in.

We talked a lot about my experience moving around from place to place as I grew up. We talked about just starting out by saying "hello." We embraced words of encouragement & support from our friends & family members. We prayed about it.

We read The Kissing Hand at bedtime the night before your first day (in true Emma fashion, you were rocking a black eye from getting hit in the face by a branch that day). I kissed the middle of the palm of your left hand so that you would have a kissing hand to go to school with the next day. We tucked you in & turned out the lights. I couldn't believe the next time I saw you, you would be an official kindergartner.

Your first day of kindergarten arrived, & I was happy to see excitement on your face that morning. I took about a million photos (you started to protest, but I told you that this was the only first day of kindergarten you would ever have & some day your kids would want to see pictures), & then you, Daddy, & I walked to the bus stop together.

The bus was late. You looked up to me as you held my hand. "Mom, I'm starting to feel more nervous." I hugged you close, gave you a kiss, & reminded you how easy it is to just say "hello."

The bus pulled up, & you let go of my hand. You followed the other kids across the street toward the bus, your backpack looked huge on your little body. You turned your head with a wave & gave us one more Emma smile. I think I held my breath as you stepped onto the bus. You all had assigned seats, & you looked a little confused about where you were supposed to go. You sat in a seat with two other kids. I got ready to wave & sign "I love you" to you through the bus window. You didn't even look my way. You were already in deep conversation with your new seat-mates. It put such a smile in my heart.

As Daddy & I walked back to our house, one of the moms remarked that no one was crying. I was quietly blinking back tears. I couldn't believe my baby girl was already in kindergarten. It was so hard to send you off on a bus for the first time to a school full of teachers we mostly don't know. This wouldn't be like your last school where we dropped you off right to your teacher in your classroom. We wouldn't be seeing your classmates or getting glimpses of your life at school each day.

At that point, it was my turn to be full of nerves. I thought about you all day & wondered what & how you were doing with the newness of everything that day. I think I checked the clock 5,000 times, & it seemed like forever before it was the end of your school day.

When it finally came time to pick you up, Daddy & I walked to the bus stop together. We wondered what your face would tell us as you got off the bus. Would you be all smiles? Would you be on the brink of tears? Your bus was late again, & the waiting & anticipation was killing me. Your bus finally pulled up, & I smiled as I watched you lug your giant backpack & step down the stairs.

Then you looked up. A huge smile was spread across your face.

I finally felt myself truly breathe as you ran to Daddy & I with open arms. "My first day of kindergarten was Ah-Maz-Ing." You were a little chatter box as we walked back home, telling Daddy & I all about the things you did & the kids & teachers you did them with. For the rest of the day I think you told us about every person you met & everything you did during your first day. You were so excited to return to school the next day & the rest of the year.

I'm so freaking proud of you, little girl. This is a big change & change isn't easy, but you are totally rocking it. You are absolutely amazing. I'm so excited about the things you will accomplish this year as a kindergartener. Thanks for letting me be the one you run to with open arms at the end of the day.

I love you so,
Mommy