Meet the Teacher! Pass the Kleenex!

School starts tomorrow! This afternoon we went to meet my teacher.

Mama thinks it's nuts we don't find out who our teacher is until the day before school but oh well.  Drum roll!  I'm in Mrs. Bolt's class!  I know three other kids who will be going to Stone and not ONE of them is in my class.  That's a darn.

Mrs. Bolt had this cute little welcome kit waiting for me at my table with CANDY.  I like Mrs. Bolt.  The candy came with the cutest poem ever.  It was the 36th thing that made Mommy get teary eyed today.

Mrs. Bolt even had me complete an assignment while I was there!  I had to draw a picture of myself and write my name!  See how my nametag says Lillian?  I said to Mama, "Do I have to write this name, or can I just write Lilly?"  Mommy tried to explain that Lillian is really the same name, just more formal to which I responded, "Mommy, I'm just a kid, I don't know what you're saying."

For all of you keeping score, I'm the ONLY kid who wrote my name using an uppercase letter and the remaining lowercase.  Thank you, ARBC!  I'm heading straight to gifted.

Can you believe this little monkey is starting Pre-K4 tomorrow?  She's going to be a Dinosaur like I was.  It's going to be the first time in our whole lives we are apart for the better part of the day 5 days a week.  Who do you think this will be harder for?  I'm not a bettin' person but if I was, I'd bet on me.

We spent almost a whole hour just walking around the school, checkin' out the new digs, the new playground, comparing outfits, judging other Mommies...ahem, excuse me.

My classroom has this super cute cozy loft for reading.  Anna Jane and Jack made themselves right at home.

And I found a quiet space right underneath with this funky device.  See it?  I actually said to Mama, "What is this thing?"  Mommy said she wasn't sure, maybe it came from cavemen.

Oh, my sweet Lilly Bean.  Kindergarten tomorrow.  This is the 58th time I've gotten teary today.  I love you so much.  All those times I've wanted to throat punch people who tell me it goes so fast...and it does.  You're no baby anymore, sweet pea.  You're a little girl.  Minus one baby tooth.  Plus 1,000+ wonderful qualities.  I know you're going to love Kindergarten.  You're going to love school.  You're going to love being a kid and learning and growing and doing all the awesome things little kids get to do these days that Mommy and Daddy never did because the technology didn't exist.  I'm going to do my best to keep it together tomorrow but I can't make you any promises.  Maybe thinking about the look on your face when you met Mrs. Bolt and hid behind my leg will help me be strong for you.  Or thinking about how you told Anna that while she will definitely miss you she will LOVE being a Dinosaur.  I have always loved living in the moment - this may be the first time in my life I've really, really had a hard time letting go.  It's hard to let go of your baby, Lilly.  But this is just the first time of many I'm going to have to let you spread your little wings and take off.  I love you, Lilly Bean.  Kindergartener.  Awesome kid.  My forever little baby girl.

Love,

Mommy