Dancing and Laughing through Life

Whenever I pick Adelaide up from preschool, one of her teachers comments about how funny she is when she is around them.  She is always trying to make them smile and giggle.  They told me that this year her personality has really shown through and they are really enjoying spending time with her.  We made the decision to keep her in the same preschool room because she is young for her age and so far it seems like the right decision.  

This happiness has radiated through in dance as well.  She loved her first dance lesson.  She wore both her ballet and tap shoes during her lesson.  At the end of the lesson, she tapped her way out the door with a sticker on her nose and an enormous smile on her face.

She decided she had to show me some of her new dance moves after class.

And then she couldn't stop laughing...contagious, belly laughing that made me smile.

My sweet little girl.  I love her so much.

Soccer

The Night Before Kindergarten

Everyone else has headed off to bed and I am sitting here trying to focus on two different things: my lesson plans for the week and the fact, FACT, that my son is going to kindergarten.  TOMORROW.  Oliver is very nervous.  I can tell by the questions he has asked me over the past few days and the restless nature of his behavior.  I have tried to make it as easy on him as possible.  Lunch has been packed with his favorites: pasta with alfredo sauce, apple juice, and cookies (yes, I think a first day calls for cookies.)  His snack is clearly labeled "SNACK" so he knows what to eat when he opens his lunchbox during snack time.  I have no idea why this little detail caused me so much worry.  I guess on his first day I don't want him to have to stress about what to eat at what time of the day.  He chose sliced apples, cheddar cheese and crackers and a bottle of water for his morning snack.  Those are all set.  Chris and I put a special note in his lunchbox so he'll see that we are thinking of him.  His school supplies are ready, his backpack is packed, and his new sneakers were finally purchased today after Oliver and I had to go on a search to find the perfect size 13 1/2 sneakers for my particular little man.
We had his favorite dinner tonight.  He chose tacos but he could hardly eat anything.  All he wanted to do was read books before bed and climb into his bed.  Chris and I surprised him with a new book called "Kindergarten Rocks" and the book did a really thorough job, I thought, of explaining kindergarten and what to expect.  He liked it so much he asked me to read it again.  After we finished, I asked him if he had any questions.  He told me he was really worried about eating in the cafeteria.  I told him what he could expect.  He was also really worried that our sitter wouldn't be there at the end of the day.  I talked to him about that as well.  I asked him if he had any questions about his teacher or the classroom and he said, "No, I think I am going to love them."  Before he closed his eyes in my arms, he looked up at me and said, "I just love you, mommy."  I about lost it then.  Kind of hard to keep it cool when my eyes are full of tears.

I don't know why this is such a big event for me.  He's gone to preschool for two years so it's not my first time being away from him.  I guess it's that there is something so big about going to kindergarten.  He is my baby, but he's not really my baby anymore.  He's a little boy who is making his first real imprint on the world.  I remember kindergarten and I know he will too.  As a parent, it is my biggest hope that Oliver and Adelaide are happy.  More than anything else, I want them to feel happiness.  I want Oliver to be happy in kindergarten.  

Even though I really try to approach special occasions with happiness and excitement, I know it's also okay to fully embrace the emotions that go along with such momentous occasions.

I am going to bed tonight hoping that he has a great day.